slate cave

by **mi313** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 4:19 am

i have been wanting to make a slate cave for my fish but i dont know what slate i should get like roofing slate or flooring slate any help would be nice

by **jdak702** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 4:22 am

Slate would be my first choice as well. Look to see if you have any local stone retailers for landscaping. Unless you like the look of precut shingle slate.

by **mi313** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 4:24 am

ok i was told i can break floor slate and make a cave would that be ok to?

by **jdak702** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:04 pm

Might work. Buy a couple and try them.

by **dream2reef** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:53 am

Might even be more aesthetic to use old slate off some old barn. It's always all greenish copper looking. Not sure that's it's actual copper may want to test and boil it first. Depending on your color of substrate it may look sweet idk? I've got some new slate in mine my fish love it, great hide out!

by **yasherkoach** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:49 am

you can go to Home Depot or Lowes and get regular slate, it is very cheap; also buy a couple pieces of sandstone, that way, you can use the sandstone as sturdy foundation as you build the scape with the slate.

Slate and sandstone are very safe in a freshwater tank. Hope this helps

by **frankyfan** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 4:07 pm

or if you live any where between 25-30 miles from the Arkansas or Mississippi rivers you could just go for a walk it occurs in massive sheets

by **yasherkoach** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:30 am

exactly franky...only make sure the rock or any rock is boiled for at least 1 hour in a big pot, then cooled for 30 minutes in the sink, then placed in the tank

by **frankyfan** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:38 pm

unfortunately if you do that with slate all you'll have is a mess. the slate will more than likely fall apart (speaking from experience) try this mix up a brine of one part salt and two parts water and soak the stone in it for a day, damp dry it with a towel and place it in the oven for 45 minutes @ 250 the salt water has a higher boiling point than fresh water. it fills up the pours and the faults keeping it from exploding or breaking.

by **yasherkoach** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 2:35 pm

the slate I purchased from a landscape store I boiled, cooled and all was fine...it never broke or brittled up

In fact, the slate I did purchase, I broke into assorted pieces, then boiled it for an hour, then cooled the pieces in the sink and then in 30 minutes, all was fine...placed the slate in the tank, and it is the best stuff to build ledges with

so possibly franky, you did something wrong pal

slate cave

13 posts • Page 1 of 2

slate cave

slate cave

13 posts • Page 1 of 2