Pebbles In Tank

[tris]

To save a few ££ is it ok to get pebbles from my local beach and filter/boil them and use them in my tank? Just seems mad buying pebbles etc when the beach near me has a lovely grade of pebbles to fill my new tank.

Advice welcome

 

[onebto]

I agree with you.

Personally I went with sand for my tank but I did pick some stones from a beach from my old home sentimental reasons I guess to add to my aquarium . Be honest though I spent ages picking the ones I like all smooth and rounded or the ones that are flat like plates , I was a little choosy on the colours as well but there was plenty of choice.

IMPORTANT thing to remember is they may not just have salt on them but oil residue and other chemical containments.

I washed my stones real good I mean real good then for some reason left them soaking in some decolouranated water over night do not know why but next day when I looked at the bucket there was a rainbow film on the surface of the water I was not sure if it was the decolouranater or containments so to be sure I washed them and the bucket several more times before I got a standing test showed no more oily film on the surface of the water.

Were you going to use them as the whole base of your Tank ? if so I would recommend you check and remove the sharp ones and that you clean them so much that you would be happy to have them in an operating theatre .

Well my view on it (still building my first tank so I have limited experience) someone on here maybe more in the know about it all

Regards Ian.

 

[tris]

been reading some old posts on the subject and it appears ok to boil them several times and use them, going to see how much they are to buy from the fish shop later and may save myself the hassle. Will post results

 

[tris]

Ended up buying a couple of bags today instead.