25.5.12
Many fish keepers have been adding rocks and to their aquariums, when stacked in formations they can result in a very natural looking feature and the fish enjoy using the caves and crevices that are created for hiding places and some species will even use them for breeding purposes.
Using rock has several advantages towards the aquarium but as with all things there are also the disadvantages. One important thing to remember when adding rocks to the tank is safety, not only to you but also for your fish and the risk of damaging your aquarium.
Most types of rock are weighty, there are some that are relatively lighter but when all of the formations are built up the weight inside the aquarium will increase dramatically. Rather than risk cracking the bottom glass of your aquarium, strengthen it with Styrofoam or similar so that when the larger base rocks are added, the weight is spread out evenly, if not there will be areas where the rock will apply pressure at certain points, this could lead to disaster.
Some species of fish prefer soft, acidic water, certain types of rock can react with the water and harden it, these are known as unstable rocks, rocks that do not react with the water are known as inert rocks. Testing the rock before adding it to the aquarium can save a lot of heartache later once it is in the tank so it is well worth doing.
To test the rock, simply place a few drops of white vinegar onto it, if the vinegar reacts and starts to fizz then the rock is not inert, no reaction then you know that the rock will not affect the water parameters of the aquarium. For fish that prefer harder water such as Malawi fish or livebearers (Guppy for instance), adding unstable rock is not a bad thing, it slowly reacts with the water and buffers it so that the pH will slowly rise and stay at the higher level.
One of the main advantages of adding rock to the aquarium is that it also provides the beneficial bacteria in the water column more surface area to colonise; hence this will in turn mean that your water is being filtered more effectively.
The fish using the rock as mentioned above for hiding places will benefit the fish and make them more secure in the aquarium. Many species of fish will feed from the algal growth on the rock.
The aesthetic quality of the rock makes the tank more pleasing to the eye, especially once it has been in the tank for a while and aged.
Disadvantages of using rock are the chance that rock formations may topple if not secure properly, fish can burrow underneath the rock making it unstable, adding the rock before the substrate will prevent this kind of calamity from occurring. Also, never install a fish tank heater to a position near rocks due to two basic reasons; Rocks will slow down the water flow which lowers the final efficiency of heaters. Secondly, if you keep big fish that can move unattached rocks around the tank, relocating them near sensitive equipment such as heaters is dangerous - heaters may get damaged and this can eventually kill your fish! This approach does not apply to rocks only, but to driftwood and practically any other decoration in the tank too.
If you need to net your fish it can be very hard when there is rock in the tank, often all of the rock has to be removed so that the fish can be caught.
There are many types of rocks that can be used but the main ones often seen are:
Limestone
Slate
Lava Rock
Tuffa Rock
Ocean Rock
River Pebbles
Any rock that is found on your travels will need to be cleaned thoroughly and checked with the vinegar before it is added to the aquarium.
Using rock has several advantages towards the aquarium but as with all things there are also the disadvantages. One important thing to remember when adding rocks to the tank is safety, not only to you but also for your fish and the risk of damaging your aquarium.
Most types of rock are weighty, there are some that are relatively lighter but when all of the formations are built up the weight inside the aquarium will increase dramatically. Rather than risk cracking the bottom glass of your aquarium, strengthen it with Styrofoam or similar so that when the larger base rocks are added, the weight is spread out evenly, if not there will be areas where the rock will apply pressure at certain points, this could lead to disaster.
Some species of fish prefer soft, acidic water, certain types of rock can react with the water and harden it, these are known as unstable rocks, rocks that do not react with the water are known as inert rocks. Testing the rock before adding it to the aquarium can save a lot of heartache later once it is in the tank so it is well worth doing.
To test the rock, simply place a few drops of white vinegar onto it, if the vinegar reacts and starts to fizz then the rock is not inert, no reaction then you know that the rock will not affect the water parameters of the aquarium. For fish that prefer harder water such as Malawi fish or livebearers (Guppy for instance), adding unstable rock is not a bad thing, it slowly reacts with the water and buffers it so that the pH will slowly rise and stay at the higher level.
One of the main advantages of adding rock to the aquarium is that it also provides the beneficial bacteria in the water column more surface area to colonise; hence this will in turn mean that your water is being filtered more effectively.
The fish using the rock as mentioned above for hiding places will benefit the fish and make them more secure in the aquarium. Many species of fish will feed from the algal growth on the rock.
The aesthetic quality of the rock makes the tank more pleasing to the eye, especially once it has been in the tank for a while and aged.
Disadvantages of using rock are the chance that rock formations may topple if not secure properly, fish can burrow underneath the rock making it unstable, adding the rock before the substrate will prevent this kind of calamity from occurring. Also, never install a fish tank heater to a position near rocks due to two basic reasons; Rocks will slow down the water flow which lowers the final efficiency of heaters. Secondly, if you keep big fish that can move unattached rocks around the tank, relocating them near sensitive equipment such as heaters is dangerous - heaters may get damaged and this can eventually kill your fish! This approach does not apply to rocks only, but to driftwood and practically any other decoration in the tank too.
If you need to net your fish it can be very hard when there is rock in the tank, often all of the rock has to be removed so that the fish can be caught.
There are many types of rocks that can be used but the main ones often seen are:
Limestone
Slate
Lava Rock
Tuffa Rock
Ocean Rock
River Pebbles
Any rock that is found on your travels will need to be cleaned thoroughly and checked with the vinegar before it is added to the aquarium.
