# How to clean river rock?



## Corey (Jan 4, 2008)

hello

Im wondering how to clean rocks i found nere my local river?

Thank you


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## lotsofish (Feb 28, 2008)

I boil them on the stove.


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## Corey (Jan 4, 2008)

THis might sound dumb but could they not explode? lol


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

If you throw a stone into a fire, there is a chance it will explode...

This is because as the rock heats up the water that has seeped into the rock through teeny tiny pores is now trying to rush out of the pores faster than the pores can handle and... boom...

When the rock is submerged in water the same temperature as the rock itself the pressures somewhat balance themselves and the rock will not explode...

That's actually a really good question and the only reason I know the answer is because when I was a kid, after seeing a rock explode in a fire, my father helped me do a science project on it. I didn't win first prize but I got an A 

I've boiled many locally collected rocks prior to using them in an aquarium... :thumb:


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## cc_woman (Jan 31, 2008)

I usually rinse mine off first and boil for 20 minutes. Then they are good to go :thumb:


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## rwolff (Mar 13, 2007)

why, the reason exactly, do you boil rocks?

im sorry, i just dont see it..
i just wash them and let them dry off completely before using them


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Boiling will kill any bacteria/parasite/etc that is on the rock...

Washing with a bleach solution will do the same thing... Soapy water will too, although not quite as thoroughly... I don't like either of these approaches because the bleach or soap can seep into the pores and not get rinsed 100%.

I believe anything more than washing them for 1~2 minutes with warm water is overkill 99.5% of the time... but it's worth it to me to take the extra step to avoid the .5%...

Itâ€™s only as hard as boiling waterâ€¦


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## rwolff (Mar 13, 2007)

hmm ok, i figured, but u said i right....overkill
cuz water living bacteria and parasite just dies off if its dry for a period of a day or two also, 2 days to make sure.

but that is what i usually do, just wash them and last sometimes i pour boiling water over it and let it sit for a few 3 mins and then pour the water off and let dry.
But i guess it all depends where u get the rocks out from.


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## scuba20v (May 28, 2007)

dishwasher! :lol:


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Funny,.... I just got back from taking the kids to look for some nice pieces.

I simply soak them in bleach for a day then I rinse,...rinse,... rinse,... and soak in some dechlorinator for another day and rinse,... rinse,... rinse.

When dealing with certain sizes, shapes and amounts its a pain trying to boil it. Just soak it.


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## CICHLUDED (Aug 4, 2006)

JWerner2 said:


> I simply soak them in bleach for a day then I rinse,...rinse,... rinse,... and soak in some dechlorinator for another day and rinse,... rinse,... rinse.


Ditto...


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## JenTN (Jan 11, 2008)

I used to be a member of another forum that had a sticky advising not to boil rocks. It said they can/have explode and have caused injuury and death. After reading that I do not attempt to boil rocks.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

I have never boiled or bleached a single rock . The most I ever do is give them a scrub with a stiff brush and rince them with tap water. For rocks that come from rivers and streams, I let them dry for several days then scrub them with a brush and water. Works like a charm, 100% of the time.

If your collecting rock from a source that makes you feel you need to boil or bleach them , you shouldn't use that rock.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

> If your collecting rock from a source that makes you feel you need to boil or bleach them , you shouldn't use that rock.


 :-?

I think the majority of us just like to play it safe and not reckless.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

It's hardly reckless. Reckless is using stone from a source that could possibly be contaminated with all sorts of nasty stuff , then bringing it home to use in your tank. All sorts of contaminants can persist in the rock despite our efforts to clean them. Rocks from public waters should always be avoided due to pollution . I have only used rock from souces that I could be certain were not polluted with industrial chemicals and from waters that could be considered clean and uncontaminated . To do otherwise would be reckless.
IMO It's better to get your Decor from sources you know are safe than to just pick up some rocks and then have to decontaminate them to make them safe for use. Like I said before if your are unsure about the source don't use the rock.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

OK so you get it from a pet shop right?

Well you know that place is clean so does that tell you that where ever they got it from was a sterile one =D> ?

The local creek that has lots of nice river rock does not show any signs of contaminants in it as far as pollution do to run off,..etc,..etc. Does that tell me that it is 100% safe from certain other nasties cause I know that no factories are near by that could be contaminating the water?

Of course if it is found in places that could contain chemical contaminants it should be left alone but do you take microscopes with you to see any bacteria ( or cyst that can live and stay dormant while dry ) that could cause any harm?

