Adding Stones & Pebbles

mytropicals

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Hi,

I want to add some stones & pebbles to my tropical tank, can I use ones that are fom my garden & wash them. If so what is the best way of cleaning them?
 
Most of them would be ok. Scrub them in clean water without soap to get the dirt off, boil or soak in a 10% bleach solution followed by soak with a very high overdose of dechlorinator to sterilize them. You can test with vinegar or a stronger acid to see if they'll effect pH (if they will, they'll fizz when touched with an acid). A couple small "fizzing" stones aren't so much of a problem - I have several small river stones that fizz weakly, which I keep because they're pretty under water.
 
^^^ spot on, test with vinegar, be sure to wash well afterwards though.
 
Most of them would be ok. Scrub them in clean water without soap to get the dirt off, boil or soak in a 10% bleach solution followed by soak with a very high overdose of dechlorinator to sterilize them. You can test with vinegar or a stronger acid to see if they'll effect pH (if they will, they'll fizz when touched with an acid). A couple small "fizzing" stones aren't so much of a problem - I have several small river stones that fizz weakly, which I keep because they're pretty under water.


Thanks for your reply....I scrubbed them in clean water & then boiled them for approx 20 mins, but forgot to use the bleach!!.....should i do it again?

How long should I soak them for with the dechlorinator before adding them to my tank?
 
dont worry about the bleach, its not essential, they don't need soaking for long, 20 mins. be sure to test a few with vinegar before you put them in.
 
btw, if you are looking for some nice and many :) pebbles, check your local Michaels (craft store). I picked a few packs of very nice pebbles of different sizes and colors for $0.99 each. Similar or even smaller packs in LFS go for $5+

Make sure to wash them and test as Corleone suggested!
 

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