# Help with these rocks.



## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

I have some pictures here, i collected this lot from the beach. No idea wat so ever what any of them are, hopefully someone can help.

rock 1









rock 2









rock 3









rock 4









rock 5









rock 6









rock 7









rock 8









different view of rock 8









rock 9 - looks like slate??









rock 10









Please can someone identify if these may be safe in an aquarium, and what they are.
Thanks.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Pretty sure they're all rocks. :roll: 
Avoid anything that looks like it's rusting. The last one looks like a worn brick.


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

lol yea pretty sure myself, that last one is interesting i think.

Im going to boil them and scrub them and also steep them in hot water in the sink aswell.

Where are the rock experts on here?


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

They all look like rocks, and they all should be safe :thumb:

From a purely aesthetic viewpoint, I'd discard #9 and #10, simply because they look different. I prefer to have a more uniform look in my tank with all the same rocks, because it looks more natural.

In addition, the piece of slate (#9) is likely to have sharp edges that could injure the fish. It looks like it was used on a roof at some stage. #10 is a brick that had its edges rounded by being in the water for a long time. Essentially #9 and #10 are building rubble, that I wouldn't want in my tank, but beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

Thanks for that info mate.

Yea i collected them as i was curious to what they where.
All the rocks above look safe to me.

But i've posted over a number of forums and get advice from a lot of people.

Thanks again.


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## Anthraxx8500 (Feb 11, 2011)

anything with a metal flake appearance to the rock is also gonna be a no go. its going to obviously contain metals possibly harmful ones. i suggest a nice granite style boulder as its gonna likely be limestone/quartz base. also a few of the rocks u selected i wouldnt go near. 3,8,10 at the very least. well gl to ya. best place i find for rocks is glacial fed rivers. (idk how the uk works but lots of rivers here


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## shellies215 (Jan 7, 2011)

You don't have to worry about rocks that are a little rusty. oxidized metals are not harmful.


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

Why does everyone think they are then?


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## RRasco (Aug 31, 2006)

aaronjunited said:


> Why does everyone think they are then?


Cuz people oft repeat things they hear when they really dont know what they are talking about. This goes for all areas of interest, not just aquatics.


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## supadave1981 (Feb 2, 2011)

RRasco said:


> aaronjunited said:
> 
> 
> > Why does everyone think they are then?
> ...


this guy here knows his **** lmao i love that comment there :thumb:


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

i will happilly aggree with that comment, very funny too.
lmao.


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## Anthraxx8500 (Feb 11, 2011)

lol i really hope one of you gets some rocks high in copper or try using fools gold in your tank while ur at it. im sorry if you dont understand geology but thinking that any random metal in a rock is gonna ok is just stupid.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

I'd appreciate it if we could keep this factual and on topic so that this thread doesn't evolve into some mud slinging contest. I hate to close threads.

As far as I can see it, both sides have good points. Rocks high in minerals can leach fish toxins into the water, but not everything that's a little shiny will give your fish copper poisoning. I am no geologist either, just a humble chemist, but so far I can't see a single picture of a rock in this thread that looks even remotely like it contains minerals high in metal content. 1-8 all look like the same material, whatever it might be. 9 is a roof tile, and 10 is a brick. One can argue about the aesthetics, but I know plenty of people who use bricks in breeding tanks, because they easily stack up to form caves. I've never heard of them causing a problem.


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## randall495 (Feb 10, 2011)

ok #1 thru #8 are limestone rock, where i live there every where ky. they are all over the lake banks here


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

1-8 look like they belong in a cichlid tank. :thumb:

As for the type-all I can determine is that they're igneous. -Other than that....????
-Sorry, wish I could be of more help! LOL


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> anything with a metal flake appearance to the rock is also gonna be a no go.


That's a myth just like the 'no rust' thing. Avoid pyrite and you'll be ok. All those rocks are fine to use. Very, very few aren't.


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

Thanks people for the help, been told on another forum rocks 1-8 are granite.
Limestone has been mentioned too, either way i'l use granite or limestone anyway. As the rocks are for an mbuna tank.

Once agian thanks for the good help.


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## dtune21 (Dec 16, 2003)

aaronjunited said:


> Thanks people for the help, been told on another forum rocks 1-8 are granite.
> Limestone has been mentioned too, either way i'l use granite or limestone anyway. As the rocks are for an mbuna tank.
> 
> Once agian thanks for the good help.


Thats correct, they are granite and you can find them around drainage ditches and such. I have my 100g full of them and have used them for the past 8 years. They are safe for an aquarium.


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

Ok matey, thanks.


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