Not treating the rock regardless of doubt is stupid and reckless. Especially when it takes minimal amounts of effort and the items are free.

Point=proven and I could still go on.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

You could but you wouldn't be proving anything
.


> OK so you get it from a pet shop right?


 No , I get mine from an outcropping of stone on the side of a hill in north Texas . I know this source very well , it is not subject to petro chemical fertilizers, industrial chemical run off, has been out of water for the last 60 million years or so but has been submerged from time to time over the last 300 million. The worst thing on it is a little lichen that is easily scrubed off. The outcropping is on private property that has been in my family for more than 50 years and before that was a completely un developed tract that was part of a larger ranch. The worst thing this stone has ever seen has been a cow.


> Of course if it is found in places that could contain chemical contaminants it should be left alone but do you take microscopes with you to see any bacteria ( or cyst that can live and stay dormant while dry ) that could cause any harm?


 Under normal conditions It takes me so long to get around to any project that anything that could have been alive of any consequence on river rock I have collected ( which I almost never collect anyway) would have been long dead and naturally weathered off the rock hence going back to my original statement. 


> Not treating the rock regardless of doubt is stupid and reckless. Especially when it takes minimal amounts of effort and the items are free.


 This is still not neccissarily true. Would you boil or bleach a rock that had lain under the earth undisturbed unmolested and uncontaminated for millions of years only to see light of day as a result of you freeing it from the bed of stone it was in? This is all just a matter of personal preference in the end though. When it comes to MY fish I take every precaution but some things just aren't needed . My rock is safe to start with and only requires a minimum of cleaning. If yours takes more then it takes more . I stand by the statement that if you need major decontamination for your rock to be safe, then get different rock. If it's that bad you don't need it in your tank cause there are other options.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

You are one whack job buddy! :lol:

First the statement about the pet shop was not directed toward where you get yours from exclusively but in general and any sane person should agree that right there sets a good example why you should treat the rocks before adding them in.



> Under normal conditions It takes me so long to get around to any project that anything that could have been alive of any consequence on river rock I have collected ( which I almost never collect anyway) would have been long dead and naturally weathered off the rock hence going back to my original statement.


Your original statement is setting poor examples for someone asking a great question...lol!

How do you not understand that there are lots of organisms that can stay dormant such as bacteria regardless of the rock coming from rivers or dry land ,....like the ones we use as bio-filtration. The spores and cells are dry and then come to life when added to the water!!!!!!!! Of course those are good but what about the bad? Do they not exist on your families land or something?



> This is still not necessarily true. Would you boil or bleach a rock that had lain under the earth undisturbed unmolested and uncontaminated for millions of years only to see light of day as a result of you freeing it from the bed of stone it was in? This is all just a matter of personal preference in the end though. When it comes to MY fish I take every precaution but some things just aren't needed . My rock is safe to start with and only requires a minimum of cleaning. If yours takes more then it takes more . I stand by the statement that if you need major decontamination for your rock to be safe, then get different rock. If it's that bad you don't need it in your tank cause there are other options.


This one takes the cake! If I start it will take me all day to finish so I will just let everyone else including the OP decide on what is safe.

BTW how can you KNOW that it is safe when coming from a area that you do not supervise 24/7?

As I said in one of my statements. I think the majority of us like to play it safe and not reckless.


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## CICHLUDED (Aug 4, 2006)

JWerner2 said:


> Your original statement is setting poor examples for someone asking a great question...


This is true...

Is it bad or is it good? ... I can't tell by looking...Can you?

It's better to be safe than sorry...IMO

.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

You know*JWerner2* I'm thinking the same thing about you.


> BTW how can you KNOW that it is safe when coming from a area that you do not supervise 24/7?


 since there are family members that live on the property (mother and dather) so I'd say it's well supervised.


> OK so you get it from a pet shop right?


 sounds like it was pointed at me , I cant see how it could be taken otherwise.


