choosing stones for a malawi aquarium

[Flynxer]

I've used the aquarium safe silicone to stick everything together. Given the size of the thing, I had to do most of the building in the tank itself.

Now I'm just letting it dry for a couple of days before adding the water. Hopefully, by then it'll be solid as a rock. I'll get a pic up soon when I put the light back on - 1:30 am and I've just finished piecing it all together again.

[Flynxer]

I've started setting it back up this weekend and have decided to go with a Malawi Cichlid tank. The water in my area is well-suited for them, and my son fell in love with the yellow labs at my LFS. I spent yesterday cleaning the tank before doing a few coats of black paint on the back - I used leftover Hammerite, which I wouldn't recommend. Although it worked after a few coats with a sponge roller, metal paint doesn't like glass. I've washed a bag of kids' play sand for the substrate, leaving it rough on the bottom for a more natural look.

My main question now is what rocks to use to create a nice feature in the tank that I can build caves and hidey holes with for the fish. I have a trigon 190 corner tank, and I'd like to start the stones/rocks off lower at the front and build them up higher as I work towards the back of the tank. I've seen some people using ocean rock, which provides plenty of hiding spaces for the fish but gives the tank more of a marine look. I was thinking of buying a couple of the blue/black natuflake limestone slabs from B&Q and breaking them up - would this work?

[coltin]

When positioning the rocks in the tank, I think it's crucial to leave enough space between the glass and the rocks so the fish don't get stuck. You know, it's not uncommon for them to try and squeeze through tiny gaps between ornaments and the glass, and it doesn't always end well.

Alternatively, you could make sure the rocks are right up against the glass, so the fish don't even notice a gap. That way, you can avoid any potential issues.

Also, don't forget to consider how you'll clean behind the rocks. You'll need to be able to remove all the gunk that'll inevitably collect there.

[Flynxer]

I've left a decent gap of around 4-5cm behind most of the rock feature, so my cichlids should have ample room to swim. To be honest, I didn't notice how scratched my tank was until I took that photo, and it looks pretty rough.

[duneclip]

I'm actually using rocks to create a feature in my tank, not pebbles. I've opted for some blue/black natuflake limestone slabs from B&Q, breaking them up to create a unique design.