I found rocks outside, can they go in my tank safetly?

[Guest]

Hi All,

I have wondered about this for a while. Tonight I found about 10 nice smooth rocks outside. I really want to make some caves out of them.

What can I do to make them safe for my tank. I have heard of boiling, but I have also heard of them exploding. Any opinions?

While we are on this subject, what if I search and find an awesome branch that looks very natural and would look nice? Can I do anything to it to make it safe. I would think wood would be harder than rocks, but I have no knowledge on this.

 

[Guest]

I've used rocks that werent sold in a pet store or rather labeled for aquarium use before with no disastrous effects. However there are some rocks that probably wouldn't do so good. The ones I found looked like old pieces of granite and others were flagstone but all I did was wash then pretty good so that no dirt or debris was left on them. Another rock I was debating on using was quarts. Got tons of it out here in the desert, but never got around to doing it. As far as the wood goes have no idea, but you should probably boil that IMO. HTH Maybe someone else will chime in. I do remember a thred awhile back that talked about the same subject and there was actually someone who new about geology, just cant remember the name!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Depends on the rocks. If you posted a pic of them, we might be able to give a definite answer. As for quartz, no problems at all. I have white quartz in my 55G. Doesn't affect water parameters at all. Granite is another good rock for the aquarium, as well as slate. I wish I had a better selection of quartz here, would be a lot you could do with it.

To prep the rocks, just put a pot of water on the stove til it's really boiling hard. Can even put some salt in it. After it's boiling hard, take it off the stove and drop the rocks in and leave sit for 15-20 minutes. Will be good then.

 

[joannde]

The only potential problem with rocks is that some contain metals which would be harmful to the tank, which is why LWB asks for photos. Some people have said that if you put vinegar on it and it "sizzles" that it means you can't use the rocks since it indicates metals - others have said that vinegar might not be a strong enough acid to do this test.

If you can get a pic then I'm sure someone will be able to recognize the type of rock and let you know if it may have metals.

 

[newfound77951]

If boiling rocks doesn't sound like fun, then you can also bake them in the oven at 250 or so for an hour. Put them on a cookie sheet, just remember they'll be super hot for a while when they're done! That's what I did with the beach rocks I have in my tank.

Since you're from Mass., most rocks that you find are likely to be OK for your tank, but like a few other folks mentioned, if you can post a picture that would be great...I should be able to figure out what the rock is and if you can use it. Most rocks in the northeast are granite or slate/shale which are fine for fishtanks.

As far as wood goes, are you thinking of a live branch from a tree or a piece of driftwood? I would not recommend using a live branch, unless you are patient enough to wait for it to completely dry out, and get all the bark off of it. If the wood is already dead and thoroughly dry, then you should boil it several times (or pour boiling water over it if it's too big) to kill anything living on it and to leach out any remaining tannins. Boiling will also help it sink faster. Do not use any wood that has soft spots as it will continue to rot.

 

[justrelax]

lol... i just have to comment here that if my wife ever came home to find me boiling or baking rocks i think i would have a divorce on my hands! j/k, but seriously, the strange things we do for our fish...

 

[Burks]

I've added slate from our backyard to my tanks before. Just boiled it for about a hour (probably overkill but better safe than sorry). Never had a problem with them changing water parameters or hurting fish.

 

[Guest]

All the rocks gravel wod in my 75g a str8 from a river not 20mins from my home. I just washed with blech and hot water then raised and added to the tank. Been in there over 2yrs with nothing going wrong And no this is not the same tank fish where dying in. LOL

 

[tropicfishman]

you can boil them, but be careful some rocks have been known to blow up under the heat of boiling

 

[hc8719]

although i didnt cook rocks before i put them in, outside rocks worked for me, if you want to build a cave, get some aquarium glue from petsmart ($5) otherwise, the rocks although may seem steady for days might collaspe randomly...squishing anything underneath