# What are some good rocks to use for cichlids?



## verast432 (Dec 22, 2011)

I'm starting my first cichlids tank it's 100 gallons and has sand substrate. It has plants and all but I need stones for cichlids. Due to the amount of money I've already spent on the aquarium I'm on a budget. Is there any type of rocks I could use for cichlids that wouldn't hurt my wallet too much??


----------



## AmishDude (Apr 5, 2011)

I've used pea gravel (think hardware stores) a few bucks a bag, they offer some larger stones as well, still pea-ish sized. If you are looking for LARGE stones on the cheap; check out a landscape place.
Rinse it well with hot water out of the tap, should be good to go.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

As soon as you said budget there went my idea(texas holey rock). I bought some colorado river rock(very very nice) for $.20 a pound. Enough for my 75g for $23. The rock is purple, grey, blue and white colored. Some of the nicest rock I have seen.

Here are a couple pics


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The smooth, rounded rocks as shown in 13razorbackfan's pic is perfect for mbuna since it can't hurt them when they bash into it while chasing each other. :thumb:


----------



## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

as DJRansome mentioned avoid any rocks that are rough,like lace and tuffa,smooth rocks without any sharp edges is what you want,a little more challenging to stack,but your fish wont hurt themselves on it,landscape yards are a good place,for alot of variety,or the shores of clean lakes or streams are the cheapest option,just clean them off,before putting them in the aquarium


----------



## verast432 (Dec 22, 2011)

thank you all for the advice that's a those rocks look pretty good 13razorbackfan i think i might just look into those and i'm gonna look into texas holy rock as well maybe it won't be too expensive. Thanks for all the advice i'll post a picture when i get it all set up! :thumb:


----------



## Clink51 (Aug 4, 2011)

well around me holey rock is about 6 bucks a pound. lace is like 4


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I see your location as Midland. Does that mean Midland, TX or just somewhere? If you are in most of the center of the country, your cheapest rocks may be the best as well. Limestone is a really good rock for mbuna as it is often free, well rounded and available. Much of the Central US is on top of limestone so looking along creekbeds will produce good limestone rocks. There should be some dry washes around Midland that will have limestone sticking out.

If it is not your part of the world, try a landscape supply place that handles rocks for yards and building. They are by far the cheapest and they will also have a wide variety of rocks.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

verast432 said:


> thank you all for the advice that's a those rocks look pretty good 13razorbackfan i think i might just look into those and i'm gonna look into texas holy rock as well maybe it won't be too expensive. Thanks for all the advice i'll post a picture when i get it all set up! :thumb:


Texas holey rock where I live is between $4-6 a pound and I live close to texas. The colorado river rock is from MUCH further away and is literally 20 times cheaper. Go figure. Supply and demand I guess. Anyways...my pics make the rocks look more blue because my camera has a hard time adjusting to the actinic plus 10000k lights. If you can find some of these rocks I think you will be happy.

You can also go with some smooth white limestone rocks. They look really good against black background and darker/black substrate.

I would take your time and get what you want. I have changed my rocks out 3 times in 6 months!


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

The price of holey rock is definitely a matter of supply and demand. While limestone is abundant and easy to find all over this area, holey rock is a different thing. One thing to watch is the definition of holey rock. Cheap stuff with small holes or even one large hole is pretty easy to find around here. You need to see what they are selling before you buy as there are many selling rocks that are NOT the good stuff. Watch for color as well as size/number of holes. If the rock is made of colored stone, it is not going to change to white with cleaning and bleaching. The color is likely to be all the way through the rock.

One item that runs up the price is the labor involved. Places where the public can drive up and pick up good quality rocks are very scarce. That leaves lots of folks looking at a mile walk off the road and if you happen to find a good one, you still have a problem. How do you feel about lugging a 25 pound rock for a mile to get it back to the car? Makes paying for the rock sound quite different when you think about it.


