Poison rocks

[gwand]

I found some stones outside my house that I would like to become part of my 20 gallon long build. I have placed the rocks in a bucket of water and monitored for pH changes over several days. The pH remained stable. Vinegar test was also negative. Are they any noxious substances that could leach out of the stones I should be concerned about. I have no idea what the composition is. The stones have had a 10% bleach bath and copious rinse.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello. The vinegar test is reliable. If there was no noticeable reaction to the vinegar, then in my less than expert opinion, the rocks should be fine for the tank. Bleach isn't a safe cleaner for anything that will end up in the same water as your fish. I'd select another rock that's never had bleach on it. But, that's just me.

10

 

[sharkweek178]

Pathogens will die at 160 degrees F. You don't have to get water up to the boiling point to sterilize rocks. Anything over 165 for a period of time should do the trick.

 

[StevenF]

If you let the rock soak in vinegar or bleach solution for a time check the color of the liquid after the soak. If there is no change in the color of liquid it's OK. It is vey rare for rocks to leach a toxic material in the water but it can happen. A long time ago I read of person that had problems and the basic water tests didn't indicate a problem. I took a sample to a to a large ocean aquarium and the checked his water in their lab. Turns out he had a rock leaching a toxic material. He removed the rock and that corrected the problem. Normally water and the slightly acidic rain over time eases any toxins off the rock. But it the rock was recently dug up or mined rain would not have had enough time to leach toxins out of the rock.

 

[Colin_T]

Has anyone used herbicide or pesticide around the property?
If yes, they are going to be the main issue.

Soaking rocks in bleach can leave bleach residue and surfactants in or on the rocks. This can be an issue if not washed off properly.

 

[gwand]

Has anyone used herbicide or pesticide around the property?
If yes, they are going to be the main issue.

Soaking rocks in bleach can leave bleach residue and surfactants in or on the rocks. This can be an issue if not washed off properly.

Good thoughts. No herbicide or pesticide use. Rocks were copiously rinsed. Thanks for the advice.

 

[GaryE]

A geologist fiend pointed out some rocks to me - they had a nice greenish tinge to them. She said they were not distant from asbestos, so I avoid that colour.

I've never bought a rock, not even a pet rock. I just looked up images for basalt and granite, and stick to those, and slate.

 

[sharkweek178]

Seachem Prime can neutralize chlorine bleach.

 

[gwand]

A geologist fiend pointed out some rocks to me - they had a nice greenish tinge to them. She said they were not distant from asbestos, so I avoid that colour.

I've never bought a rock, not even a pet rock. I just looked up images for basalt and granite, and stick to those, and slate.

Do you have any idea what kind of rock this is? Gold or diamonds?

 

[GaryE]

That looks like fossilized dinosaur phlegm.

Or Oligoclase, or quartz.


Btw, I usually rinse rocks in warm water. That's largely because I pick them up while walking the dog on the beach (it is legal here - you would never fill a truck, but a few rocks are allowed). I don't worry about pathogens, and they're clean.

The other night, I could see the lights of a tanker appearing to get a lot closer to shore than anyone would want, but then the tugboats came out and it got back on track. I assume it had some sort of mechanical issue, unless it was full of freshwater and they were fishroom attacking pirates lining my place up.

 

[Seisage]

A geologist fiend pointed out some rocks to me - they had a nice greenish tinge to them. She said they were not distant from asbestos, so I avoid that colour.

Green is a good color to avoid for rocks. It could be relatively harmless fluorite, but it could also be olivine (not known to be toxic, but weathers easily in water), copper compounds (potentially toxic), or malachite (very soluble AND toxic). Green is just a very unpredictable color for minerals, so unless you're very adept at recognizing and identifying them, any green rocks are best to avoid.

Although, if you happen to have some pure jadeite and you want your fish to feel fancy, go ham. It's a very stable mineral.

 

[Seisage]

Do you have any idea what kind of rock this is? Gold or diamonds?
View attachment 338693

I agree with Gary. Looks like mostly quartz, with some iron oxides (rust).

 

[GaryE]

Jade looks good, but I prefer the tones of a few fist sized chunks of ruby or garnet. The red blends with fish colours, but it makes my fish feel special. A good big sapphire's great, but big diamonds look bad in a tank, at least until the algae grows in.

 

[gwand]

That looks like fossilized dinosaur phlegm.

Or Oligoclase, or quartz.


Btw, I usually rinse rocks in warm water. That's largely because I pick them up while walking the dog on the beach (it is legal here - you would never fill a truck, but a few rocks are allowed). I don't worry about pathogens, and they're clean.

The other night, I could see the lights of a tanker appearing to get a lot closer to shore than anyone would want, but then the tugboats came out and it got back on track. I assume it had some sort of mechanical issue, unless it was full of freshwater and they were fishroom attacking pirates lining my place up

Fish room pirates are your best bet. Beware and pull the drawbridge up over your moat.

 

[MaloK]

There's an app (Rock Identifier) you can download on your phone that will try to identify rocks from pictures.

They claim to recognize 99% of all known rock and mineral species... You could give it a try.