Joined
·
599 Posts
Yes, one could easy spend a lot of money on hardscape.
But that's not the only option. The issue with scavenging for your own material is that you run the risk of adding something that is going to poison your livestock or alter your water chemistry.
There are some methods for testing rocks I would look into as well as some information about what sorts of rocks are likely to be inert or likely to dissolve in the tank, so you may be able to buy rocks meant for landscaping that are more affordable. In my main tank I used landscaping rocks of unknown origin from my yard (free!) that have not caused me any problems. IIRC, limestone-based rocks are likely to increase your pH and water hardness with time (which could be a good thing depending on your stocking), while granite-based rocks are more likely to be inert. I think slate is also inert. You may have to adjust your expectations though, because it might because I don't know there's a cheaper dupe for something as distinctive as dragon stone.
One thing you might also think about is if you can keep a particular rock clean. Quartz looks great on day one, but I had it in a nonplanted tank when I was a kid and it picked up lots of junk and I didn't even have algae to worry about back then.
I am always a little leery about people sourcing their own driftwood. I would do a lot of research and be very careful to prepare everything properly. You need your wood to both not leech toxins and to not start breaking down immediately, so you can't just pick up a neat branch out of the woods and go to town. The species used in aquaria have been tried and tested, and when you go outside of that it can be hard to get good information. But you still have options. Blooms & Branches has sandblasted manzanita that is pretty affordable. You may be able to buy some used driftwood too.
But that's not the only option. The issue with scavenging for your own material is that you run the risk of adding something that is going to poison your livestock or alter your water chemistry.
There are some methods for testing rocks I would look into as well as some information about what sorts of rocks are likely to be inert or likely to dissolve in the tank, so you may be able to buy rocks meant for landscaping that are more affordable. In my main tank I used landscaping rocks of unknown origin from my yard (free!) that have not caused me any problems. IIRC, limestone-based rocks are likely to increase your pH and water hardness with time (which could be a good thing depending on your stocking), while granite-based rocks are more likely to be inert. I think slate is also inert. You may have to adjust your expectations though, because it might because I don't know there's a cheaper dupe for something as distinctive as dragon stone.
One thing you might also think about is if you can keep a particular rock clean. Quartz looks great on day one, but I had it in a nonplanted tank when I was a kid and it picked up lots of junk and I didn't even have algae to worry about back then.
I am always a little leery about people sourcing their own driftwood. I would do a lot of research and be very careful to prepare everything properly. You need your wood to both not leech toxins and to not start breaking down immediately, so you can't just pick up a neat branch out of the woods and go to town. The species used in aquaria have been tried and tested, and when you go outside of that it can be hard to get good information. But you still have options. Blooms & Branches has sandblasted manzanita that is pretty affordable. You may be able to buy some used driftwood too.