Re: Rocks in smaller tanks

[Jamie Johnson <Jamie_Johnson at gel.com>]

Over the past 10 years I've collected rocks from everywhere in the South East. In the mountains of NC, I've found the best ones. Of the buckets full of smooth river rocks and jagged slate/sandstone/granite rocks, I find my personal favorites are rough, jagged ones. The smooth river rocks and pebbles are
ok, but they look odd to me when placed by themselves in an aquascape. They're good for small accents, but not as centerpieces. A mixture of the two types is my least favorite look. They just don't blend together well. I've got 2-55G Tanganyikan tanks that are stacked at least half full of the jagged
variety. They stack easier, have less tendency to fall when disturbed, and look more natural in the lake biotopic setting. In the planted tanks, anubias and ferns attach to jagged rocks better than the smooth ones.

I'm still trying to figure a way to make the back of my large tanks rock-covered using natural stone and not the decorative resin inserts I've seen for sale at local pet stores. I remember some time back a post from a guy that made a concrete wall in the back of his homemade tank and it looked awesome. A
rock background would provide more hiding areas, would give the impression of looking at the face of a large rock wall in a lake, and would keep me from having to clean the back glass of algae. Maybe some thin slate pieces siliconed to the back. Any suggestions or ideas out there that have worked?

Jamie <'\\\><



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