FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Are there any materials that should be avoided or any that are tankscaping necessities?

I want to create a beach/jetty area in my 2' for the crabs, or possibly rockpools with the filter hiden behind, I'm not certain yet. I'm just a bit worried that the designs for FW may not work in SW or that SW fish may be more sensitive to the chemicals.

Are there any woods that wouldn't stuff the water around too much?

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Any woods should be sealed with a marine, aquarium safe, epoxy. Most rocks are fine to use, as long as you know they aren't leaching anything. In the case of SW carbonates aren't something to avoid, so I don't mean the vinigar test. Just other nasties.

PVC, zipties, and epoxies are all usefull scaping tools. Most calcium carbonate rocks can be drilled fairly easily and fit to pvc and ziptied together to make stable structures.

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

OK, so with the rock thing, would 'bushrock' be OK? Its a sort of sandstoney conglomerate. I've seen it used in fresh, but are there specific things that I should look for that could be toxic to marine?

Marine epoxy as in for the bottom of yachts? Ye old cheapie brand with no barnacle deterrents etc?

Is there something other than epoxy varnish, something a bit more substantial? I remember some people using expanding foam filler for FW, can that be done?

Would yacht rope be a bad idea? should I just go with plain cotton or nylon rope?

Oh, and some way to colour plastic (considering adding an 'old boot' designed for mice), possibly spraypaint and sealed in epoxy?

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Sandstone conglomerates should be pretty safe. I'm sure you know all the hazards with collecting your own rocks. Just make sure it wasn't a toxic waste dump site or something like that.

Yep marine epoxy for yachts. I'd get a very low end product and call the manufacturer and ask if any chems leak once cured.

Any of that expanding foam seems pretty toxic to me. But again you can probably coat it with silicone or the epoxy to seal it off.

cotton rope will deteriorate, I'd go with nylon or something plastic-y.

Again, I think if you seal the spray paint in epoxy it should be ok.

I'd do all this with a bit of caution of course.

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

*readies a sacrificial something for testing purposes*

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

I have seen some sites that sell wood specifically for brackish-saltwater tanks where people are trying to recreate mangrove shorelines. I've also seen tanks where people went out and collected wood from the ocean themselves. I'm not sure what makes it safe though and I've always been told not to put freshwater driftwood in saltwater tanks. Although I do have several pieces of wood in a brackish tank at 1.015 sg and I don't see a problem. Perhaps it is simply that driftwood carries contaminants easier than rock.

Currently I have a chunk of cork in there, which I'm pretty sure is less than ideal, but it seemed safer than letting them pull apart polystyrene

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett