Rock Scaping

happyface888 · 06/20/2007, 10:00 PM

When Doing a fish only w/ rocks how do you like to build your rocks? glue them?, toss them in and let it be? well for me I try to make every rock look connected to the others as if they were one piece.

EdKruzel · 06/21/2007, 01:32 AM

It is best to keep the rock (or as much as possible) off of the substrate.
Glued or not it is important to make the rock stable; falling rock can kill livestock or even break the glass. Plenty of crevices, caves and overhangs will create a natural appearance and provide the shelter needed to keep your livestock from becoming stressed.

pinkie · 06/21/2007, 06:56 AM

In my 210 I have about 200 lbs of liverock. This allows a lot of swimming room for my fish, while giving everyone their own cave etc. I do not glue my rocks together, but when I rearrange them, I spend a LOT of time making sure they are VERY stable.

I like to leave my rocks unglued so I can take some out and brush them off if need by, or rearrange them so give the fish some variation, clean the tank etc.

I never put any rocks in as a balancing act, I always give them a strong wiggle test to make sure they aren't going to budge if a fish bumps into it.

If I had some heavy suspended pieces or a lot of rockwork, I would use glue without a doubt, last thing I would want is my eel to squeeze through a crevice under a 30 pound rock and have him get crushed by it!

mattsilvester · 06/21/2007, 08:00 AM

It depends on what you plan on keeping? If you are keeping something that stands a good chance of needing to be either resuced or arrested (i.e. a group like angelfish, a lion and a puffer) then I personally would not glue rocks together......

Personally, I think that a couple of large chunks is better for FO than a loose stack of rubble.......

But it really depends on what you are keeping..... and what size tank you are talking...... if you are tlaking a tank like a 75 for example, then you could well assemble some nice structures using acrylic rods and milliput or the like - hald a dozen peices of rock each weighing 2-3lbs is still gonig to be movealbe if need be....... if you look at my tank for example, most of the rocks are 15-20lbs plus...... try gluing them together and tehn lifting them......

I think Pinkie's advice is good in general

bignick · 06/21/2007, 09:03 AM

I see more and more people saying to keep their rocks off the substrate.

Why?

i keep sharks in my 210 so it is a rule that my rocks must sit on the glass because just in case they try and dig under my rocks (which they like to do) they won't get crushed.

Now i know that some detritus gets caught under the rocks but is it that much to make a big deal out of it?

06/20/2007, 10:00 PM	#1
happyface888 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 3,987	Rock Scaping When Doing a fish only w/ rocks how do you like to build your rocks? glue them?, toss them in and let it be? well for me I try to make every rock look connected to the others as if they were one piece.

06/21/2007, 01:32 AM	#2
EdKruzel Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 7,384	It is best to keep the rock (or as much as possible) off of the substrate. Glued or not it is important to make the rock stable; falling rock can kill livestock or even break the glass. Plenty of crevices, caves and overhangs will create a natural appearance and provide the shelter needed to keep your livestock from becoming stressed. __________________ When you find yourself in "Deep Water" it's best to keep your mouth shut! Current Tank Info: 65RR Cube Mixed Reef

06/21/2007, 08:00 AM	#4
mattsilvester Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 3,375	It depends on what you plan on keeping? If you are keeping something that stands a good chance of needing to be either resuced or arrested (i.e. a group like angelfish, a lion and a puffer) then I personally would not glue rocks together...... Personally, I think that a couple of large chunks is better for FO than a loose stack of rubble....... But it really depends on what you are keeping..... and what size tank you are talking...... if you are tlaking a tank like a 75 for example, then you could well assemble some nice structures using acrylic rods and milliput or the like - hald a dozen peices of rock each weighing 2-3lbs is still gonig to be movealbe if need be....... if you look at my tank for example, most of the rocks are 15-20lbs plus...... try gluing them together and tehn lifting them...... I think Pinkie's advice is good in general __________________ Regards, Matt "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men." "Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit" - no man is at all times wise. "To a hammer, everything is a nail!" Current Tank Info: RSM 130

06/21/2007, 09:03 AM	#5
bignick Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Palatine, IL Posts: 1,426	I see more and more people saying to keep their rocks off the substrate. Why? i keep sharks in my 210 so it is a rule that my rocks must sit on the glass because just in case they try and dig under my rocks (which they like to do) they won't get crushed. Now i know that some detritus gets caught under the rocks but is it that much to make a big deal out of it? __________________ 210 SPS & 42 Hex LPS mixed reef Just because they say you can't do it doesn't mean you can't prove them wrong. Current Tank Info: 210 SPS & 42 Hex LPS/Soft Coral reef

06/21/2007, 06:56 AM	#3
pinkie Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 376	In my 210 I have about 200 lbs of liverock. This allows a lot of swimming room for my fish, while giving everyone their own cave etc. I do not glue my rocks together, but when I rearrange them, I spend a LOT of time making sure they are VERY stable. I like to leave my rocks unglued so I can take some out and brush them off if need by, or rearrange them so give the fish some variation, clean the tank etc. I never put any rocks in as a balancing act, I always give them a strong wiggle test to make sure they aren't going to budge if a fish bumps into it. If I had some heavy suspended pieces or a lot of rockwork, I would use glue without a doubt, last thing I would want is my eel to squeeze through a crevice under a 30 pound rock and have him get crushed by it!