CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

Since I don't like the idea of the PH increase, weight, and just plain limited configurations available with limestone, I've decided to build a large cave structure. Due to the fact that the base of this project is styrofoam, I'm wondering what to use to weight the setup down with. Since my tank "will" have water in it during the project, can I drill holes and just put a few steel rods in. Maybe I should just build it high enough to brace it against the top of the aquarium?

Any Ideas 4 me??

I always avoid metals because anything that can rust can cause a problem and others that don't even rust fast still cause problems.


what about attaching slate to the base? or other types of rock? with silicon (100% only with no added mildew or fungus resistors) or aquarium epoxy ?


Watch how you use styrofoam in the tank though it can lead to problems:
- fish can die if they eat it (impaction)
- it breaks down easy after being submerged a while
- it grows algae fast and easily
- it absorbs and holds medications if you use them
- it turns colors from whatever you add to water -meds & etc
- and maybe other issuse I'm not thinking of right this second

styro foam is like those lil disposable coffe cup things rite?.....

i got a big one in my convict tank.....and they do FINE w/ it being in there.....since i dint have a pot...i had to use that.....lol....

i use a big rock to put on top of it....and i lef the lid of it on there and cut a hole in it....i put gravel in the inside of the lid...so it weighs down....

i think its fine if the fish cant break it.....

I know that a lot of ppl with african tanks use styrofoam to evenly displace the weight of the rocks, if thats what he is talking about then there isnt a prob with the fish eating it or algae growing on it because it is under the gravel.

I wouldnt use any metal in the tank, it rusts, and some metals are poisonous to fish.

oh yea....about metal.......

you knoe that one thing they use to wrap the bunched aquarium plants together?...isnt THAT metal?.....it doesnt rust tho.....i use that thing to weigh down my plants so they dont float....

Yes its a metal. Lead accually. Its the same metal they use for fish wieghts. It doesn't hurt the fish but I don't think in large amount it would be good.

yes plants are often weighten with lead
But actually lead is one of the worst things to use.
Thats why you can't hunt with "lead "shot (tiny lead BB's) near water and some states are proposing doing away with lead sinkers (fishing weights).

I don't know how much lead you'd need for it to be real bad in a tank,but if it's suposedly unsafe (lead poisoning) and even illegal now to paint your walls with lead based paint it just don't seem like it'd be to great in water for the fish.

Metals containing iron in them rust. Things like aluminum, brass, copper, etc don't. Brass and copper corrode. Most metals are hard to get in large quantities though outside of something common like steel or tin etc.. lol We use everything from steel to titanium at work-- airospace. Fun stuff.