# How do you guys get rocks for your tanks?



## jeff12 (Oct 21, 2011)

I like the rocks stacking in an aquarium but I've thought that river rocks, rocks that you get randomly, or rocks from the hardware store aren't safe to put in a aquarium. So I go to my LFS in search for rocks, there pretty expensive for a single piece.

So do you guys clean them a special way before you put them in the tank?

And is limestone ok to put in a tank?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I get mine in my yard, but not in any of the areas that are cultivated to avoid the chance of pesticides. You can buy rocks inexpensively at a landscape supply.


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## jeff12 (Oct 21, 2011)

And they won't have any poison or affect the water or aquarium?


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

You can soak them in a bucket of water/bleach, 10:1 for 24 hours. Drain, fill with water, drain, then fill with water and a double dose of dechlorinator and let sit for a further 24 hours.
I got my last batch of rocks from a drainage ditch. Limestone is fine, some prefer it.


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## Mr.Dempsey (Jan 4, 2012)

Who told you this stuff, hope it wasn't the LFS, sounds like something they would do. I've gotten all my rocks for local creeks and lakes, same goes for alot (90%) of the driftwood in my tanks,yes you "should" clean the rocks before you put them in your tanks but really about the last 100 Lbs of rocks *** moved through my tanks were just rinsed off at the most before they got put into my tanks.


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## Woundedyak (Oct 19, 2007)

What they said ^^^ I got all mine from the local creek. Hit them pretty hard with the power washer and in the tank they went!


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## jeff12 (Oct 21, 2011)

Mr.Dempsey said:


> Who told you this stuff, hope it wasn't the LFS, sounds like something they would do. I've gotten all my rocks for local creeks and lakes, same goes for alot (90%) of the driftwood in my tanks,yes you "should" clean the rocks before you put them in your tanks but really about the last 100 Lbs of rocks I've moved through my tanks were just rinsed off at the most before they got put into my tanks.


I don't think that I heard it from them, I actually don't know but I always had this reasoning that stuff in lakes and are bad .


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

If stuff in lakes are bad, then how do fish live in them?


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## jeff12 (Oct 21, 2011)

I found some rocks at my hardware store, their river rocks but there pretty heavy. Will it weight less underwater?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Your tank can hold any amount of weight...even if you fill the tank completely with rocks and stand on top. Don't worry about the weight for the glass.


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## badspellar (Oct 14, 2009)

Although tanks can hold the weight, it's good to be careful loading them it. Placing rocks vs tossing them in.


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## jeff12 (Oct 21, 2011)

And about cleaning them. Should I bleach them? I dont want to risk getting bleach into the tank. Or a boil would be fine?


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

If stuff in lakes are bad, then how do fish live in them? metricliman said as stated above..........
i like his theory, i got mine from a river and local landscape supply that was sitting out in the weather for who know how long.
a strong rinse and scrub and rinse again and in the tank they went.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I guess it depends on whether the lake is polluted. Africans come from pristine lakes and we like to think the hobbyists who have been keeping them or raising their fry since capture are doing the same.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

jeff12 said:


> And about cleaning them. Should I bleach them? I dont want to risk getting bleach into the tank. Or a boil would be fine?


Using a ratio of 20 parts water to 1 part bleach is plenty, just don't use scented bleach. Simply rinse really well a couple of times, then a quick soak in water with a double dose of your favorite dechlor agent will take care of any residual chlorine.

The reason I do this is to avoid bringing in any foreign objects such as snail eggs or other critters with my rocks.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Yes the advantage of using bleach is you always have dechlor.


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## Hock (Mar 23, 2012)

Theres a landscaping place not far from me that got some natural holey rock that was like $1.25 a lb. It wasnt pristine or anything, but looked like coral and once cleaned up looked pretty great imo.


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## jeff12 (Oct 21, 2011)

My LFS sells rocks for $1.50 a pound and that depends on the rock. I thought that was expensive so I went to hardware store.

$1.50 a pound...no way...rock is like 10 pounds.


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## lapue (Dec 29, 2012)

Ok this is where i get my rocks. We have a dam a couple of miles away form me i got and just get rock for their. The rock that i pick up are big peaces of slate probly 20-30lbs each and then break them on site to desired size. After i get home i usaly soak them in a salt water treatment instead of bleach for about a day or so to be on the safe side and i use a lot toothbrush to clean them off. I have probably atm waiting to go in a 55 gal a bout 200-300 lbs of slate that i will stack in the tank. If you get rocks out of a steam they are good if you do not get them down steam from a treatment plant or farm run off but besides that you should be good to clean and just place i take a steam to salt bath as a percussion.


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## Ondapre (Dec 8, 2012)

nodima said:


> jeff12 said:
> 
> 
> > And about cleaning them. Should I bleach them? I dont want to risk getting bleach into the tank. Or a boil would be fine?
> ...


yes I did this myself though my ratio was a little higher 12/1 ratio. It is best to probably use a bathroom shower tub and have them sit in there. I let them soak for 10 mins in the bleach solution and the another 10+ mins with just water and then I rinsed them heavily.

I got my rocks for my fiancees' mom's house along the bank of a stream. nicely rounded rocks and I tested them all for metals.


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## bluejack23 (Jan 23, 2012)

I agree. Some of my permanent aquarium rocks are bleached regularly.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

I get my rocks from the shore of Lake Ontario. A good soak in a strong bleach solution and they are good to go after a good rinse. The bleach will burn off any (most) organic residues that may be on the rocks. Bleaching is a lot simpler than boiling.


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