Rock Slump :(

[MrDecisive]

Here is my first attempt at aquascaping. The mounds of gravel were a bit higher than they are in the picture before I started but as the water was added (through the filter housing) the gravel started to slump under the weight of the rock. I'm happy with the way it looks but I wondered how other aquascapers keep their rocks from causing the gravel from slumping. Do you support the rocks in someway under the gravel??

 

[AverageWhiteBloke]

You can use aquarium silicone or hot weld plastic guns to glue smaller stones that are under the gravel line. Some people bag up gravel in tights to build up depth in areas then pour gravel over the top. Also clear plastic works for building up banks like the thin plastic strips you get in new shirt collars or similar. Also seen people use the green plastic edge trims you get from garden centres and cut to the depth you want.

 

[Million]

I used my wife's old pop-socks, stuffed with gravel, as sandbags to prop up the stones in my scape before then adding the substrate over the top - this helped preserve the slopes and rock positions

 

[MrDecisive]

Thanks for the insight. Do you think I could retro fit the gravel filled tights by lifting out the large stones and slipping the support underneath or do you think that would just create a big mess? I've got Tetra Complete under Tetra Active as the substrate and have only planted up in the last few days? I'm okay with how it looks now (the picture probably doesn't show it correctly as I was not level with the tank being 6'5'' so it looks a bit flatter than it actually is. I guess I'm worried if I get some Cory's they will rummage about in the substrate and over time kick off another slump?? (I'm totally new at this as you can probably tell)