I recently just set up this new Tropheus tank. Picked up these rocks at a nearby beach (Atlantic Ocean). I'm still not right happy with it yet, but I will get it right soon!!
What do you think? Less rocks but bigger? Some of them are quite big already!
Pierre

It looks good. I like the colors of the rocks too.

If it were me I would probably take out the flat skinny rocks so you have all round rocks. Maybe make 2 piles on either side of the tank, one pile larger than the other. I'm not sure how tropheus act in a tank together so I might be total wrong on set-up. Maybe someone who keeps them can chime in.

How did you clean the rocks first? I've always wondered when I saw cool "free" rocks.

I left them in the back of my truck. That night & into the next day we got a 3" rainstorm. Thats all the washing that I thought was needed. The temperature dropped to -9 the following day, so I also left them in the house for a day to get the temp. of them to room temp. Placed them in the tank. I think if the rocks came from a fresh water source I would be more concerned. Seeing they came from salt water, ie the North Atlantic BRRRR I was less concerned.

I don't really care for the flat ones either. But I want to have as many caves & nooks & crannies (sp.?) as I could get. I understand the 2 pile theory, but I think that the territory doesn't have to be that big???
Pierre

I get most of my rocks from the backyard or down by the river. I just give them a good rinsing, then a hot water soak, a good brushing with a wire brush, another good rinse, and in they go.

I think the tank looks fine, gump. I also like cturner's idea of separate rock piles. If you wanted to use the flat rocks to make more caves, you could hide them behind the piles and still get good use from them.

I'm never happy with my rock layouts and usually change them around a little from time to time.

Heres a thought,, but first off,,the tank looks good. But if you're concidering doing something with the flat rocks.

Try using the flats rocks as a "base". In other words,,,use them as your substrate? Just like the big flat rock in the pic on the left side of the tank,,but instead of putting it ON the substrate,,,move it (the substrate) and rest it on the bottom.
Make sense???? Hmmmm

This way you can use the substrate to raise up other rocks and make higher piles.

That was one thing I did to make the tank look a little more full.




AP.