# Trying To Setup Rocks



## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

Apparently the part of my brain that is used for stacking and building is gone, because every time I attempt to put the rocks in or visualize them stacked with some height I get nothin...

I've got about 80Lbs, I don't want to use glue, but I'm scared that they're not sturdy enough when I get to a certain height of like 3 rocks high.

But I see other tanks, and it just kind of looks like they're barely hanging on. I measured the tank, and made a little drawing board so it's easier to see where they'd be.

This is what I've got at the moment, it's not high, though it seems like there's pretty many nook and crannys for them.


























And I saved these 2 photos from the "Rank my Tank" thread as examples to try to emulate because I liked the general idea.

The first one, doing what they have at the top left seems way unsteady. Maybe it's glued, but to my eyes it looks like it's waiting to fall.

And then the second one I like as well, but it doesn't seem to be stacked as high, and kind of just looks thrown in.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

The other thing is, my tank is 55 Gallon and it's about 48INx12IN

So a lot of times I try to set up something high I run into trouble because of the depth of the tank, you can barely fit 2 rocks back to back on the 12 inch depth.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be cool, thanks.


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## maddyfish (Jul 23, 2004)

I kind of like the second pic, except maybe pull a couple of the center rocks out or move them so that there is an open space in the middle.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I agree with the idea that that looks like trouble. First bit of jiggle something bad may happen. For stacks, I use a different shape of rock. It is hard to make two round items stack. Some with flat spots will help a lot. I find a mix of sizes and shapes works better. If you get all round, they look like a river and just pile up to tight. If you get all flat or square they look like a stacked brick wall. Not natural. I go for the mix so I can stack some and still look like it piled by itself.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

With the round rocks you can't really build, just jumble them together in stacks. The fish can fit in really small cracks so don'e worry about caves.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

As far as the Round Rocks go, I remember reading that you're supposed to get smooth edges.
That's why I stayed away from some of the other stuff that was all jagged and thicker more brick like.


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

Both of the examples from the profile section would concern me a bit - the first pic more than the second. I agree with the others, round rocks are just plain hard to stack.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

Yeah, that's what I'm coming to realize.

I just see all these youtube videos and photos of people's tank where they have these huge elaborate rock-scapes, and then I don't come anywhere close and think it looks crappy.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

I have a 55 gallon as well with rounded rock, just threw em in and there are plenty of caves/hiding spots.


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## Dieselfool (Aug 11, 2010)

I like the 2nd pic too. Just like Maddy said "just remove a few from the center".


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

I did some subtle rearranging.
I built up higher and lumpier looking on each side, leaving a foot or so of openness in the middle.

I like the open look in the middle anyways.


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## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

I had to use the sides and back of the tank a bit to make mine more secure... It takes a long time as well.


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## wlyons9856 (Sep 16, 2010)

Try grabbing some slate and break it up into pieces. You put two rocks down and slate over the top and repeat the process.

----------------
( ) ( )
------------------- ---------------
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

it would look something like that. It gives tons of seperate caves for your fish!

Forgive my poor illustration. But you get the idea.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

No, it makes sense.
Thanks.

I saw a bunch of people using that method in the threads.
I just thought it looked kind of odd and more unnatural.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

So here's my finished product as of now.
The water looks clear and clean from the front view, but from the side of the tank it looks a little cloudy or milky.

From the Rocks?

That's how it looked last time, and my first try at cichlids failed. (They died within hours...)
Hopefully the rocks are nice and clean, I soaked them in bleach water for about 6 hours, and then I rinsed them daily over and over soaking them in clean water overnight for like 3 days after.

So here's what I have.
Rocks aren't stacked to the ceiling, but there seems to be many hiding places.


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## KiDD (Aug 20, 2010)

That don't look bad. You might want to buy a test kit and test the water before you put fish in it.


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## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

Looks way to flat imo... however my taste could definatley be different than yours. If I were you I would uild some piles up higher on the sides. Place some at 45 degree angles not all just horizontal on top of eachother. Leave an actual blank space in the middle or 1 or 2 rocks heavily covered in substrate to transition to the other pile. I guarantee you will be much happier with the results. You can check out my tank for ideas.


