# Home Depot Natural Slate



## denierlexiese (Jun 20, 2010)

Guys,
I just bought some flagstone slate from home depot for my Afican Cichlid tank. The slate came in a group of 8 pieces all attached to single plastic netting with possible (carpet glue?). I have washed the slate, wired brushed it, and left them soaking in hot water overnight.

How important is it to get the tan (carpet?) glue off the slate? Is is toxic in the fish tank?

Please advise. Thanks!!


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

why didn't you buy plain slate? it's available at most garden centers, and I've even seen it at Home Depot in their garden center once or twice...

I would never use the stuff meant for flooring... just sounds like more risk than is worth it.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Take it back because the netting came loose. The glue may be safe, but there is no requirement for them to tell you, if it's not. After all it is supposed to be permanently embedded in grout or mortar. Use unadulterated slate.


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

Land scapping yards are a great place to find a wide assortment of rocks. And I'm betting they're much cheaper than Home Depot.


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## denierlexiese (Jun 20, 2010)

Thank you guys for the reply. I'm a newbie when it comes to doing my own rocks. I read a lot about rocks on the internet for days and finally guessed that slate at home depot was the safest rock type. am probably wrong. This type of slate was the only slate they had at this home depot. i will check other garden stores for other slate.

Unfortunately the quarries around where I live are only open M-F during my normal work hours.

I did find someone else who said they bought slate like this from home depot and just chiseled the glue off with a dremel tool. I was able to get 98% of the glue off with a chisel and hammer. I am now soaking it in hot water. i hope this will be good enough.


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## iwade4fish (Jan 5, 2009)

Dude, you live in NC! Look in the creeks, lakes, road side. Dig and you will find. Unless you're near the coast. Take a drive to the high-country, lots of perfect rocks up there. Got 300lbs or so myself from Linville area.


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## krfhsf (Dec 25, 2008)

I sell flooring for a living. Well it used to be a living, but thats another story. that slate is from china or India. Who know's what's in the glue. It's probably ok. you could get a ctn of slate and some nippers and just bust each pc with a hammer and nip out the edge. Kind of like it was tumbled. Then grind sharp edges down. i think the glue is just hot melt wax like from a glue gun but who knows?

this is the slate at HD.

http://emser.com/showroom/slate.html


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## Squidhead71 (Mar 17, 2005)

denierlexiese said:


> Thank you guys for the reply. I'm a newbie when it comes to doing my own rocks. I read a lot about rocks on the internet for days and finally guessed that slate at home depot was the safest rock type. am probably wrong. This type of slate was the only slate they had at this home depot. i will check other garden stores for other slate.
> 
> Unfortunately the quarries around where I live are only open M-F during my normal work hours.
> 
> I did find someone else who said they bought slate like this from home depot and just chiseled the glue off with a dremel tool. I was able to get 98% of the glue off with a chisel and hammer. I am now soaking it in hot water. i hope this will be good enough.


Use a putty / spackling knife as a chisel. I've done this for many different DIY projects. The problem with the slate tiles at HD is that they have a ton of iron in them, that's the reddish orange color. And as someone mentioned they are imported from china. About 10 years ago HD had veront slate tiles for a great price then they just disappeared. If you live in the Charlotte area, check Blue Max in Indian Trail. They are open Saturdays. Vermont slate is your best bet for slate in the aquarium, but is really hard to come by these days. This is the more solid colored stuff red, green, black etc. Granite is an option, it is inert. What fish do you have and what kind of rock do need? Large N.E. riverstones are great for a riftlake aquarium. They will usually buffer pH.


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