katetnies

i was thinking about adding some rocks to my tank. my problem is that rocks are expensive to buy at a store. so can i just go to some beach and use that. it would be going into a freshwater tank and i would take the rocks from freshwater. also what kind of shelters do you think a parrot fish would life. it would have to be home made. i cant find anything in stores down here

AlyeskaGirl

I am not sure about the rocks from the beach, would have to boil them to kill any bacteria and such first.

For cheap hiding spots for your parrot you can use clay flower pots...there's differ sizes. You can find them in wal-mart or whatever store you have that carries gardening/planting supplies.

aquarist48

If you're referring to Bloody Parrots, use terracotta pots in your tank for hiding places. Make sure they are not painted or glazed in any way. Your Bloody Parrots will thank you for it. I have some in my tanks (pics in profile) Good luck. They are wonderful fish. Too, terracotta pots are porous and great for your biological bacteria.

Llama

Terracotta pots are pretty cheap, bought one for 35 euro cents.

Otherwise if you want to use rock, check whether they're limestone. Drop acid on them (vinegar) and if they fizzle, they're not good

aquarist48

Thanks for that tip llama...I didn't know that about the vinegar fiz test.

Butterfly

If you want cheap rocks go to a landscaping rock yard(where they have rocks in wire cages). You can usually get them for a few cents each. A couple of years ago I did this and got 80Lbs for a little over $16. They were 20 cents a lb. You can buy just a few rocks too. I even got to pick which rocks I wanted.
Carol

katetnies

thanx for the great info guys! cant wait to start my search