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## wlyons9856 (Sep 16, 2010)

If you had a background it would look even better!


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## Jamey (Jul 19, 2008)

personally I'd be more worried about them being dug under and entire stacks falling... the answer I think would be to put the whole thing on some of that honeycomb plastic and silicone it all together. That way no one can dig under it, and the silicone will keep it from falling for other reasons.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

apex82 said:


> Looks way to flat imo... however my taste could definatley be different than yours. If I were you I would uild some piles up higher on the sides. Place some at 45 degree angles not all just horizontal on top of eachother. Leave an actual blank space in the middle or 1 or 2 rocks heavily covered in substrate to transition to the other pile. I guarantee you will be much happier with the results. You can check out my tank for ideas.


Actually, looking at your tank, it's one of the photos I saved from the giant "Rank The Tank Above You" threads.
(Or it's one that's identical)

I just couldn't really get them to stack up like that, without the glue I guess. I'm fearful of them falling. Are your glued? If not, how do you guard against falling?



Jamey said:


> personally I'd be more worried about them being dug under and entire stacks falling... the answer I think would be to put the whole thing on some of that honeycomb plastic and silicone it all together. That way no one can dig under it, and the silicone will keep it from falling for other reasons.


I looked into egg-crate, but I thought it wasn't really necessary since I'm only like 2-3 rocks high. As far as them being dug under, I've seen hundreds of tanks on the site and it doesn't seem like it's a huge problem as far as I can tell. I mean they're not going to dig them up withing minutes right?
I don't mind them doing some rearranging, and I'd hope nothing happens since the bottom rocks are pretty deep. The sand should catch the rocks, and I'd hope the fish wouldn't be injured.


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## Jamey (Jul 19, 2008)

oh the way you have it now I wouldn't be concerned at all... I have stacks 3 high with larger rocks than you're using and they've dug and then collapsed caves a number of times with no concerns... water slows falling rocks considerably, especially when they're only falling 3 inches. I was saying if you wanted to make those real tall 5 to 7 stacks... then you'd want to silicone or foam the rock to egg crate and foam or silicone the rock together. Then you could have those very high setups without the concerns about what'll happen WHEN, not IF, they topple the whole thing.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

I had no idea they were even "diggers" when I first thought about going the cichlid way.

Then I walked into a fish store, and they was 1 adult cichlid in a 10 gallon tank with a big rock in the middle, and nothing but glass surrounding it.
It had moved all the gravel to one side of the tank.

I'm ok not having it stacked 5-6 rocks high.

As far as background go, I tried the shiny black/blue sheets they sell and didn't like them. So I bought 2 pieces of dull black poster board. I think it looks a little better, but it still has a weird look IMO

Wish there were more options, aside from a extensive homemade rock background or something.


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## Jamey (Jul 19, 2008)

I have a dry 55 in the basement im considering slathering with silicone all across the back and then setting sand right into it. Seems like it'd make a great bio filter and its just going to be another fishroom tank so of it doesnt come out looking great no loss.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

That's a cool idea.
I put the poster up just to see what it'd look like, and every single smear or watermark shows up against it.

So I guess I'd have to completely clean the back, and keep it nice and clear.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

One more thing, but about the sand.
Are the little air pockets in the sand bad? I remember reading about that, but I'm not sure.

They're just little air spaces it appears, when you run your hand through it they disappear and bubble up.


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## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

Ya, the photo of mine in the rate the tank thread is my previous aquscape.... I tend to change it a lot.

I am only stressing a higher pile as I believe it looks more natural as well as totally changed my fish behaviour. It was instant transformation, they seemed much happier and loved the to deke in and out of the small caves.

I used egg crate on the bottom, then came the rocks and finally sand last. I have had some far drops trying to get them to stack and I cant recommend egg crate enough. I probably would have had a crack in the bottom if it wasnt there.

