# Safe Rocks? Please help!



## MikeM (Feb 8, 2009)

Tank is all set up, but I will be adding more rock of the same type (from the same location as well). I just want to make sure that these rocks are safe before I add the fish...the tank is cycling right now for a couple weeks and will hold ~15 Mbuna..



















I see a couple of, what look like, rust spots, are they okay?

Thanks for your input!


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## raggs715 (Mar 6, 2009)

do you know what kind of rocks they are????????

if there are rust spots should be OK just check water paremeters to make sure befor eyou add fish...

IMO you need to put a black backround up, just buy black poster board from the supermarket


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## MikeM (Feb 8, 2009)

Yeah, I was only home for the weekend so didn't have time to go get more rocks or a background. Both will be added before the fish are in there though ! :thumb:

I'm not sure on the type of rock, we got them from the edge of a huge ditch next to a Gravel-Quarry near my house....any ideas?


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## MikeM (Feb 8, 2009)

Anyone else have any thoughts?

Thanks everyone.


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## Malawidolphin (Dec 15, 2006)

I have some rocks that look exactly like yours, rust spots too. I have never had any issues with them in my tanks. I found the rocks at a lake nearby and all I did was scrub them well with a wire brush (no bleach, no boiling) and rinsed over a few times.


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## MikeM (Feb 8, 2009)

> I have some rocks that look exactly like yours, rust spots too. I have never had any issues with them in my tanks. I found the rocks at a lake nearby and all I did was scrub them well with a wire brush (no bleach, no boiling) and rinsed over a few times.


I followed the same procedure....

Hopefully they will be okay then, and they're really easy to find which is good because I need some more to build it higher.

Thanks for the help :dancing:


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## SeanF1979 (Apr 12, 2009)

I went to a local creek, and landscaping store. I started to bleach them but it was taking too long so I just rinsed them really well and stuck them in my tank. I've had them in many of my 7 aquariums no problems at all.


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## lucid_eye (Apr 12, 2009)

not to scare, or be the negative nancy
but there is always the possibility of chemicals leaching into the water, be careful. And at the first signs of trouble pull them out


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## CICHnes (Jan 30, 2009)

Did you test the rocks with vinegar. From what I've been told is if it fizzles, rocks are no good. I have a couple of rocks with what appeared to me metal flecks in them, but nothing happened when I put vinegar on them and I boiled them just in case for 30 minutes. I figure since they were going into my tank, I didn't want to take a chance in something as simple as rocks killing off my fish. Just wanted to put in my 0.02 cents. GL


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Those rocks look fine, Mike. Check out this article. Suitability of rocks. Rust won't harm fish. And the 'fizz' 
test only indicates whether or not the rock may buffer the water, not if the rock is bad. That's only a 'bad' 
thing if you want really soft water. For Africans, it'd be great.


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## MikeM (Feb 8, 2009)

> Those rocks look fine, Mike. Check out this article. Suitability of rocks. Rust won't harm fish. And the 'fizz'
> test only indicates whether or not the rock may buffer the water, not if the rock is bad. That's only a 'bad'
> thing if you want really soft water. For Africans, it'd be great.


Thanks for all the tips everyone. My water out of the tap is rated as "Very Hard" so I'm good that way, and I don't see any metal flecks in the rock, just a bit of rust spot.

Does anyone think that it's okay the way it is? Or should I build it higher?


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## frank1rizzo (Mar 14, 2005)

MikeM said:


> Does anyone think that it's okay the way it is? Or should I build it higher?


Looks good.

The only thing I would change is to make sure some of those larger rocks are resting on the bottom glass and not just sitting on the sand. Mbuna love to dig. You don't want stuff slipping and possibly trapping or hurting one of them.


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## MikeM (Feb 8, 2009)

> The only thing I would change is to make sure some of those larger rocks are resting on the bottom glass and not just sitting on the sand. Mbuna love to dig. You don't want stuff slipping and possibly trapping or hurting one of them.


All of the rocks were first rested on eggcrate (holes filled with sand) then sand filled in around the rocks...they're all pretty level-bottomed rocks, so I think I should be alright :thumb: 
I'll just have to be careful if building it up higher.

Thanks!


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## frank1rizzo (Mar 14, 2005)

Looks like your way ahead of me. :zz:


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