Aquarium Live Rock

Most aquariums have rocks in them. Do take care, however, because not all rocks are suitable. The wisest option is to buy your rocks frogman aquarium shop, but this can be expensive if you need a fair amount to create the right sort of underwater scene. Finding your own rock for the aquarium is more fun, plus the fact that it's nice to get something for nothing. As a general guide, if you come across rocks that have thin lines or veins of metal in them, leave them alone. Test any other rocks that you collect with a few drops of vinegar. If the vinegar fizzes vigorously then these rocks contain calcium compounds that will make the water harder and more alkaline and are suitable only for certain fishes. Do not worry too much if a few lines of little bubbles come up,as most rocks have some small calcium deposits. Soak rocks that have passed the acid test for a week in a bucket of water to remove the acid and leach out any other impurities. In fact, it is a good idea to thoroughly rinse rocks that you buy from your aquarium dealer.




Before placing rocks in the aquarium, slope the gravel from front to the back so that it is twice as deep at the hack than at the front. This not only allows any debris to accumulate at the front, where it is easy to remove, but also provides a firmer foundation for embedding rocks.

This large piece Tobago catches the light and provides an excellent focal point in the aquarium.You can also use vine roots -thinner and more textured than bog wood - to create interesting shapes and welcome crannies for the fish to swim in and out of. There are also artificial versions that you can use.


Suitable rocks

The best rocks for most tanks are inert ones that do not affect the water chemistry, such as:

Granite

Basalt

Gneiss

Slate

Quartz

A plain collogued not put Fix untreated cork background is printed Whitehorse inside the good choice for underwater scenes behind the tank with clean look add depth aquarium?aquarium sealant other tank decorations. When installing rocks, make sure that they cannot fall or subside. Place the largest, most stable rocks near the back corners to act as a base and then build on or around these. Try to create an overall view like a small stage in a theatre, with an appropriate background, some props around the edges to give a three-dimensional feel and an open area in the middle for your 'cast' to act upon. Where possible, you can build the gravel up behind rocks and so vary the levels within the tank.

Remember that the rocks do not have to he laid horizontally; some great effects can he made by arranging several narrow pieces of slate vertically or even towering out of the tank. Using one type of rock has a

Unsuitable rocks Avoid rocks with calcium and magnesium compounds that turn water hard and alkaline:

Limestone

Marble

Dolomite

Calcareous sandstones Any soft, chalky rocks

You can create some dramatic effects by using dark, substantial rocks to form a fitting background for solid-looking fishes.Here a blue-eyed pled(Banquet sutton) seems at home against a brooding of heavy granite pieces. You can build up miniature scene within the aquarium, but make sure that rocks and other tank decorations will not affect the water chemistry and endanger your fishes.

Anchor them securely so that boisterous fishes cannot rearrange your carefully worked-out scheme.