DIY Aquarium Rocks
While it is possible to spend mega bucks outfitting and decorating your aquarium with all varieties of store bought rock, there is a great deal of fun and satisfaction in collecting your own rocks. With natural rock, gluing them together into formations and caves, or using "frames" as a guide, is a fun and inexpensive way to make your aquarium refreshingly unique.
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Things You'll Need
- Rock
- Silicon glue
- Frame work (milk crate, Plexiglas, pieces of gutter, flower pots, pickle jars, etc...)
- Black vinyl lawn edging
- Gloves
Instructions
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1
Look for rocks in local rivers and streams, and even in your own driveway. Select rocks with smooth edges.
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2
Clean your collected rocks thoroughly by boiling them for an hour, according to aqua-fish.net.
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3
Prepare your frame by deciding what type of structure you wish to create. For a background, use a piece of milk crate cut to the appropriate size for your tank, or a piece of Plexiglas. For caves and hideaways, flower pots and pickle jars work well, or use a gutter, according to Aquarium Life. Cut holes in the bottom of the gutter and divide the inside into caves, using black vinyl lawn edging.
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4
Cover the frame with your cleaned rocks, using an aquarium-safe silicon glue. Dab the glue into place and either drop a handful of rocks over it for a natural look or arrange and place the rocks as you wish.
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Allow the glue a few minutes to set; then turn the frame over to let any loose rocks fall away.
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6
Reglue to fill any spaces left with additional rocks.
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Cure the rocks in tap water for 24 hours, according to the Cichlid-Forum, and place it in an ice chest an additional 48 hours before placing in the aquarium.
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Place additional loose rocks in the aquarium for decoration or glue rocks together into formations.
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Tips & Warnings
You can also buy different types of smooth river rocks.
Always be sure the rocks are smooth to avoid injuring the fish.
Wear gloves when working with silicon glue.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit river rocks image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