To keep them from falling, I used the sides and back of the tank to my advantage. I started with a sturdy structure at the bottom and built from that using the sides and back to support a LITTLE weight when necessary to keep the structure firm and not wobbly. It is very tedious and in all honesty took me a good 4 hours to set up.....


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Gumbo_Ghost said:


> One more thing, but about the sand.
> Are the little air pockets in the sand bad? I remember reading about that, but I'm not sure.
> 
> They're just little air spaces it appears, when you run your hand through it they disappear and bubble up.


You want to prevent pockets of noxious gasses later on formed under the sand, so you stir it up and/or vacuum weekly. Fresh air trapped when you added the substrate is fine.


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## Gomba11 (Oct 14, 2010)

If you want to stack the rocks high one trick is to use silicone based aquarium-safe glue. You can find that are pet stores and glue rocks together outside of the tank, then just pop them in once theyve dried. If youre worried about the water being cloudy do water change, but it's most likely from the substrate if you rinsed the rocks well.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

Just a bit of an update, I decided to rearrange my rocks...

I think it looks a look better, it's more spaces and a little bit higher. Thoughts?


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

Before and After


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## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

Definately improved. Now need to incorporate those plants back in! A black background would do a lot for it as well.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

You know, all those plants basically died. They were completely brown.
I guess you can't just throw them in... :?

I have just the pool filter sand, so I assume you'd need to add some kind of nutrients to the water? Would having the fish in the tank help at all?

I really love live plants, so I need to get something, but not if they turn brown in 2 weeks.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Try some java fern and attach them to the rocks as a beginning place on plants. The advantages of java fern is they can usually survive on nitrates already in your tank, no special substrate requirements, no special lighting requirements, fish can't dig them up, and the fish ignore them more than other plants I've tried.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

I bought the Giant Grass because I thought it looked similar to Vallisneria, which nobody in my area seems to have...

The problem with the Java Fern is I want Giant Javas, when you first get them they're barely even there, you know. I'd love to buy a few full sized ones


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## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

I have had luck with anubias and vallisneria. I tossed all my vallisneria though.. my blue crayfish chops them up to bits and leaves them floating at the top for me every morning.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Vallisneria needs a bit of light and a special substrate to do well IMO.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

Now with annoyingly loud air pump...
Looks really cool, but I may have to unplug it at night. I put the Check Valves on it, but I figure I'd just unplug the airtube from the air pump to avoid any risk of water backflow


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## wlyons9856 (Sep 16, 2010)

I have my airpump running on a timer, have you thought of that idea?

And you should bury your clear tubing (the one running to your pump to the stone) under the sand all the way to the corner of the tank. This way it does not stick straight up and is clearly visible. Just a friendly suggestion, besides that, looking very good. :thumb:


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

Yeah, I was going to bury it actually. I just threw it in there today to see what it'd look like.

I was going to maybe intertwine it with the rocks and sand.

The pump I bought has 2 air outlets, so I put another 8 foot tube into the other outlet and just have it blowing air into the fish stand... It's much quieter with something on the outlet.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No need for an airstone if the noise/tubing bothers you.


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## Gumbo_Ghost (Sep 25, 2010)

But it looks cool...
8)


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## hbbyhorse (Oct 15, 2010)

I like the setup, I too am going with the river rock in my 75, that's my project for the day, lol


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## hbbyhorse (Oct 15, 2010)

That looks way better! I think I'm gonna go for something similar in my 75 BF, Have you thought about black spray paint for the backing? Much easier than fighting poster board IMO


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## norden (Nov 18, 2010)

it looks good but it's just so much rock, 2 or 3 piles would be great, just make them bigger. you want the fish to be able to get to the sand right now looks like they cant really. my cichlids have a little area where they can get to the sand, i have an air stone under the sand too. they love it always going and getting a mouth full of sand and spitting it out through their mouths and gills.

Great rocks btw. I'm gonna go pick out some rocks once i have my 46 bowfront up and those are the ones i want.

i have pool filter sand also, and i buried my air stone and the bubbles coming out of the sand looks amazing =]


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