Reddit mentions: The best aquarium decor rocks

The other comments haven't mentioned this, but axolotl's stay towards the bottom of the tank most of the time. If you got a 20g Long instead of a 20g High it would increase the surface area.

As far as substrate, nice soft sand would work very well. You're right about the gravel! Some people put flat stones as the bottom and silicone or otherwise safely "glue" them to the bottom of the tank. Reasoning is a stone bottom allows for more grip.

For decor, I have no idea about plants. I have yet to find an aquatic creature that did not love these "cichlid stones" (they have a ton of sizes/shapes). The larger ones might be awesome.

Source: was ready to purchase an axolotl and researched everything... then did not.

TLDR: Go for surface area and safety :)

Keeping the room cool is the important part, but she may also be looking for some extra comfort after she's been particularly active. I know my guy likes to flop over on his granite after extended play times. Fortunately, they're pretty inexpensive, so it's probably worth trying one if you find some wiggle room in your pet supplies budget :)

Well, it does is a hard challenge for a beginner, but doing a properly carpeted nano-Aquascape (~20l <=> ~5g <=> ~2.0 × 10^-2 m^3) with DIY CO2 and a small sponge filter is doable in <150$

A quick, small suggestion:

Tank, ~13l <=> 3.4g, 40$

Soil, 20$

Light, 40$

stones, 25$

Filter, 10$,


1 pot Monte carlo or some other easy carpet plant at your lfs: 8€

We‘re left with 7$ for ~4 RCS, I guess.

I assumed you construct you DIY CO2 from an old bottle with sugar and yeast, so 0$ effetivly.

For cycling and food some free samples of fish food does the job. When food rots it emits ammonia, that could be used for cycling.

So here we go, every thing ready for a nice iwagumi-aquascape. If you do well, it might looks like this (That Tank has HC as carpet, but Monte carlo looks similar)!

Well, if you‘re willing to put up a dozens of hours on studying to to properly keep a planted tank.

edit: Wrong link for tank, this was the one I mistakenly linked to. Still a nice, small tank, tho. Also some additions for clearance.

I mean, this is a pretty good deal imo. I don't think you should be dismissing and downvoting this post without doing the proper research. FYI did the math:

17lbs Seiryu rock - $32

Nano 511 Externa Canister Filter - $69

Jardli Glass Lily Pipe inflow and outflow - $49.90

JBJ Rimless 10 gallon - $159.99 cheapest I could find, it's 189.99 at petco

Glass lid - can't find one for 10g so I'd assume custom made $5+

GH & KH Test Kit & API Master Kit-$8.59 + $22.54 = $31.03

Tropica Aquarium Soil 3L - $49.60

5 Gallon Bucket w/ lid - probably like $3-5

Seachem Purigen - 2 packet is $19.49

Cleaning magnet - $5-20

Spider Wood - Depends like $10-25+

Siphon - depends probably $5-10

Test Strips - $5.22

• The bonuses he's providing like the aquascaping tools - probably $10+?
  
  By the way, these are all conservative numbers. The total comes to around $484.31, which is if everything is brand new. Even if some of the products are used, the cost is 52% off the conservative value of all the items in this package. So for the quality of the items here, I don't think it's a bad price at all. Now the question is, which items are new and which items are used?

I'm so sorry for your losses. These little guys work their way into our hearts much quicker than you'd think. As the others have said, they could have been sicker than the original owner knew or admitted to. You did the best you could for them trying to keep them cool and even taking them to the vet for a checkup. If they were from the same litter, it could have even been some kind of genetic defect in both of them that caused them to go so close together.

Just curious, how hot was it and do you have an AC? For future purposes, if it's really hot in your area, you can also put ice in their water bottle (or just ice cold water, and change it when it warms up) or get something like a Chin Chiller to help keep them cool. Also, frozen veggies or cool treats might help, too. One thing my boys all absolutely loved was apple juice ice cubes. We went through a hot spell for a while and 3 weeks without AC. My boys got very lethargic but the cool treats and water seemed to help some at least, but it was concerning.

Definitely look into increasing your hardscape because your tank looks a bit barren as it is. I ordered a bag of Seiryu stones online and I was really pleased with the pieces I received. In my opinion you need to add more height to your hardscape and that should make your tank look more natural.

Once your hardscape is improved I would buy more low maintenance plants - java fern, Anubis’s, crypt species, and some stem plants to fill it in.

