Setting Up Cichlid Caves

[pbase5583]

i have some Rocks and i know is not enough

65 gallon tank

3' x 18" x 2'
my question is should i get really big rocks(10 lbs) a piece maybe 5 lbs. I view others tanks and the rocks are bigger. maybe thats why i have trouble adding a second level on my rocks.

 

[Malawi MaD]

Just a few Large rocks with smaller pieces scattered around them will be fine, you Don't have to fill it full of rock if you don't want to. Braking the line of sight is the main option.

Here's a few pics for you to get an idea

 

[pbase5583]

Those are all nice, im just not artistic in cichlid tank, in saltwater and freshwater i am good but not cichlid(which i know are freshwater)

 

[thereverendturtle]

Skip the pet store on the rocks, and go to a landscape yard. Most will have different types of rock in stock. At the yards here in California, sale them between $.08-.50 per pound. I was able to do a 60 gal full of rock, by just buying a bag of 4"-8" cobble. Total cost was $3.85.

 

[onidrase]

got my granite from a quarry, selling it for 32 bucks a ton, did my entire scape with 2 dollars.

All I did was stack the rocks wherever they sat steadily, it made caves on its own without my interference that way.

 

[SikkAquariums]

Would any particular rock be better for the cichlids? Any anubias? I think im going to buy a bunch of lava and stack it on the back side of mine, let it set its coarse that way. but slate/granite which is better? i did already check out the local landscape yards.rock for about .25c/lb

 

[onidrase]

limestone, sandstone, and granite are all the best imo. slate isn't a good choice. It's too flat and doesn't create any natural caves. The only cave systems you can make with slate are rather cut and paste triangular ones which are easily toppled. I think slate is a good accent rock for some aquariums with more types of rock, but it just looks awful in mbuna tanks to me.

Pretty much any plant you put in the tank will be annihilated. I don't think there are exceptions with mbuna. Lava rock is save too, but it's sharp, ugly, and relatively expensive (around here, anyway). Lace stone is also a pretty common choice, but once again, sharp, ugly, and relatively expensive around here.

here's a photo of the progress of my 50 gallon tank, I chose to use black granite for the stone work.

 

[pbase5583]

alright sounds good. What i going to do then is stop by a construction yard. get alot of rocks. i know of one close. then i will post pics

 

[SikkAquariums]

limestone, sandstone, and granite are all the best imo. slate isn't a good choice. It's too flat and doesn't create any natural caves. The only cave systems you can make with slate are rather cut and paste triangular ones which are easily toppled. I think slate is a good accent rock for some aquariums with more types of rock, but it just looks awful in mbuna tanks to me.

Pretty much any plant you put in the tank will be annihilated. I don't think there are exceptions with mbuna. Lava rock is save too, but it's sharp, ugly, and relatively expensive (around here, anyway). Lace stone is also a pretty common choice, but once again, sharp, ugly, and relatively expensive around here.

here's a photo of the progress of my 50 gallon tank, I chose to use black granite for the stone work.

I didn't specify before but I have Tang Cichlids, and the lava looked okay, and i think i have like 2 peices of lace rock. but i will look more into slate, and like i was saying for plants, from what i understand everywhere, my fish don't like particular plants, and wont eat them. Hopefully. haha, thanks for the hlep.

 

[Devon]

It would look better if the all rocks are of the same kind.