DIY Aquarium Rocks

While it is possible to spend mega bucks outfitting and decorating your aquarium with all varieties of store bought rock, there is a great deal of fun and satisfaction in collecting your own rocks. With natural rock, gluing them together into formations and caves, or using "frames" as a guide, is a fun and inexpensive way to make your aquarium refreshingly unique.

Things You'll Need

  • Rock
  • Silicon glue
  • Frame work (milk crate, Plexiglas, pieces of gutter, flower pots, pickle jars, etc...)
  • Black vinyl lawn edging
  • Gloves
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Instructions

    • 1

      Look for rocks in local rivers and streams, and even in your own driveway. Select rocks with smooth edges.

    • 2

      Clean your collected rocks thoroughly by boiling them for an hour, according to aqua-fish.net.

    • 3

      Prepare your frame by deciding what type of structure you wish to create. For a background, use a piece of milk crate cut to the appropriate size for your tank, or a piece of Plexiglas. For caves and hideaways, flower pots and pickle jars work well, or use a gutter, according to Aquarium Life. Cut holes in the bottom of the gutter and divide the inside into caves, using black vinyl lawn edging.

    • 4

      Cover the frame with your cleaned rocks, using an aquarium-safe silicon glue. Dab the glue into place and either drop a handful of rocks over it for a natural look or arrange and place the rocks as you wish.

    • 5

      Allow the glue a few minutes to set; then turn the frame over to let any loose rocks fall away.

    • 6

      Reglue to fill any spaces left with additional rocks.

    • 7

      Cure the rocks in tap water for 24 hours, according to the Cichlid-Forum, and place it in an ice chest an additional 48 hours before placing in the aquarium.

    • 8

      Place additional loose rocks in the aquarium for decoration or glue rocks together into formations.