I agree with what others have said about the tetras. Consider rehoming one of the species and increasing the number of individuals in the remaining school - I promise you will get more enjoyment out of them.

They're adorable!! If they have trouble staying cool, you should get 'em some Chin Chillers, which we had for our chinchillas. They're slabs of granite you can put in their house that they can relax on and stay super cool in warm weather!

Buy 4 single tiles from your local hardware store. Keep one tile in the cage, one on standby and two in the freezer. The tile in the cage will always be slightly cooler than anything around it so the gerbils can spread out on it to cool themselves off. After a few hours, the tile will have absorbed the heat produced by your gerbils, so switch it out with the other tile on standby. If it gets really hot, pull out the tile from the freezer and push it against the outside of their cage or underneath it. This method may cause condensation within the tank, so look out for that and clean up afterwards. Replace the two freezer tiles with each other when one loses its cooling powers.






Here is what they sell at pet stores marked up slightly higher than hardware stores :
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000A7707O/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524225481&sr=8-1&keywords=chinchilla+tile





Also, your gerbils will pee on the tile often. Easy to clean up. I've noticed gerbils like to pee on smooth surfaces. If you put an empty mason jar in one corner of the cage, and clean it out 2+ times a day, they will learn to pee in that Mason jar instead of on the tile. Potty Trained gerbils!

Id say look into some slate or river rock. You can get it from landscaping supply stores for cheap, it looks pretty good, and apparently, cichlids love it. Id highly recommends Carib sea cichlid black or speckled sand. It looks clean for forever, and it helps keep the parameters right.

Sand: Amazon link for it

What a slate or rock and sand only tank looks like link another example

People also like These things but they are a little pricey

Thanks! You mentioned AI lighting, this is my dream light for this tank.

Prime HD+ Aqua Illumination Aquarium LED Compact Fixture, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HFIJBUO/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_HfUQBb4C17A5J

This is the rock I chose too - CaribSea LifeRock Shapes, 20 pounds https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0773W3LXV/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_ghUQBbZ1MGMNZ

It says 20 lbs but you literally get 30-40 lbs of aragonitic rock in a about 5-6 pieces (including caves and such.
Good luck to you and many updates to come.

If it feels cool when you touch it, and stays cool as you hold your fingers to it, then it has a high heat conductivity and is capable of pulling heat away long term. Some ceramics have a high heat conductivity and some don't. I have one of these , which works very well:

https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Chinchilla-Chiller-Granite-Stone/dp/B000A7707O

Granite is a really dense rock (not a ceramic) that has a high heat conductivity.

Also, I want to say this clearly for the OP and others - a cooling rock is NOT going to give your chinchilla the ability to exist happily at 86 fahrenheit. It doesn't do enough. It shouldn't be considered as widening the range of temperatures that chinchillas can live in. This is a stopgap measure in an emergency, or a cage fitting for the chinchilla's comfort the rest of the year, no more.

some pet stores actually sell marble slabs or granite stones for chinchillas http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Chinchilla-Chin-Chiller-Granite/dp/B000A7707O/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

but you can sometimes find a extra pieces from construction/home remodel projects and the owner would let go of a few scraps/pieces for free. :)

https://www.amazon.com/Zilla-Decor-Rock-Lair-Large/dp/B01N8ZQWF1

My girl went from having a tough shed to have a one-piece complete shed all in one go -- just by putting this inside with a little moss and spraying water every now and again... my boys first shed was fine before using it, and his second shed, using it, was in all one piece too.. I highly recommend it and it makes shedding easy if you check em at least once a day to see if their eyes turn - you can just throw it in when they're ready to use it..

I just used this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KYX72G7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I base it standard mechanicus grey, then nuln oil wash, then drybrush terminatus stone. Then PVA glue some static grass, quick and easy and looks great

Yeah. Measure out some fishing line and secure it to the log and the other end to something very heavy... i know there are decorations made like this. If I find them I’ll attach.

Edit: link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B9PNP3T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5N5TCb0MAPYF4

Here are some pictures from setting up the hardscape, as well as a close up of the plants

And here's some info!


Tank - mr aqua 12g long The back of the tank has been painted with plastidip.

Filter - Eheim 2215

Heater - Hydor 200w inline heater

Light - Current USA Satellite LED+. Have it dimmed to ~60% RGB/White on a memory setting.

Light stand - This off amazon which I had to bend a bit since it's narrower than the Satellite.

