Lava Rock Question

[MikeWidd]

I want to re-scape my african tank. I was thinking about using Lava rock. My question is there a specific type for tanks or is it all pretty much the same. Will it affect my Ph? And finally should I silicone it together or leave loose?

I found this while looking around the web....

Denitrifying
Lava Rocks
Size: 8 oz.
These rocks are sold and intended for use in aquariums. Put them in an aquarium, and beneficial microbes will begin to reproduce inside these rocks and soon these microbes will begin to digest and remove toxic nitrate from the aquarium water. Highly recommended for all aquariums, all fish bowls, and all ponds.

Surely they are joking....People will buy this I'm sure.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I've only used what is sold in fish stores but I'm going to assume its the same no matter where ya get it. If it was me id silicone them together and build arches tunnels things of thet nature. Be carefull using it in a cichlid tank, i know for a facr some of thoses pieces have sharp edges. You can take a file and take most of the sharpness off.

 

[Mogurako]

These rocks are sold and intended for use in aquariums. Put them in an aquarium, and beneficial microbes will begin to reproduce inside these rocks and soon these microbes will begin to digest and remove toxic nitrate from the aquarium water. Highly recommended for all aquariums, all fish bowls, and all ponds.

Surely they are joking....People will buy this I'm sure.

To an extent they are correct, lava rock is very porous and has allot of surface area for Bacteria to colonize in. It's not going happen overnight and is not an end all solution to Ammonia and Nitrites but it will help a little. I have use quarter sized pieces of lava rock in my canister filters in place of bio rings in a pinch and it worked quite well.

I would not however use lava rock to actually aquascape with because it is so sharp. I used it once about 10 years ago in my Peacock tank and I ended up with allot of fish with missing scales.

 

[MikeWidd]

I think I'll just leave it alone then.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

I would not however use lava rock to actually aquascape with because it is so sharp. I used it once about 10 years ago in my Peacock tank and I ended up with allot of fish with missing scales.

i agree with mog. I had some lava rock in my tank at one time. My eclipse catfish cut himself pretty deep on it, so i took it out imediately after that happened.

 

[Cronus]

I have actually seen a really cool African Cichlid tank set up with the whole back of the tank made up of lava rock. They did round off all the edges, drilled holes through it so the fish can swim in and around it. I have taken this principle and have done a partial wall in my 3ft tank.