# Are these rocks aquarium safe???



## natedgg (Apr 9, 2011)

Hi all,

Just got done cleaning up some new rocks that I'd like to add to my mbuna tank. Does anyone see any rock here that concerns them? Can anyone ID the rocks in the 2nd or 3rd picture? Also, is picture #4 a rock with rust forming? It seems to be to me and I'd love a second opinion.









my favorite rock!









have no idea what this rock is?!?









is this rust?









Thanks in advance!


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## Anthraxx8500 (Feb 11, 2011)

only thing in my humble opinion to steer clear from would be rocks with a bit of metallic flake in them. (quartz is obviously ok) just metal u wanna avoid. excess iron or copper can be bad for fish (rather be safe then sorry) other then that those rocks look good.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

They all look fine. Don't worry about the rust spot. See this article in the forum library.


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## natedgg (Apr 9, 2011)

Thanks for the quick replies guys!


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## natedgg (Apr 9, 2011)

AHHHH.. this quote from that article you posted prov just set my mind at complete ease.... just in case  thanks again!

"In water of neutral or alkaline pH heavy metals normally remain locked into such compounds and remain inert."


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

I use many rocks that have metal flakes all through them. fmueller and I were talking about that one day. If I posted pics of them here, everyone would be telling me my fish would be dead soon. Most rocks are really perfectly fine.


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## natedgg (Apr 9, 2011)

Thanks guys, got them in the tank and they look pretty good!


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I'm thinking we are something of a paranoid group as a whole. Maybe it is just so hard to get a tank started and get comfortable dealing with all the small problems, that we forget some obvious points. There are lots of fish in the lakes in Minnesota. There is also a lot of iron ore around there. I know it is a matter of dilution but then there are other things that make me wonder if there is much to worry about metal in the tank. Like all those people who used screws to hold rocks to wood for all those years. I still do. Old filters had lots of metal parts in the water before plastic came on so strong. I'm thinking the worries may be largely overblown considering how much water changing we do.


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## natedgg (Apr 9, 2011)

I think when it comes to personal investment, we do tend to worry a bit much. Once you have everything just the way you want it, you want to insure yourself I guess, by eliminating risk. Even though it might be a 1 in 1,000 or even 1 in 10,000 chance...

I have a spare sitting around. Perhaps I'll set it up with some platties or mollies and throw random rocks in... see how long they make it!  Watch it be the most stable tank I'll ever set up!


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I don't think anybody put forward a name for the rocks as you asked. Looking at pictures is pretty iffy in rock ID but I would say they are igneous. That just means they are made up of various rocks which have been melted and mixed together rather than formed from a single sediment. In your area much of the rock would be granite or marble. They both come in a multitude of colors and textures. If you tire of them as fish decor, you might turn them into tiny little counter tops??


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## natedgg (Apr 9, 2011)

:thumb: I'll keep that in mind PfunMo! Who knows, someday people may want tiny counter tops in their aquascapes!


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## skwerl (Mar 2, 2011)

I have thoroughly enjoyed this post. Little countertops... LOL! By the way if you need any free mollies I have at least thirty 0.75 - 1" juvies, free to good home.


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## natedgg (Apr 9, 2011)

If I'm in NYC in the next couple weekends I'll take you up on that offer skweri


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