# Need help with rocks



## Mtspawn (Aug 17, 2010)

Hi, I'm new to the forums and new to fish tanks. I just got a 55gallon tank from a friend and I have been collecting things to put in it. I was wondering if anyone can tell me if these rocks look safe to use.

Won't let me post images on first post so I'll have a followup

Thanks
Justin


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## Mtspawn (Aug 17, 2010)




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## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

No! They're upside down!

Just kidding. Not being a geologist I wouldn't hazard a guess based on some photos. But this article may help: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/rock_metals.php

kevin


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

No formal training on the subject either but I will throw in some things I've learned. One is that rocks are hard stuff. Most of them have been around for millions of years and many have been exposed to weather for hundreds or thousands of years without washing away. That to me means they will last far longer than I plan to have them in my tank without even beginning to deteriorate and put stuff into the water. There may be some rocks that would give off some minor amounts of pollution but those can be sorted out. A chunk of asphalt paving might look like a rock but be full of oil?? 
My method for judging rocks is to soak them in a bleach water bath overnight. I rinse the rocks and then air dry them totally before using them. The bleach brings out all kinds of theories about whether it is safe but it gives me a clean rock to put in the tank. After soaking I look at the surface of the water for any oily sheen. If there is any, I throw those rocks back. I never buy rocks or driftwood.


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## KiDD (Aug 20, 2010)

I would run them under a hose over a bucket and see what comes off them. Use high pressure if nothing happens I would think them setting in a tank will not take anything off them.


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## apex82 (Jul 16, 2010)

Get bigger and nicer rocks.... those are ugly... sorry


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I'm no expert on rocks either though I really like rocks, even as a kid I liked them :? so I have seen bigger and nicer rocks but I wouldn't call those rocks ugly. They look fine to me & also look like they would be fine in an aquarium. Just clean them good first. I use a toothbrush and hot water to give them a good scrubbing & remove dirt, then a soak in bleach water to kill any bad stuff, then a LOT of rinsing followed by another soak of water that's been treated with a good amount of dechlorinator .


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## lmhollist (Aug 7, 2009)

There's an article on this site that gives some pretty decent advice on rock collecting -

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/rock_metals.php

My boyfriend and I are fortunate in that both sides of his family farm so all we have to do is visit grandparents and then take what we need out of their rock piles. Granite, quartz ... all sorts of varieties. We always make a point to avoid any rocks that flake easily or are made of any chalky material.

When we get the rocks home we usually just soak them in plain tap water and then attack them with a tough-bristled scrub brush (we reserve this scrub brush for rocks only). After they've been scrubbed and air dried we eventually get around to adding them to whatever aquarium needs rock.


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## krfhsf (Dec 25, 2008)

The sparkling rocks look like mica shiste. I think they look good in a tank. I have about 600 lbs of it in some tanks over here.


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## tyhoward08 (Apr 23, 2006)

Hey Justin,

I was in your shoes a few months back so I thought I'd give my $.02. The article in the CF library gives you a a first step to understanding what effects we might expect from the use of different rocks in an aquarium. If you Google "safe aquarium rock" you'll find some other forums out there with similar articles. In the end these can not tell you with 100% confidence that what your using is safe. They will give some hints to help you with identifying the clearly acceptable and eliminating the clearly problematic rocks but in the end you'll have to determine for yourself whether you're comfortable using what you have. Rocks with a lot of rust coloring should typically be avoided. Additionally, rocks with large amounts of "fools gold" should be avoided. A definite first approach is to scrub the rocks and see what the clean rock looks like. Depending on how certain you want to be you can also enlist the use of Muriatic acid to test the rocks for harmful deposits. This can be had at any pool supply store for $5 but be careful as it is strong stuff. Lastly, your best bet is to put the rocks into your aquarium (assuming no fish) or a bucket of water measuring the PH before putting the rocks in and then a few days later to see what effects you might expect in your aquarium. It can become a bit of process, but if you get the end result or look that you're going for or it can all be worth it.

Good luck,
Ty


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