Rocks!

[jpjagged]

can rocks i find in nature be used in a freshwater tank?

will different rocks buffer water or add minerals that could be harmful?

j/w for future reference

 

[Genesis]

Most rocks found in rivers should be fine for aquaria!
(Well, I haven't had any problems )



- Genesis

 

[jpjagged]

ok, so these rocks arent in a river but are probably from a river... there is a 7 foot pile of round rocks at my friends house and he told me that i could take what i wanted... also he has a quarry at his house that has been filled with water since i can ever remember (23 years at the least) that has flat rocks all over that i could probably use

precautions, thoughts, ideas, pictures of what other people have done???

 

[jdyer]

ok, so these rocks arent in a river but are probably from a river... there is a 7 foot pile of round rocks at my friends house and he told me that i could take what i wanted... also he has a quarry at his house that has been filled with water since i can ever remember (23 years at the least) that has flat rocks all over that i could probably use

precautions, thoughts, ideas, pictures of what other people have done???

The advice I was given about rocks was: put a drop of vinegar on them. If they fizz, don't put in the aquarium, if they don't they should be fine.

I'm sure (and hope) someone will correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[Colin_T]

if they fizz when vinegar or acid is dropped on them then they are calcium based rock and will probably increase the PH of the water. Limestone and sandstone are common examples and are often found at the beach.

Most smooth black coloured rocks are granite and is fine. Most rocks sold as river rocks are fine as well.

The main thing to be wary of is chemical contamination of the rock. Places that handle these things quite often transport them in containers that have had all sorts of stuff in them. Chemicals etc, could have gotten onto the rocks and might leach off into the water. Also if there have been chemicals like herbicides used in the area recently then it could contaminate the rocks too.

Rinse the rocks under tap water and then put them into a clean bucket of water and change the water each day for a couple of weeks. This should remove any trace of chemical contamination.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

if they fizz when vinegar or acid is dropped on them then they are calcium based rock and will probably increase the PH of the water. Limestone and sandstone are common examples and are often found at the beach.

Most smooth black coloured rocks are granite and is fine. Most rocks sold as river rocks are fine as well.

The main thing to be wary of is chemical contamination of the rock. Places that handle these things quite often transport them in containers that have had all sorts of stuff in them. Chemicals etc, could have gotten onto the rocks and might leach off into the water. Also if there have been chemicals like herbicides used in the area recently then it could contaminate the rocks too.

Rinse the rocks under tap water and then put them into a clean bucket of water and change the water each day for a couple of weeks. This should remove any trace of chemical contamination.

i've heard of people taking rocks down to the car wash and jet washng them!!

there's a good pinned topic somewhere about different types of rocks and if they are suitable for aquarium use, have a hunt and see if you can ID the rocks in question

 

[the biffster]

no! don't do that theres a nasty chemical in there called sodium hydrochloride and they sometimes put a bactericide through so no not a good idea


ps my missus as a car wash that's how i know

 

[jpjagged]

what about boiling to remove and contaminants?

 

[waterdrop]

I always think boiling can't hurt, for sand/gravel/rocks... Anyone?

 

[manwithnofish]

Here's what I did. I live on the Jackson River in Virginia. I got some rocks in the river and brought them home. I put them in 5 gal. buckets and poured boiling water over them until they were covered. I then added about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chlorine (Clorox Bleach) and let them sit for 3 days. I then rinsed them several times and let them sit in clean water for 3 days. I keep testing them for Chlorine (using test stuff for pool) until I read 0.00 Cl. I then put them into a 20 gal bucket filled with my well water (source for aquarium, which I had already tested for kH and gH so I new what clear water from the well should read). After several days, I kept measuring the kH / gH in the 20 gal bucket to see if the rocks (which are Sandstone in my case) were leaching "hardness" into the water. I found no change in the water. Here's the thing, who cares if it takes a year for them to change your water, as long as you can not detect any discernable change within a month, what difference does it make....you're doing water changes anyway. I have had my rocks in the tank now with fish and plants and I can not find a problem. Here's the pics.

River Rock 1

River Rock 2

 

[waterdrop]

Nice rocks and plants mister manwithnofish!

 

[the biffster]

just a thought i wonder if all these newbies are have trouble with there tanks due to the fact that they did
power wash the rocks and bogwood they are using

 

[The-Wolf]

i suggest that you all read this
http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/55...n-the-aquarium/

 

[jpjagged]

awesome thanks for the info, i found a bunch of round granite and i am probably going to use that but i do still have to figure out what a couple of these are

 

[jpjagged]

with the rocks i found