for african cichlids: slate vs lava rock

hakunamakarla said:
very nice !!
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Thanks. Now all I need to do is get more fish beyond the 3 yellow labs, Auratus, and Kenyii. I'm all yellow, all the time. Gotta get some other colors in there. Gonna go look at getting something tonight. Maybe something with some red or maybe some Brichardi. Maybe a nice Ahli. Who knows...
 
Other than "fool's gold" and select few others, pretty much all river rock you find is fine in your fish tank (just scrub and boil), the worst (or the best in african tank) that could happen is your ph will slightly go up.

All my rocks are pretty uniform in color (dark brown/grey), so they pretty much stay as part of the background and don't take away from fish being the center of attention. But if you have no other alternatives, hey more power to your wallet :)
 
pvcslate150-1.jpg

pvcslate150.jpg
 
I go to the landscape yard where they sell all sorts of cool rocks in bulk.
You have to pick through it, but the brown rock and rip-rap are 3 cents per pound.
When I setup big tanks, I get about 250lbs for $7.50 plus tax.. and usually that's too much for my tanks.

I find that it's uneven so it looks more natural than slate, and it's not as rough as lava rock. Here is a photo... mixed in with some african rootwood.

IMG_8044.JPG
 
i went with lava. much cheaper. =] anyways, how should i clean it? i was thinking of soaking each piece in hot water for a few hours. is that enough to get rid of dust and/or other contaminents?
 
Looks good. Definitely less than the pet shops, but the landscaping places around here would not sell anything for 3 cents a pound.
 
hakunamakarla said:
slate more expensive then lava? where does one get large lava? I got mine at the pet store once never again wow the cost for one piece !
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i just got a bunch of nice lava for around $7. lots cheaper than slate if you ask me. but how to wash it. . . ?
 
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