2 possibilities to set your arrangement:

on the sand : rocks are easy to stack (solution for calm fish aquariums)

on the glass of the aquarium : with burrowing fish, to keep your decoration stable while fish move the sand, put your rocks directly on the glass of the aquarium.

Check stability step after step, and your decor will remain stable.

These rocks enable stable decors to be easily constructed; pieces lock onto each other. Gluing is possible with silicone rubber for big decorations.

Installing the base rocks ?

1- 4 points of contact : this rock is unstable .

2- 3 points of contact : it will be stable

3- Install 1rst rock .

4- Lock 2nd rock on 1rst one .

5- This is the basis of all construction, grottoes, overhangs...

Even with busy fish, your decoration will be stable.

Same method to build grottoes, overhangs, arches..

Build 2 piles of different heights and link them with a rock or a plate or a corolla.

Plates should be used for large arrangements.

With our sculptured decorations, the same principle is valid for terrace-bridges, celtic rocks in fresh water and coral-bridges for marine water.

If you prefer a ready to use arrangement, see pages : Sculptured decorations - Use of the sculptured decorations.

Building an arch with rocks only

Building an arch with rocks and plate

Arrange rocks in semi-circle on the bottom of the aquarium, then cover them with flatter rocks, plates or corollas. Leave several entrances for good fish circulation.

1- Put at least 3 rocks for the base.

2- Cover with longer or flatter rocks.

3- Size of composition : 40 x 60 cm x H 20 cm ; weight : 6 kg .

Grottoes ready for use, in all sizes, are available in our sculptured decoration range.

Plates, on cermaic rocks, make it easy to build overhangs.

To get a more aesthetic result, avoid symmetric designs, slightly angle the plate, install lower rocks as foreground, to form landscapes lines, continue the decor over the plate, as a counterweight.

1- Prepare 2 piles,close together

2- Put plate on the 2 piles, with one side overhanging. Add a rock as a foreground

3- Fish love staying under the overhang.

Construction of the décor for this aquarium (500 litres) uses all principles given above.This aquarium (Beluga - Atelier de Marianne) was exhibited at Expozoo - Paris in 2003, with cichlid fish. (this decoration could be similarly adapted to inverts). As we did not have the opportunity to take photos during the setting up, we created a similar decoration in our workshop, and detailed each step with photos.

Sand, very thin, well washed.

Plants : anubias and microsoriums on the rocks, vallisnerias in the sand ; it seems that these plants are strong enough to resist cichlid fish.

With the lighting, rocks always seem clearer (in water) ; do not hesitate to use the darker ones in the low parts, to strengthen the deep effect.

Beluga Aquarium "Atelier de Marianne"

120x 70 x 60 cm - 500 litres

Decorations

"ceramic rocks" : 2 boxes 17 kg

plates : 2 - 35 cm et 1 - 50 cm and 1 corolla.

A good distribution of rocks, a light construction with plates enables use of less products and to create territories and shelters.

The different stages in photos