Best rock used for Africans

[JoeZ]

Mixed reviews here...have been told by many to use lace rock; others just your basic river rock/shale. Any one have any buffering advantages? Is this even needed if you buffer your water each time at the time of a water change?

Also heard you need tons of caves to keep them happy.

 

[Mogurako]

Pretty much any rock besides lava rock IMO will work just fine. Large river rocks would be the closest thing to mimic their natural habitat. For buffering lace rock, Texas holey rock, lime stone would all fit the bill. I always just put crushed coral in my filter to buffer the water.

You don't need caves so much as different little territories with blocks in the line of sight for them to claim, I just make little piles with the rocks all sticking out at different angles.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Mogurako, what's the reasoning behind not using lava rock?

 

[Mogurako]

Mogurako, what's the reasoning behind not using lava rock?

Allot of detritus gets stuck in it and I've had fish tear themselves up on it pretty good.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Mogurako, what's the reasoning behind not using lava rock?

Lava rock is a bit sharp. But it is easier to build with and make nice caves. I've only had one instance of a scrape and I have used it for years. IMO either piles of river rock or lava rock look the best.

 

[Mogurako]

Lava rock is a bit sharp. But it is easier to build with and make nice caves. I've only had one instance of a scrape and I have used it for years. IMO either piles of river rock or lava rock look the best.

I only like the black rock so that's harder to find, the red stuff just looks so unnatural to me. I will admit it is allot easier to build with though, I tend to not make huge walls so river rock or basalt tends to work just fine for me.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Allot of detritus gets stuck in it and I've had fish tear themselves up on it pretty good.

Thanks. Never knew it was a problem. I've had lava in my tank for over a year now without any issues. I'll have to keep an eye on it.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Black stuff is hard to find. I have lots of different shades of red so it makes it look nicer. Boulders I have, have lots of iron in them. I made sparks while breaking them which gives a cool effect in the water under the right light

 

[Mogurako]

Black stuff is hard to findt

You're telling me! I've actually found some nice black/grey pieces in the river that are smooth but still have all the little pockets in them.

I've also done scapes completely out of petrified wood, I've found allot of that in the river too. I have a 15lb boulder I came across last summer.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

You're telling me! I've actually found some nice black/grey pieces in the river that are smooth but still have all the little pockets in them.

I've also done scapes completely out of petrified wood, I've found allot of that in the river too. I have a 15lb boulder I came across last summer.

Nice I would use petrified wood all day but I can't find it where it's not a fortune

 

[Mogurako]

Nice I would use petrified wood all day but I can't find it where it's not a fortune

A day on the river I can normally find a couple hundred pounds, I just hike it out in my pack.

Like this cool piece

 

[shrimpyfish]

I use rainbow slate at least that's what the LFS called them, and they work GREAT in creating rock caves for the cichlids.