# How to create slopes that stay?



## shaman

I am planning to set up a a 60 gallon cube tank and would like to create a slope. I have no experience with this but I'm guessing the substrate will level out. I am hoping to make a simple slope like this








How can I get it to stay? I haven't decided on the substrate but am thinking of getting ADA aqua soil. Should this be a problem?


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## Hilde

It is the rocks that maintain the slope. You set the rocks up and then add the substrate.


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## shaman

Hilde said:


> It is the rocks that maintain the slope. You set the rocks up and then add the substrate.


Will driftwood be ok? Also how do you vacuum the slopes without demolishing them?


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## -MJ-

u don't. plants take care of most of the animal waste. if you have lots of food at the bottom u are feeding too much and u can use a small tube with light siphoning for excess food, but not a gravel vac.


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## Mr. Fisher

the rocks and plants keep the slope. ADA also sells a tool for this, but it isn't necessary.

step 1:

level out the substrate

step2:

add the hardscape items

step 3:

add more substrate (aquasoil) in between and behind the rocks.

step 4:

plant heavily

as stated you don't gravel vac aquasoil. you can use a siphon and such up the mulm every now and again. not much mulm/detritus should build up.


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## shaman

I have my main driftwood on the backside of the tank, and would like to make another slope on the frontside corner of the tank. I've been told not to mix rocks and wood, and I cant think of what hardscape I can use to hold up the slope. Is it impossible to have a slope without a hardscape supporting it? will put up pics if needed.


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## jwm5

heavily planted will also help keep a slope in shape. the roots will help hold it in place


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## Da Plant Man

Just get some crypts, it will be fine.


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## AoxomoxoA

shaman said:


> I've been told not to mix rocks and wood


You can mix whatever you want. The right rocks will help blend DW in. If you want a traditional Iwagumi scape, or rock garden, that's when you shouldn't mix with driftwood. It's all up to what pleases you though really


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## jreich

chop sticks can help hold things in place while you wait for the roots to develop.


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## sbailiff

how would chopsticks help? I read this somewhere else and I don't get it - do you use them to prop the rocks up and keep them in place? 

Should I order plants at the same time I order the aquarium? I was thinking to get aquarium set up and cycled first.

Thank you!


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## AoxomoxoA

I would put plants in immediately, they'll help your cycle & be fine if not better for it from my understanding.


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## jreich

the chop sticks help hold the substrate in place. build your little hill, then put in a bunch of chopsticks so they will help prevent a land slide. this method is used on embankments all the time. when a man made hill is created there are metal rods inserted downwards into the hill to prevent the land from sliding down. the rods are not really needed after the tree and grass roots take hold. the chop sticks kind of act like man made roots.


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## sbailiff

Thank you so much for your replies!! 

Do I need to remove the chopstix later? If so, when? And if not, do they dissolve? I just don't know what would be safe for the tank and what wouldn't. 

So, putting plants into an uncycled tank is acceptable. Ok, well, then, I will do it! I've been looking at easy plants to aquascape in - HC is by far my favorite though I love those floating moss balls. Can you recommend good online sources?

I have biocube 14, would you switch out bioballs (been reading about this all day - one option is ehfrisubstrate -sorry if that's the wrong spelling- what else would you do for a planted freshwater? My issue is that I don't want to lose CO2 by oxygenating the water (which the bioballs do). I hope that I understand this correctly. 

Thank you so much!!


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## shaman

The chopsticks idea sounds great! I'm guessing the sticks shouldn't protrude too far out of the substrate or the weight of it will bring down the slope? Excellent suggestions so far! :thumbsup:


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## jreich

i would remove the chop sticks after roots develop, and dont let them stick up out of the ground to high cuz it will look ugly...


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