Aquarium Stones

[noval01rd]

Hey all,
Needed some help from you guys. I collected some really nice looking stones from a local beach. I tested it by putting some vinegar on it and it did not foam up or anything. How do I make sure all the impurities and any salt content if any, if gone before I add it to my freshwater aquarium?

Any help is greatly appreciated!
-Noval D'Souza

 

[kwi]

A lot of people will boil stuff before adding to a tank, be aware that stone can hold heat for a long time......

 

[CassCats]

Scrub them very well under the tap water (no soaps) and then boil them. Just be careful with boiling, sometimes there's air pockets in rocks that would make them explode when heated.

Let them sit in fresh water daily, change the water. Thinking this would help wash off the salt content

 

[TheTenthDoctor]

Boil them and scrub them off. Then rinse and dry them. You can also soak them in fresh water

 

[noval01rd]

Thank you guys!!! I'll boil them, scrub and then soak them in water for a day before adding to my tank.

Any suggestion on how to be careful of the airpockets exploding while boiling??

 

[kwi]

Thank you guys!!! I'll boil them, scrub and then soak them in water for a day before adding to my tank.

Any suggestion on how to be careful of the airpockets exploding while boiling??

Do it outside on a camping stove, it's not common and really depends on the rock.

 

[itiwhetu]

By careful if they come from the beach, their composition might not suit fresh water aquariums

 

[hansgruber7]

I would scrub then boil, then soak them in fresh water for several days. Then test the water for a range of parameters (KH, GH, PH) to see if it's ok before putting it in your aquarium.

 

[Colin_T]

Pictures of the rocks?

If they are limestone or sand stone, they will raise the pH of the water. This is fine for livebearers, goldfish, rainbowfish and African Rift Lake cichlids.

If they are different rocks, they won't affect the pH.

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To clean the rocks, rinse non porous rocks with fresh water and away you go.

Rocks like sand stone and limestone are porous and should be rinsed under tap water and then put into a bucket of fresh water. Change the water each day for a few days, then rinse and the rocks are ready.

There is no need to boil or bake rocks from the beach because things that live in sea water won't live in fresh water. The only concern would be herbicide or chemicals/ oils that might get on the rocks. If they are from a clean area, it's fine and nothing to worry about.