Is this rust on my rocks? My grandpa got these rocks for me from his backyard but I think theres rust on them. Can I use them in my tank?
It all depends on what fish you want to keep. I see limestone, which will release minerals and harden the water. Some fish like it, some don't.
What looks like rust is usually iron, and again, it depends on the fish.
What looks like rust is usually iron, and again, it depends on the fish.
If they are from a back yard, can your grandpa guarantee they are not contaminated with anything?
Rocks don't usually rust, most of the time it's metal. rush happens when a particular substance comes in contact with oxygen and some form of water. make sure you wah them ALOT so they can be as clean as can be. also, what is in the tank?
OP
OP
Alphabot
New Member
nothing yet. setting up a new tank.
OP
OP
Alphabot
New Member
not sure. I was gonna do a vinegar/water soak for a few days or something like that.
Many rocks hive a high iron content and they can rust. Othertimes mineral rich water circulates through cracks in bead rock. Any minerals that build up in the crack can oxides when the rock is exposed to air. the color of the rock cannot be reliably used to determine if the rock is safe or not for fish. The only way to know is to fill a container with water and to make the water slightly acidic with vinegar and record the GH, KH, and PH (make sur the water PH is less than 7). Put the rocks in and then check the water parameters several days later. IF the GH and KH changes the rocks may not be stable.
I would be more concerned over iron. Iron is a heavy metal and can kill everything in the tank at sufficient levels. And if others think this is iron here, I don't see any way to measure the iron leeching. We do have iron tests in the hobby, but if these were my fish, those rocks would never go in the tank.
if you want some relatively cheap rocks (and the same size) I'd suggest lava rocks. your local pet store should have them, I got mine for $5 apiece, and better yet they most likely come in black.
OP
OP
Alphabot
New Member
do you know which fish can tolerate high iron oxide levels just in case?
No fish can tolerate high levels but if you do regular water changes on the tank, and have some live plants in the tank, that will help keep the levels low. You can also buy Iron (Fe) test kits and monitor the iron level in the water. If it goes above 1mg/ltr (1ppm) in a few days, then remove the rock with the iron on it.
I wouldn't add them, far too risky.
OP
OP
Alphabot
New Member
You guys have said that its prob iron oxide which is good for plants so could I use this in maybe a plant grow out tank?
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
245 -
228 -
195
-
171 -
170 -
154 -
142 -
132 -
115 -
107 -
98 -
87 -
82 -
79 -
68