Rocks from beach.. are these safe?

Brooksheff · May 4, 2018

Hi, I have collected some rock from the beach. I think they are safe but could someone help confirm?

Brooksheff · May 4, 2018

I have done the vinegar test and looks to be ok.

fluttermoth · May 4, 2018

All rocks, as long as they don't contain any metallic veins are 'safe', but some might affect your hardness and pH.

Vinegar isn't really a strong enough acid to test rocks. If you can get hold of any rust remover, you can use that to test them, or you can put out two identical containers of water, one with the rocks in and one without, then test for pH and hardness after a few days and see if they differ.

Colin_T · May 4, 2018

the white ones look like limestone, which will raise the pH.

the dark ones look like really dirty sandstone. Did you get them out of the water?
if you post a couple more pics or the dark ones, might be able to id it more correctly.

Brooksheff · May 4, 2018

See attached

Brooksheff · May 4, 2018

And more

Colin_T · May 4, 2018

need to see the whole rock from pic 1.

pic 2 and 4 look like black granite and are fine.

pic 3 (white rock) is limestone.

Brooksheff · May 4, 2018

Pic one is same type as the others. My thoughts were granite.

mikey11 · May 4, 2018

they are fine.....

soak them in a bucket of water for a few days, then rinse them off and put them in your tank,

i never understood why people pay 10 or 20 bucks for a rock at a LFS when you can find them for free

Brooksheff · May 4, 2018

Thank you. Me too, I have done it .. spending 50 pound on 5 rocks. Scandalous.
So the limestone is a no no for the tank.

Colin_T · May 4, 2018

a small piece of limestone will help to stabilise the pH but it depends on what you have in the tank. If you have naturally acid water and keep tetras and others fishes that like acid water, then don't add the limestone. But if you keep livebearers, goldfish, rainbowfish, barbs or rift lake cichlids then they are all fine with limestone.

fluttermoth · May 4, 2018

I feel I ought to point out that collecting rocks from 'the wild' is illegal in some places.

It sounds petty but, according to a friend of mine who used to work for the Environment Agency, popular places can lose literally tonnes of stone every year, even if each person is only taking a few, and this can contribute to some major erosion issues.

mikey11 · May 4, 2018

fluttermoth said:
I feel I ought to point out that collecting rocks from 'the wild' is illegal in some places.

did you know....in Britain it is against the law to be drunk at a pub ?

Colin_T · May 4, 2018

in Western Australia anyone can take out a violence restraining order against anyone else without any proof, evidence or witnesses to support their accusations.

and you can be charged with mining in a national park if you take 1 teaspoon of soil from the park.

Some laws are just stupid.

fluttermoth · May 4, 2018

Some laws are just stupid, and others just appear stupid, but actually have important principles behind them

Anyway, this isn't really a thread for stupid laws (do feel free to start a thread in Chat!), but I do feel I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't at least inform people they maybe falling foul of the letter of the law, in some places.

Everyone's free to make their own choices, in light of the facts

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Rocks from beach.. are these safe?

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