Pipes - Chinese lily pipes off ebay. Going to be replacing them with these stainless steel ones


----------------

Sand - Carib sea sand

Gravel substrate - Seachem Flourite

Rocks - Seiryu Stone I bought a few packs and have a good amount extra, just to use interesting pieces. Took a chisel to one rock to get smaller parts to work with.

Wood - 4 Pieces of small / medium spiderwood from my LFS. My LFS had a good selection and they let me configure some pieces to see how they'd work together.

-----------------

Plants:

• Anubias Nana Petite
  
• Cryptocoryne Parva
  
• Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green
  
• Java Fern Sp. Narrow
  
• Anubias Nana Thick Leaf
  
• Cryptocoryne Wendtii Red
  
• Staurogyne Repens
  
  -----------------
  No fauna yet but I plan on moving my RCS over, and getting some micro crabs and possibly another type of shrimp!

We have a chinchilla and live in NE Indiana near the Michigan border. We keep our thermostat at 65-68 in the winter when it snows and he is fine. We have also bought some cooler granite boards for his cage that he can lay on if he gets too hot. I have provided a link for that below. In the summer we usually keep a small fan near his cage so he can cool off if he is too hot. http://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Chinchilla-Chiller-Granite-Stone/dp/B000A7707O/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418139765&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=chinchilla+cooling+board

the pet store i work at sells cooling stones for chinchillas so maybe look into getting one of those? i honestly think it could work super well and it’s relatively cheap if it doesn’t work out but i’ll link it: cooling stone

Here are my steps. Happy to answer any further questions. I will say be minimal with the rocks and grasses. A little variation is what you want, but ultimately I was going for a definite sand look.

• Base with Stirland Mud, sprinkle with grit while still wet to give more variation. I use Army Painter's Black Battleground material
  
• After drying use regular glue, like Elmer's, to apply some small rocks. I use Army Painter Battlefield Rocks. For larger base models like the AT-RT I also got some of these larger rocks to apply.
  
• Paint over with a coat very watered down Abaddon Black
  
• Wash with a coat of watered down Nuln Oil (gives it a more matte finish)
  
• Drybrush very lightly with Skavenblight Dinge. I try to keep it very dark, so I use only a very light amount of drybrushing to give it a little variation
  
• Pick out a few rocks and small bits of grit with Citadel's Dawnstone and a few others with Tallarn Sand.
  
• Give the Dawnstone rocks a light wash of Nuln Oil and drybrush with Administratum Grey when dry
  
• Give the Tallarn Sand rocks a light wash of Agrax Earthshade and drybrush with Karak Stone when dry
  
• Apply grasses as you feel appropriate. I use Woodland Scenic's 2mm Medium Green Static Grass and a little bit of Green Blended Turf.

I think most any artificial manipulation of a bonsai would be frowned upon. I think staying as close to nature as possible is the ultimate goal. If like me you don’t live somewhere with natural rocks to collect, I’ve found the cheapest stone I can easily acquire that has decent color and texture (which is necessary for proper root adhesion) is seiryu stone used for aquariums. Here’s another .

I use that 10 gallon pump and it works fine. Combine the frequently bought together items with this air stone will come out around $20. A 5 gallon bucket canbe bought from any hardware store or I bet you can ask for one at a restaurant like Panda Express. They have a ton and I bet they could be willing to part with one. They're food grade so there is that to consider.

I don't use silicone, no. I'm really careful when rebuilding the hides so they are stable. Make sure if you do order some, you check all the edges of the rocks to check for sharp spots. I didn't have any issues with mine, but you never know. These are the ones I ordered. I got a box of the 3-4 inch stones and a box of 5-7 inch stones

https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Slate-Aquascaping-Aquariums-Enclosures/dp/B07CT75H4R/ref=pd_sim_199_1/142-6448497-3687416?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07CT75H4R&pd_rd_r=72b0338c-7728-4eec-8695-11a31743ce38&pd_rd_w=qnvoB&pd_rd_wg=0XrdK&pf_rd_p=5abf8658-0b5f-405c-b880-a6d1b558d4ea&pf_rd_r=8DTSJND8F86043E9BHRV&psc=1&refRID=8DTSJND8F86043E9BHRV

I actually bought 10lbs I should’ve corrected myself. I used the rock in my 10 gallon. There was a nice variety of sizes and shapes.

Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Aquascaping-Stone-STONE-Large-Pieces/dp/B01F5XDQ1Q?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1&th=1&psc=1

Yes. I siphon out the sand and scrub the walls when doing water changes. This is the rock I have: CaribSea LifeRock Shapes, 20 pounds https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0773W3LXV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_PbROBbD8EQR6R

I will be picking up some live rock soon.

Amazon. Natural Slate Stone - 1/4 to 1/2 inch Slate Gravel for Miniature or Fairy Garden, Aquarium, Model Railroad & Wargaming 1lb https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072DW7NC4?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Natural Slate Aquarium Stones -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NDHFSH7?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Looks like https://www.amazon.com/Seiryu-Stone-Large-aquarium-rock/dp/B01M61OVWE
Amazon.com : Seiryu Stone

Amazon! I got a pack of three one medium two small for 15$! Using them in a 20 long with a Java moss carpet coming up
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F5XDQ20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ByJ-zbFV38FEB

Switched from my old 20 long to a new Deep Blue 30 with a 36" Aqueon LED hood. The idea was (in part) to be an asteroid field. The floating rocks are Penn Plax Floating Orbs and the satellite and little crashed UFO come from JW pet and Blue Ribbon respectively. The background came from DeepBlueThemes. Don't ask how much it cost, it was an impulse buy and the only thing I could find that even came close to what I wanted. Still, I'm happy with it. Also, yes, that's a 9W sterilizer next to the filter. Overkill on a 30 gallon, I realize, but again what the hell.

It turns out it's a pain in the ass to spacescape a tank. Apparently very few people do it and there are very few products available. What you see here represents almost everything you can get, minus a few other products. I really wanted a Star Destroyer (and a Millenium Falcon to attach to one of the rocks) or a Constitution class heavy cruiser (TOS Enterprise), but none of that is made by anyone. To go that route, I'm going to have to retrofit some toys or something. I was hoping for a TOS landing party to pose on the bottom by the shelter, but no luck.

So, submitted for your approval (or derision), but I'd really like some clues from folks on products I might not be aware of. For the record, I have two Koi Angels in there, 6 silver lyretail mollies, and 2 amano shrimp, all moved from the previous tank (along with all the water).

Links for items I got.

Silk plants list bundle 1

Silk Plant bundle 2

Asian Gazebo in Azuls tank

Lantern statue thing in Azuls and the 29 gallon tank!

Moon rock found in Orions and Azuls tank

Dragon found in the 29 gallon

Bottom log in the 29 gallon

Japanese hut and mountain

Foo Dog in the 29 gallon

Slate found in the 29 gallon

https://www.amazon.com/Pisces-17-Seiryu-Rock-Varies/dp/B075SB9HRK?crid=WA9MBN3OIRZE&keywords=seiryu+stone&qid=1535828798&sprefix=seriy&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Amazon!

Would https://www.amazon.com/Zilla-Decor-Rock-Lair-Large/dp/B01N8ZQWF1/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=reptile+lair+large&qid=1565712060&s=gateway&sr=8-3 without the lid work for a dig box?

I ordered it online from local store, I'm from Poland.

Rocks are 'Marco Rocks'. I think it may be the same: https://www.amazon.com/ARC-Reef-Base-Saltwater-Aquariums/dp/B01HX6BZUC/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Marco+Rock&qid=1572178818&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-1

I used 15kg of dry rock and about 10kg from aquarium.

Many big name pet stores (Petco, Petsmart) sell this thing called a Chin-chiller. It's essentially a small piece of granite that by its nature stays cooler than room temperature. You can put it in their cage and they can lay on it to cool down.
https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Chinchilla-Chiller-Granite-Stone/dp/B000A7707O

Seconding the frozen water bottle with a hand towel.

You could get one of these small desk fans for like $8 and point it directly in their cage: http://www.walmart.com/ip/34136721?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227023662628&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=53878145312&wl4=pla-101483560584&wl5=9008450&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=34136721&wl13=&veh=sem.

I don't recommend letting them splash around in the sink just because most rats really hate water and it will likely just stress them out like crazy.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to get large rocks for a 20g aquarium? I've looked around and I'm having trouble finding a shop or place to buy rocks. These are the ones I've been eyeing for a while, but I'm afraid of the leeching affecting things I'm not prepared to account for. I also worry that the sizes will vary so much to where I won't be satisfied.. Am I being too paranoid? Are there any other suggestions that may be a good choice for a 20g aquarium?