Lava Rock problem Looking for ideas.

[Tanked]

I have been storing 2 large lava rocks for a quite awhile. They are of similar size, gray, shaped like a 7"x 15"x4" cough drop, and boring. 

So the primary question is one of best use. I am not opposed to having one or two monolithic rocks, but risk symmetry problems. If I brake them, I risk no longer having large rocks and having smaller uglier pieces. So:

• How do I give them character, and look like nature did it?  
• How would you use them? 

 

[Expectorating_Aubergine]

You could:

1. Take a drill bit that's made for masonry/ceramic/rock and drill bigger holes in it. You can plant stuff in the holes or leave them open.

2. Carve the rocks with a dremel that has the bit for it. You can make deep fake "cracks" and plant stuff in those cracks. Maybe create Easter island heads?

3. Make a large holes in each one and plant bigger plants with soil and lava gravel cap?

[knee]

On 2/16/2023 at 8:03 AM, Tanked said:

 

• How would you use them? 

 

I'd attach some hygro pinnatifida or trident java fern on them. I read that some people have trouble with pinnatifida but if they like your water they'll grow quick, provided that they get enough light and nutrients as well.

[nabokovfan87]

On 2/16/2023 at 8:03 AM, Tanked said:

So the primary question is one of best use. I am not opposed to having one or two monolithic rocks, but risk symmetry problems. If I brake them, I risk no longer having large rocks and having smaller uglier pieces. So:

• How do I give them character, and look like nature did it?  
• How would you use them? 

I know there's a few people here who actually pull lava rock from their yard and have amazing pieces I'd recommend you look at. As far as breaking stone up and scaping.... This is a fun way to approach it and then we can discuss how.

About halfway through they start going crazy with hammers and rocks.

On 2/16/2023 at 8:40 AM, Expectorating_Aubergine said:

2. Carve the rocks with a dremel that has the bit for it. You can make deep fake "cracks" and plant stuff in those cracks. Maybe create Easter island heads?

This is a great way to do it with lava rock specifically. Wear a mask, ear and eye protection, and some cut gloves. It's literally razor sharp often untill you break those edges.

If your concern is symmetry, you can take a chisel and break them in half. Make large chunks and make some more pleasing for what you want. Say you have a big circle shaped one, then maybe cut it in half, gap in the middle and it would look a little like a canyon.

[Tanked]

@knee If I can get them to grow in a low tech. tank, I like the look of the pinnatifida.

@Expectorating_Aubergine@nabokovfan87In as much as the rocks are featureless, the Easter Island heads made my inner artist twitch.  One of the issues I have encountered is tool marks.  My attempts usually look brand new.  On smaller pieces I have used masonry drills, angle grinders, and wood rasps. The Dremel tool is the only thing I haven't tried to age my alterations.  Thinking about pockets, crevices, and canyon effects makes me realize that this is a good excuse to sit down with my sketch book.

Thanks all.

[nabokovfan87]

Mine came with a thing like this. Might work well for you. Just double check which bits you can use.

I like the ball style cutters or the cone shaped ones.

 

[Sleepy]

On 2/16/2023 at 11:03 AM, Tanked said:

I have been storing 2 large lava rocks for a quite awhile. They are of similar size, gray, shaped like a 7"x 15"x4" cough drop, and boring. 

So the primary question is one of best use. I am not opposed to having one or two monolithic rocks, but risk symmetry problems. If I brake them, I risk no longer having large rocks and having smaller uglier pieces. So:

• How do I give them character, and look like nature did it?  
• How would you use them? 

 

Why not chip one down to accent the other big one?

[Tanked]

On 2/17/2023 at 2:18 PM, Sleepy said:

Why not chip one down to accent the other big one?

For the moment I don't want to end up with multiple pieces.  This is probably why they are still in the garden. How to make one compliment the other, or how to just add interesting features to one stone is the ultimate goal.  Breaking one up might be the only way to go.

[Flumpweesel]

Can you show us them? Why not just one horizontal and one vertical at the 3/4 and plant them up.

I have anubias and Java fern on everything it's not very unusual but it grows well in my water and I'm a firm believer in sticking with what works.

[Tanked]

 

On 2/18/2023 at 4:39 PM, Flumpweesel said:

Can you show us them? Why not just one horizontal and one vertical at the 3/4 and plant them up.

I have anubias and Java fern on everything it's not very unusual but it grows well in my water and I'm a firm believer in sticking with what works.

One of them has gone missing.  If I can find it, I 'll post some pictures.  I took the angle grinder to one a few weeks back, adding some vertical striations. I'm not thrilled with it, but you can't un-ring a bell.  In addition to your horizontal/vertical alignment. If angled correctly, I could make that work.  I have also considered a terraced effect.  There are a mind numbing number of possibilities. 

Planting them up is another puzzle piece, and one more reason this project has been on the bottom of the list for so long. Both of larger tanks have plant eaters!  IF I could convince the TFBs to share their space with the Silver Dollars...   The problem is putting all of the puzzle pieces together.

[Flumpweesel]

My tank decorating process is throw everything into the tank and slowly shift things about until I find them pleasing. I have some small twisty bits of spider wood that can look great rested against our wedged into rock to create a more interest.

I also don't hate artificial plants which made my life much easier when I had my goldfish hooligans. Everything had to survive being headbutted and pulled about by hefty ft long fish. They made the final scale decisions back then. 

[Tanked]

@Flumpweesel My TFB tank has one center piece rock and two plastic plants hiding the plumbing.  It is sparse, but the barbs are the main attraction.  There is a fish fence separating  the Wisteria from the barbs.  Any plant that pokes a leaf through the fence is doomed.  My process is to spend weeks overthinking the possibilities, followed by rearranging the finalist 3 times.  The large community has a similar set up including two plant eating hooligans.

I found them!

Now that I have, I'm not sure if I can use them. I can't identify exactly what they are, but any broken edges are glass like and very sharp. A quick rinse and brushing revealed more features than I remember. The long cough drop shaped stone actually has two relatively smooth flat sides which is what I see from the window. 

[Furbs]

Its easy to over think rocks. Especially if you have plants it wont be long before its hard to really see the nuances of the original rock. 

If "quite a while" is more than a month worrying has kept you from enjoying them. Nature breaks up rocks, wedges wood and plants in there. Sacrifice one to some hammering and use its bits to build around the other 

[Flumpweesel]

On 2/19/2023 at 10:31 PM, Tanked said:

but any broken edges are glass like and very sharp.

Not ideal in the tank then, they'll probably hurt you more often than the fish but sharp edges are a stress worth avoiding. They also risk damaging the tank. I have a huge piece of obsidian I won't use for the same reason (frustrating though because it would look cool).

I use a lot of beach pebbles in my tanks because all the sharp edges have been dealt with and I have pebbly beach quite close. Keep your eyes peeled when you are out and about.

I do quite like those stones if they weren't sharp I'd have said build a low feature with the long one meaning against the bottom one to form a little tunnel/cave feature . 

[Tanked]

Lava of the type used in landscaping and gas grills, is soft and super easy to work. The only definite plan for the moment is to determine if the sharp edges can be removed, or if  this material is too brittle.