somethin fishy Posted July 11, 2012 Report Share Posted July 11, 2012 Hi All, I am in the process of setting up a new African cichlid tank. Does anybody know where in Auckland I could find some large pieces of pumice or suitable rocks? Appreciate any advice or ideas. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FraserNZ Posted July 11, 2012 Report Share Posted July 11, 2012 wouldn't the pumice float? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somethin fishy Posted July 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2012 found this on the net, thought it sounded like a good option maybe? I recently read about a clever trick, which would prevent any of the above catastrophes. This ingenious aquarist used pumice stone, which is an inert volcanic rock that floats. It is also soft and very porous. To prepare the pumice, he boils it in a large pot, holding them under with a heavy piece of granite or basalt. After 10 minutes or so, he removes the pumice and drops it into a bucket of cold water, and again weights it down. Once the pumice cools, it will now sink like a feather through the air. How does this prevent toppling or possible cracking? Well, with ever so light rocks, you can pile these up high in the tank without having to worry about their pressure on the glass. And their rough surface helps hold them together. They have two other advantages. Their porous interior provides yet another niche for denitrifying bacteria to live. You could easily drill pumice with a two-inch bit if you wanted to create tunnels or caves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted July 11, 2012 Report Share Posted July 11, 2012 wouldn't the pumice float? It eventually sinks. And has the advantage of not weighing much when it does so less worry about it crushing fish(done that) or falling and cracking the tank(Not done that) Also big pieces you can carve convenient shapes into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dachende Posted July 11, 2012 Report Share Posted July 11, 2012 Try Stone and water world in Ellerslie (Marua Road) The shop can be tricky to find as there is a lot of roadworks down there at the moment. You won't find cheaper or better selection, and if you want something specific, I'm sure they'll get it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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