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Let the stones dry for another week so that the lacquer will be completely dry.
The stones shown are the only examples I?ve tried so far, but with the same
technique you can make hiding places from a tree trunk or copy the surface of a
large rock for a background.
Note: Sikatop Seal is a cement-based
product so a newly-made stone will
raise the conductivity and GH in the
tank uncontrollably. I tested this by
filling a 40 l (10 gallon) tub with new
tones and an internal filter to keep the
water flowing.
The artificial stones form a rock wall background for the
Tanganyikan biotope in mind.
It would be very risky to use this much rock if they were
real stones.
Af t er 2 4 h o u rs, I m e as u r ed
conductivity and GH. Conductivity
was up from 40 ?S to 650 GH and ?S
rose from nearly 0 to 7. Tanganyika
water! I emptied the tub, filled it with
fresh water and measured again after
24 hours: about 300 ?S. Malawi! Third
filling: conductivity 120 ?S. After the
fifth filling, the stones didn?t affect the
values.
After this operation, all that can dissolve from the stones has dissolved and they are safe to put
in the tank.
These instructions are based on my own experiments and they can be adapted
freely by anyone. Who knows, by experimenting you might even make improvements!
Finally I would like to thank my family for their understanding (a bloke messing
around all night with brushes and epoxy in the bathroom is not particularly the
ideal image of a balanced husband and father), Sari and Joel for translating this
article and Suomen Akvaarioliitto (Finnish Aquarium Association) for inviting
Sune Holm to give us tips and leading me to the path of experimenting on how
to make natural decorations for our aquariums.
ARTICLE INFORMATION:
Author: Jyrki Granath
Title: Making Artificial Mould Stones for an Aquarium
Publication: The Aquatic Gardener Volume 20 Number 1 (Jan-Mar „07)
http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/
Further Reading: http://forum.aquatic-gardeners.org/viewtopic.php?t=761
http://forum.aquatic-gardeners.org/viewtopic.php?t=754