> How do you not understand that there are lots of organisms that can stay dormant such as bacteria regardless of the rock coming from rivers or dry land ,....like the ones we use as bio-filtration. The spores and cells are dry and then come to life when added to the water!!!!!!!! Of course those are good but what about the bad? Do they not exist on your families land or something


 I understand this fully . The thing is the bad ones are extremely persistant and many times they cant be eradicated by the most extreme measures that we as hobbiest can take. The ones that exist on land , well those are a pain as they persist for decades and if you have them on your land you have much bigger issues than whether or not to boil your rocks.And no they don't exist on my families property . There has never been any case of that class of microorganism infecting any animal or causing any other type of contamination on that land. Ever. 
The big problem I have with what you say is that you insist that that there is only one way to do this . Yours. You seem to think that anything else is irresponsible. We both know that's not the case. To reasoning that everything we put in our tanks must be sterile is flawed logic because if that were true we would not have fish. Our fish (or more precisely the tanks they come from) are the biggest risk to our tanks and fish, not our decor. Should it be cleaned yes . Should it be put through a sterilization proccess first , not really . If it makes you feel better to do so then fine so be it .I on the otherhand have been collecting my rock from the same spot for 18 years and cleaning them the same way for just as long without issue.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Perhaps when you have a little more experience with this you will understand.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

You guys are too much 

Cleaning the rock is the safe way to goâ€¦ Boiling them works great and the rocks will not explodeâ€¦ Cleaning with a bleach solution also works just make sure you rinse them VERY wellâ€¦

There is risk involved with not cleaning themâ€¦ consider source of the rock and decide if youâ€™re willing to take the risk. I would never recommend that someone else take this riskâ€¦ but Iâ€™ve taken itâ€¦

Joel, itâ€™s great that you have a source for clean rock, but I believe the original question was much broader than this.

I must also agree that if you are concerned the rock may have industrial chemical contaminationâ€¦ you should not use it. Boiling isnâ€™t enough to clean chemical contaminationâ€¦ There are some that Bleach wonâ€™t help eitherâ€¦ and some that are likely to mix with bleach and become toxicâ€¦

Also, donâ€™t use quartzâ€¦ quartz often contain pyrite and pyrite contains arsenicâ€¦ There are other rocks that produce acids during their natural process of breaking down. (Google it before you argue it  )

But most are safeâ€¦


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

My point was not that you shouldn't clean the rock you add, just that it doesn't always require boiling or bleaching. If you think it's needed then do it .


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## Ruthiebaby88 (Jul 29, 2010)

Dontcha love how people will argue about ANything on the internet and make it personal! hahahaha


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

I bleach rocks from water sources to remove any organic matter, easily and quickly. It oxidizes most organic materials whether they be algae, parasites, or bacteria.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Joels fish said:


> You could but you wouldn't be proving anything
> .
> 
> 
> > OK so you get it from a pet shop right?


 No , I get mine from an outcropping of stone on the side of a hill in north Texas . I know this source very well , it is not subject to petro chemical fertilizers, industrial chemical run off, has been out of water for the last 60 million years or so but has been submerged from time to time over the last 300 million. The worst thing on it is a little lichen that is easily scrubed off. The outcropping is on private property that has been in my family for more than 50 years and before that was a completely un developed tract that was part of a larger ranch. The worst thing this stone has ever seen has been a cow.


> Wow, when did Texas get rid of it's pollution?


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Toby_H said:


> You guys are too much
> 
> I
> 
> Also, donÃ¯Â¿Â½t use quartzÃ¯Â¿Â½ quartz often contain pyrite and pyrite contains arsenicÃ¯Â¿Â½


Is silica sand not quartz? It was the last time I checked the NIOSH site on it.


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## AC (Jul 26, 2010)

Pyrite in quartz would be visible.

If ya can't see it, it ain't there.

Just sayin...

And yes, quartz is simply a silica.


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## AC (Jul 26, 2010)

Not all pyrite will contain arsenic either.

However, all sulfides will decompose in water if they are left in there in there long enough, so no sulfides should be used in an aquarium.


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## John27 (Jun 6, 2010)

Joels fish said:


> It's hardly reckless. Reckless is using stone from a source that could possibly be contaminated with all sorts of nasty stuff , then bringing it home to use in your tank. All sorts of contaminants can persist in the rock despite our efforts to clean them. Rocks from public waters should always be avoided due to pollution . I have only used rock from souces that I could be certain were not polluted with industrial chemicals and from waters that could be considered clean and uncontaminated . To do otherwise would be reckless.
> IMO It's better to get your Decor from sources you know are safe than to just pick up some rocks and then have to decontaminate them to make them safe for use. Like I said before if your are unsure about the source don't use the rock.


You are aware that rocks have been in existence since the beginning of time, and rivers, streams, the side of the road, whatever can contain parasites and other nasties that could harm your fish. In all honesty the rocks in your backyard could be fatal to your fish, you never know. It's easy, not very time consuming and necessary to at least rinse with hot water, I boil what I can and bleach/rinse what I can't, it's not hard and I KNOW it's safe, not just "pretty sure"

-John


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