Cheap Rocks Or Decor For Malawi Tank

[mystic.bertie]

i have my malawi tank 55g juwel vision 260 decorated with some limestone, i want to do something more interesting without spending a fortune on tuffa and sea rock from the fish shop, so what rocks can i buy from where or free that i can use in my tank and will be very nice, some example pictures would be nice, im in the uk so some of the rocks in other countries may not be available here

also where does the lfs get there sea rock and tuffa rock in order to charge so much for it ?? can you go directly there and cut out the lfs

my tank as it is just now, i need insiration and suggestions

 

[Bert]

I actually use loose assfault from my drive way. Seems to work very well and I can build nice caves with it.

 

[Breedon]

i have used blue slate from a garden centre 2 pieces for £5, when i clean out my tank tomorrow i'll post a pic.
looks like you have some plum and blue slate in your tank now.

 

[mystic.bertie]

i have used blue slate from a garden centre 2 pieces for £5, when i clean out my tank tomorrow i'll post a pic.
looks like you have some plum and blue slate in your tank now.

yeah i have 2 bits of slate which i aquired with my setup, the limestone on my tank is a bit bulky so i want to get some slimmer stuff in

 

[fifefish]

do your cichlids like hard water?

 

[mystic.bertie]

do your cichlids like hard water?

yes but i have not checked my water

 

[fifefish]

well i recommend you check your levels since limestone can make your hardness skyrocket

 

[cheerycherry]

My nan is lucky enough to live near a secluded little beach and often goes getting seawed to help her garden plants lol

I got some large rocks from this beach for my tank too,and by coincedence there was another couple on the beach getting some too so all in all I got about 40 very large rocks for nothing.must says it looks really natural too and I love that look.Had to wash them very throughly of course but hasnt changed the ph at all.

 

[fifefish]

are they sedimentary or igneous rocks?

 

[Nick16]

My nan is lucky enough to live near a secluded little beach and often goes getting seawed to help her garden plants lol

I got some large rocks from this beach for my tank too,and by coincedence there was another couple on the beach getting some too so all in all I got about 40 very large rocks for nothing.must says it looks really natural too and I love that look.Had to wash them very throughly of course but hasnt changed the ph at all.

nice and illegal there! do you want fake plants mate?

 

[cheerycherry]

Crikey I didnt realise it would be illegal? especially as other people were taking some too eeeek

And Yes I already have fake plants? why?

 

[Declan]

Crikey I didnt realise it would be illegal? especially as other people were taking some too eeeek

And Yes I already have fake plants? why?

Cherry,

If you live anywhere near a brook/stream/small river..get a pair of wellies on and go looking..may take a while, may be cold, but i did it today and the effects are great!

But make sure you clean them properly.. there is a link in the Hardware and DIY section that covers it extensively, I would put a link if I knew how..

D.

 

[Nick16]

haha, no cherry, i was asking the riginal poster if he wanted any fake plants, as cichlids rip up normal ones. yes it is illegal, just dont get caught, we have all done it fromv time to time!

 

[cheerycherry]

Lol

 

[HappyGeorge]

Not being experienced as a fish keeper and being in the process of setting up a tank myself I cant really give any technical advice but I will offer a bit of aesthetic advice.

In photography there is a thing called the rule of thirds which basically means that in a photo you should always ensure that firstly any important horizontal lines in the photo are offset either one third up or two thirds up the photo but never in the middle. Secondly any vertical lines are similarly never in the middle either a third in from the left or the right. Look at a photo you like and you will see what I mean or take a photo of your own and crop it in an editing program and note the improvement. Its also the reason why things in odd numbers generally look better than groups or even numbers.

In relation to this when I started looking at tanks many of the really nice set ups comply to those rules.

I am planning to use ragstone as you have but was planning to make a pile on one side of the tank that extends from back to front 2/3 then 2/3 up the tank and 2/3 or 1/3 along the base with a couple of small eratic pieces in the remaining bare substrate.

Not trying to be a smart #### but just wonderering if you may get a look more to your liking by tinkering and without spending any cash.