THIS IS PAGE ONE  Where to find slate suitable for aquarium decor.

PAGE TWO      Is all slate safe in aquariums?

PAGE THREE     Tools needed to make slotted slate aquarium decorations.

PAGE FOUR       The Methods, making a slate aquarium decor by slotting slate.

PAGE FIVE       The Designs. Some basic structures for building with slate in an aquarium.

 

WHERE TO FIND AQUARIUM SLATE ?

There are four ways to acquire slate that would be suitable for making slate aquarium decorations using my slotting method.  

Find your own stone locally.
Source some local stone to buy.
Buy some slate tiles and break them into pieces.
Buy slate pieces from an aquarium supply store or online.

Finding your own stone locally

The first and most desirable way, for yourself and the environment, is to find the stone for your aquarium on a beach, or country roadside. You don't need a lot of slate make an attractive aquarium decor and there are many locations where sufficient stone can easily be collected without offending anybody. And without shipping rocks around the planet.
Sometimes you can find slate type flat stones that are already thin enough to use. There may also be chunks with flat surfaces and evident parallel lines along the edges indicating that the stone can be split along the strata into evenly flat pieces. If you do find a location where there's lots of stone, take your time choosing your pieces. Choose pieces that are as uniform as possible in thickness. The thickness should be appropriate to the scale of the decoration you hope to build and the aquarium you intend to use. If you want finished items that are only 3-4 inches high, then collect stones of a thickness of around 0.25 inches. If you are intending to make a more dramatic aquascape with pieces 9 inches or more being cut and slotted together, then you will need thicker stone both for appearance and for strength and integrity as you make cuts. 

Source some local stone to buy

If you are unable to find suitable stone for your aquarium decor yourself you will have to purchase it. The second most desirable way to get your aquarium slate type stone is to locate a source of stone that is local to your area, either at a quarry or from a retailer of stone used for facing walls. Stone masons working in your area are a good place to start your enquiries. Ask them if there is any local stone that splits easily or comes in thin pieces. The best thing about finding a source of local stone is that there will probably be a lot to choose from and you will be able to select pieces that are the right size and thickness for your intended aquarium display. Another advantage of locating a source of local stone is that it will probably be very inexpensive. It may be priced by weight or by area. Either way it's usually sold in large amounts and is priced accordingly. Your aquarium sized load of pieces that are usually too small to sell may lead to some chuckles, but will be very cheap especially when compared to the rocks from an aquarium supply store.

 

Buy some slate tiles and break them into pieces.

This third option could be the best if you live in a city and want to get the slate for your aquarium decorations as quickly and easily as possible. Stone yards and quarries are often not very conveniently located. However just about any town has home decorating shops that sell ceramic tiles. Most of these will also have some slate tiles or at least some samples of slate that they can supply.
Unfortunately, fewer and fewer slate tile suppliers have slate that is unpackaged. You will most likely have to buy a whole package, containing six to ten tiles for between $60 and $100. Many slate tile producers also grind heavy indentations into one side of the stone so that it can be bonded more easily onto a wall. It's not impossible to use this slate, but it does present some additional work, and if you are not careful, some unsightly surfaces.
It's possible that they may have a package that has been damaged. They may sell you a few tiles from it, or perhaps there might be broken pieces that they would be glad to get rid of and that might fit perfectly into your new aquascape plans. 

Buy from an aquarium supply store or online

Many aquarium supply shops carry some stone meant for use in aquarium decor. It's understandable that this convenient source will probably be the most expensive option. The store owner has to price these rocks to show a profit on the wholesale price,  the time sourcing them, the shipping costs and the space they take up where more valuable merchandise could be displayed. If they have any slate it will probably be priced by the piece with not much to choose from.
Buying on line could be a better option for somebody with ambitious plans for a lot of slate in their aquariums as some suppliers offer to ship larger packages of up to 20 kilos. (50lbs). This bulk buying does lessen the freight costs per stone piece but stone is heavy and shipping it is costly. There are suppliers that ship from North America and others from Europe so check on the location and shipping costs before making that final click.

 

Click Here to see some online aquarium slate suppliers from North America

 

THIS IS PAGE ONE  Where to find slate suitable for aquarium decor.

PAGE TWO      Is all slate safe in aquariums?

PAGE THREE     Tools needed to make slotted slate aquarium decorations.

PAGE FOUR       The Methods, making a slate aquarium decor by slotting slate.

PAGE FIVE       The Designs. Some basic structures for building with slate in an aquarium.