# red shale aquarium safe ?



## xshellx (Nov 26, 2011)

hi so im looking to get away from the fake plants and multi colour gravel i thought was a good idea when i started up i braved the wind last night to go hunting in the near by rivers and burns for some nice looking rock but came up pretty short due to the recent rain and hurricane force winds lol

Im wondering if red shale is safe to put in my aquariums after its been washed and bleached and the like ? Think i could do something with it so long as its not going to harm my fish.

Really hoping it will be ok as we have a couple huge bings 5 minutes down the road.

Thanks.


----------



## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Everything I've read says it's safe, but with some cautions. Here are a couple of sources of info.

Skeptical Aquarist - Kinds of Rocks

Suitability of Rocks

From the above article.

_Shale, the softer relative of slate, can sometimes present an unusual problem. Some shales contain a high percentage of organic matter. Even if they are hard enough not to crumble underwater, such shales can release hydrocarbons (petroleum) into water which will collect as an oily scum on the surface. Clearly, you do not want oil-shale in your tank. Most shale does not present this problem, but it is worth bearing in mind when you inspect water that rocks have been soaking in._


----------



## xshellx (Nov 26, 2011)

Thanks.

I have been looking around and getting mixed answers so decided to post in a few forums in the hopes someone could say they had used it with no ill effects. That helped alot though so thanks.

I think i'll head out in the next few days pick some up, let soak in water for a bit and hope that there is nothingon the waters surface :thumb:


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Part of the question comes from not knowing exactly what we all mean by shale. Rocks come in so many different types that there is no end. It is always good to let rocks like this stand in some plain water to see what might show up. Since oil and gas are around us in so many places, it is just prudent to look to assure ourselves that it is not there even if it is from a passing car. Most rock materials are totally safe but then we never know for sure what we may have dropped on them. With all the other efforts we put into keeping our fish safe, soaking a rock overnight to see what shows up is a pretty small investment to make.


----------



## scooby68 (Sep 27, 2013)

xshellx said:


> hi so im looking to get away from the fake plants and multi colour gravel i thought was a good idea when i started up i braved the wind last night to go hunting in the near by rivers and burns for some nice looking rock but came up pretty short due to the recent rain and hurricane force winds lol
> 
> Im wondering if red shale is safe to put in my aquariums after its been washed and bleached and the like ? Think i could do something with it so long as its not going to harm my fish.
> 
> ...


Hello, I'm new here, so just chiming in. Please let me know where you got your shale from? I used red/grey shale in my cichlid tanks for years.(8-10 yrs) It is my favorite rock, it does not break down over time, perhaps it gets a little softer, but for the most part it stays as it is and all my water parameters remained picture perfect and unaffected. I would definitely test for oil residual in the soak/test bucket to rule out any petro contamination. I never had this problem, but any new rocks will undergo scrutiny. It is an awesome rock that is lighter and more colorful than any slate I've seen, excellent platform for egg layers too, I bred many Brichardi, Jewel cichlids on this rock, they loved it. An advantage to it's relatively softness is that you can split it into thinner pieces and this makes for great layering if you like that look and it provides the tiniest of spaces for the newly hatched fry to hide.


----------

