Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hi all, having some trouble with the scaping of my Cichlid tank. Got some ocean rock, but to be honest, the pieces aren't that great. Also got some slate, which is alright, but I'm really struggling to find nice rocks and stones.

Is it possible to use stones from the beach? I know they'll have salt on them, but a good clean should sort that out, shouldn't it? I mean, living in Brighton, I've got loads of options - I can just go for a walk along the beach and see what I can find. Should be able to get what I'm looking for with a bit of searching.

I did the same with my tank, worked out fine. I picked out the ones that looked a bit dodgy, you know, soft or crumbly, but the rest have been in there for 3 months now, no issues. Just gave 'em a good clean to get rid of any algae and they're good to go.

Using beach stones can be a bit tricky. Porous stones can cause problems when they're put in a freshwater tank, the marine salt gets in and it can be an issue. It's especially a problem with wood, the salt just lingers. I'm not sure if it's a big deal for an African cichlid tank, but for a South American community, it would definitely be a problem.