----------



## verast432 (Dec 22, 2011)

Sorry it is midland tx and you have a good point about labor and all I've looked online around here for the two types of rock I've found Colorado river rock but no luck on holy rock just yet I'm sure if I drive around some and look I'll probably find something.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

PfunMo said:


> The price of holey rock is definitely a matter of supply and demand. While limestone is abundant and easy to find all over this area, holey rock is a different thing. One thing to watch is the definition of holey rock. Cheap stuff with small holes or even one large hole is pretty easy to find around here. You need to see what they are selling before you buy as there are many selling rocks that are NOT the good stuff. Watch for color as well as size/number of holes. If the rock is made of colored stone, it is not going to change to white with cleaning and bleaching. The color is likely to be all the way through the rock.
> 
> One item that runs up the price is the labor involved. Places where the public can drive up and pick up good quality rocks are very scarce. That leaves lots of folks looking at a mile walk off the road and if you happen to find a good one, you still have a problem. How do you feel about lugging a 25 pound rock for a mile to get it back to the car? Makes paying for the rock sound quite different when you think about it.


For $6 a pound I will rent some mules!!! Come on ol number 7!!


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

That's my problem!!! All my inhouse mules graduated and went to college!

For landscape supplies I checked in on Google maps and see 
Discount Materials 
4705 West Industrial Avenue, Midland, TX 
(432) 520-2034 () Ã¢â‚¬Å½ 
Looks like they have stacks of mulch, topsoil and I bet there's a bunch of rock around that big old yard somewhere. Looking around the area, I see the area uses lots of rocks to divide up industrial parking lots so I'm betting limestone is free for the picking if you look around a bit. Out by the airport looks like a good spot to cruise around some.

When I get interested in picking rocks or wood, I go to the satellite map view and look to see what might be there before I drive out. Amazing what you can spot from the air that can't be seen from driving past.


----------



## verast432 (Dec 22, 2011)

That's definitely helpful pfunmo :thumb: I'll definitely drive around I'm sure I'll find something lol way better free lol


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

verast432 said:


> That's definitely helpful pfunmo :thumb: I'll definitely drive around I'm sure I'll find something lol way better free lol


If you find some big old pieces you wanna drive some up to me in arkansas?


----------



## Mike_G (Nov 8, 2011)

Rocks *from* Lake Malawi are obviously the best. :lol:


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Sorry! He's not likely to find holey rock in his area. Holey rock is something of a quirk of nature and it is pretty limited. From reading about this area, I find it is a bit weird. There is a fault line running vaguely parallel to I-35 in Texas. West of I-35 the ground has lifted and is softer rock than on the East side. The holey rock is almost all found just west of I-35 in a narrow band like 20-40 miles wide and only in spots is it above ground. Midland is too far West for holey but it has lots of regular limestone. Flatter and softer than Mo./Ark. limestone but lots farther away from you!!


----------



## Woodworm (Jan 3, 2009)

PfunMo said:


> Sorry! He's not likely to find holey rock in his area. Holey rock is something of a quirk of nature and it is pretty limited. From reading about this area, I find it is a bit weird. There is a fault line running vaguely parallel to I-35 in Texas. West of I-35 the ground has lifted and is softer rock than on the East side. The holey rock is almost all found just west of I-35 in a narrow band like 20-40 miles wide and only in spots is it above ground. Midland is too far West for holey but it has lots of regular limestone. Flatter and softer than Mo./Ark. limestone but lots farther away from you!!


PfunMo is right about the limited area where this kind of rock can be found but that is only one of the reasons that the cost is so high. I live basically in the heart of the geological area for this type for this kind of rock it is still around $1.00 a pound for the bleached holey rock but I can pick up the raw type for about $.15 a pound from a local landscape supply place. I asked about the discrepancy in pricing and was told that the labor that has to be put in to take it from the rough gray looking stuff to the clean bleach white that is wanted drives the price up. I recently bought the rough stuff and by the time I cleaned out all the holes, scrubbed it all out and off, did the pressure washing, soaking I had several hours worth of work in it so yes it is very labor intensive.


----------



## Ragincajun (Nov 29, 2011)

Just left the in-laws in San Antonio. Stopped by a rock supply place on the way out. Got 120 lbs of holey rock for 15 cents a pound.


----------



## Ragincajun (Nov 29, 2011)

And yes it looks like it will take some work to get it ready for the tank, but I've got time and the stuff I can get locally for $2 per lb is not what I've been looking for.


----------

