Best rocks for algae growth.

[Brazzen1]

Hi everyone, I am setting up a new tank around my little t. duboisi and was wandering which rocks to choose to grow algae on, the red lava rocks or flat slate-like rocks? Also I here that you shouldn't mix tropheus with mbuna, but I can't find a definitive answer as to why. I understand that the water maybe slightly different chemically and diet may pose a problem but there is some overlap. Is it just a matter of aesthetics or is there a "real" reason not to mix them? What I'm looking for is the "poorman's" reef type aquarium, don't laugh.

 

[pops]

find granite works about best. nice furry round rocks. shale or slate works well to, coral grows it well to but because its so coarse or pocketed my plecs can not keep it trimmed well.

 

[mobaman1]

Lighting will play a big role in how much algae you will grow. Most large flat rocks work well if you're "farming" algae. I have trap rock in a few of my tanks and they seem to grow algae a little too well. lol

 

[Heretik]

Lighting does play a huge role in the growth!! My lights are on 7 hours a day(2x t5ho bulbs) because of the pothos vines I have to absorb nitrates. Algae grows really nice on lace rock if you have that. In my tank there are only large river rocks and they're covered.

 

[vinboy]

I use T5 Marine white bulbs over 10hrs.





From above showing alge.

 

[duanes]

I like to use water logged wood for algae growth, but as stated, light is the main factor in growing the right algae for vegetarian cichlids. I try to place objects in a place with a coupe hours of indirect sunlight that hit object where I want algal growth.

I also find it seems having other plant species helps in the use of nutrients to discourage cyanobacteria.
I believe the reason it is not a good idea to combine Tropheus with mbuna, is they are competitors, and the mbuna are much more aggressive are would tend to kill the Tropheus.

 

[Brazzen1]

Thanks guys for the info, I was thinking the red lava rocks. @duanes btw I was only going to put some red zebras, acei, yellow labs, brichardi and socolofi in with them. Would these be ok?

 

[duanes]

Tropheus do best in a single species tank, in a group of a dozen or more.

 

[Brazzen1]

Thanks guys, I've heard about them being best in a group of other tropheus but my mom picked him/her up during the Petco 50% off sale, so after my employee discount it came up to being about $5 rather than $35. That was the only one that they had and now if they get anymore they will be $35, which is ok but I wanted the colors of mbuna. That's why I was asking about the more "peaceful" types.

 

[Brazzen1]

Then again would peacocks work better than mbuna? My girlfriend has credit at the store that she works at, so we can get about 5.