# Calling all geologists (lots of pics)



## Fish_Time (Sep 5, 2007)

I found some rocks at a local landscape yard and am unsure if they are fish safe :-? I noticed they do have some rust stains on them and I am not sure if they have pyrite in them. I have several pics of the rocks, hopefully someone can tell something from the pics, I can take more pics at different angles if needed but I don't have access to a better camera if the quality is too bad  Any help would be greatly appreciated  I took some of the pics from the top and some looking at the sides that have breaks in the rocks so you can hopefully see the layers of the rocks.


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## demonsoni (Feb 10, 2006)

just dont use any with rust or shiny metals


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## naegling23 (Jan 4, 2008)

looks like fermica (i cant come close to spelling the word correctly though). It tends to be very brittle so I would think it would slowly just break apart in your tank. As for reactivity, im not sure, but I wouldnt trust it....I think its similar to marble which is reactive for whatever thats worth.


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## AnThRaXx (Apr 21, 2008)

ya nope srry but not really any of that id drop in the tank. im sure the pics dont do all the pieces justice but i know u can add sandstone / limestone, granite / river rock , and slate as well just make sure no crystals and no shale


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## barbarian206 (Apr 2, 2008)

those rocks are no good they all have some sort of metal and some look like they have glass no good for tanks :fish:


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## gunner36 (May 10, 2008)

I am not a geologist, but I did happen to really enjoy it in college and my mom is a rock hound. It has been a few years since college, first I thought maybe serpantine (which they made asbestos from), but it doesnt appear to fracture like serpantine would. It looks alot like ore that I used to see up in the rock piles at empire mine, and it looks like it has some quartz in there, so serpantine I dont think would have quartz in it. Something in those veins is rusting, it could be pyrite, I would use it for a rock wall or something but I dont think I would put it in my tank.


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## Fish_Time (Sep 5, 2007)

Thanks for all the replies, I guess I will have to go looking for different rocks this weekend. Unfortunatly rocks are the last thing I need before I put fish in my tank  Well better luck next time.


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## jcollette3 (Sep 7, 2005)

That is a metamorphic rock - it is a mica schist, cant make out the accessory minerals. When peletic rocks (former sediments from ocean basins) are smooshed onto continental margins as continents collide, the sedimentary rocks present get heated and pressurized until the original minerals present recrystalize. Your rocks were probably once sediments at the bottom of a fairly deep continental margin basin. Probably better off not using them - the orange is probably only iron staining from the breakdown of the micas, but better safe than sorry.


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## chillout (Jan 30, 2007)

oddly enough i bought some Granite from a local landscape yard and it has some of the same rust spots like you describe. I considered it being metal but there doesn't seem to be any metal, all i see is little crytals and rock. I have every intension on using them still but will test a few before i fill the tank I guess. Also I will note that I have driftwood with screws attaching them to the slate that are store bought and the screws get rusty but never affected my fish or tank a bit.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> screws get rusty but never affected my fish or tank a bit.


Rust won't harm fish and there's nothing wrong with using rocks with rust on them if you like them. Worst they can do, typically, is color the water.

See this article in the forum library Suitability of rocks in the aquarium


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## Fish_Time (Sep 5, 2007)

I decided to not use the rocks. I am going to go back to my original plan of feather rock. I just hope the feather rock doesn't hurt my fish.


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