Rocks for Aquarium

[richiestang_78]

So I want to redo the decor in my 30gal tall as the current one is alittle plain and old and want more of a natural look. Im still doing fake plants but have a rock issue, my LFS doesnt really sell any good rocks (Mostly just stupid round rocks) anymore and want to know where I can get some good rocks. I got these really cool red slate rocks there previously and I like how they look in my Little 10gal but would really like a black slate type rock and stack them into a rock formation with caves and plateaus.


I live by Lake Erie and there is plenty of smooth slate(not sure what kind) that wash up, are those ok? I figure I can break them to look alittle less rounded but just dont know if they are ok. Can someone point me to a website that shows what rocks are ok to use or a sugestion on where to find or buy them for a low price?

Me with my rock questions I know.

 

[SparKy697]

You must lick all rocks to test them :?

I went to a landscape/yard center and looked at what they had for rocks. I found some really cool rocks and paid something like $.15 per pound. That is much cheaper than any pet store I have seen. I think the basics are that you want to stay away from things like limestone and anything that will dissolve and add minerals to the water.

I have used granite, quartz, slate and even stones found on the shore of Lake Michigan. You are much more likely to find safe rocks than unsafe rocks. Find your rocks, take pictures and post them here. I'm sure that the group will help you figure it out.

 

[justrelax]

What Sparky said...

I got my blue slate from a local lawnscape place that sells all sorts of rock stuff. I paid about 10$ for a 50Lb piece, then broke it up into the shapes and sizes I wanted. Way better than the pieces my lfs sells for 4$Lb!!

 

[richiestang_78]

Alright Ill look there, I was thinking some sort of greyish slate with alittle black here and there. Never thought about a landscape place, what do I do to get them ready for the aquarium? Hot water and a good scrubbing? What kind of rocks will mess with pH so I can avoid them?

 

[JDogg]

You must lick all rocks to test them :?

not all rocks...

but Geology does require all you senses....

fore example: the Slate...breather very Hot humid breath on it, then smell it...it should NOT smell like dirt, if it does it is not full Metamorphosesed and may pollute your tank

 

[happygirl65]

You must lick all rocks to test them :?

not all rocks...

but Geology does require all you senses....

fore example: the Slate...breather very Hot humid breath on it, then smell it...it should NOT smell like dirt, if it does it is not full Metamorphosesed and may pollute your tank

Good thing we have some smart guys on here!

I got a lot of rocks/chips left over from ladscaping a flagstone walk then I took the smaller pieces and glued them together to form caves (pretty cool turnout) and added two large lava rocks. Everything combined did raise my ph from 7.0 to 8.0 but it stays really stable. And all of my fish and plants are thriving. So if you have some that you find, in addition to the tests mentioned here, you should soak some in a bucket overnight and test the ph before and after. That will tell you how it might change your tank pH.

 

[JDogg]

You must lick all rocks to test them :?

not all rocks...

but Geology does require all you senses....

fore example: the Slate...breather very Hot humid breath on it, then smell it...it should NOT smell like dirt, if it does it is not full Metamorphosesed and may pollute your tank

Good thing we have some smart guys on here!

I got a lot of rocks/chips left over from ladscaping a flagstone walk then I took the smaller pieces and glued them together to form caves (pretty cool turnout) and added two large lava rocks. Everything combined did raise my ph from 7.0 to 8.0 but it stays really stable. And all of my fish and plants are thriving. So if you have some that you find, in addition to the tests mentioned here, you should soak some in a bucket overnight and test the ph before and after. That will tell you how it might change your tank pH.

cool rock layout... do you have any extra rock chips? "Flagstone" is not a Geologic Term and I have seen lots of different rocks called flagstone... if you have an extra piece stry the vingagar test on it... try to crush up a piece to get a fresh surface and then put some vinagar on it, see if it bubbles, if it does i would get it out of the tank, if it was me... it will probaly continue to raise your PH

 

[hsherman1986]

i did not pay for any of the rocks i have in my tank, only the gravel and sand. All the rocks that i have used I have collected from my travels this summer. I have some rocks from Arkansas, New York, Washington, Florida, and Lake Superior. I haven't tested my ph recently, but the lfs told me it might be a little low when i took back a fish that died after a day. So I would assume it is lower than 7.0...hmm, kinda makes me want to test it now lol.

I washed all of the rocks really well, did the bucket test for ph, and the ones that passed, made it into my tanks.

 

[happygirl65]

You must lick all rocks to test them :?

not all rocks...

but Geology does require all you senses....

fore example: the Slate...breather very Hot humid breath on it, then smell it...it should NOT smell like dirt, if it does it is not full Metamorphosesed and may pollute your tank

Good thing we have some smart guys on here!

I got a lot of rocks/chips left over from ladscaping a flagstone walk then I took the smaller pieces and glued them together to form caves (pretty cool turnout) and added two large lava rocks. Everything combined did raise my ph from 7.0 to 8.0 but it stays really stable. And all of my fish and plants are thriving. So if you have some that you find, in addition to the tests mentioned here, you should soak some in a bucket overnight and test the ph before and after. That will tell you how it might change your tank pH.

cool rock layout... do you have any extra rock chips? "Flagstone" is not a Geologic Term and I have seen lots of different rocks called flagstone... if you have an extra piece stry the vingagar test on it... try to crush up a piece to get a fresh surface and then put some vinagar on it, see if it bubbles, if it does i would get it out of the tank, if it was me... it will probaly continue to raise your PH

Yes, I did the vinegar test on them before I put them in and some were freshly broken peices so I was able to get below the surface for the test and it did absolutely nothing.

I have tested my ph daily for the first two weeks, then weekly since (little over 2 months now) and have not seen any change. The ph is what it was at when I filled the tank. I realize that flagstone is more of a generic term for the way the rocks split into sheets/flag type peices when pulled from the earth and I harvested these rocks myself. It is quite an awesome area we live in.
I am confident that they are fine and I do continue to test my ph. I am also not entirely convinced that it is not the lava rock that raised the pH.

I did post before using them so that is how I knew to do the vinegar test.

I am sure I have lots of the rocks left but they are under 2 ft of snow right now.

 

[JDogg]

I am confident that they are fine and I do continue to test my ph. I am also not entirely convinced that it is not the lava rock that raised the pH.

could be i guess "lava Rock" too is not a real Geologic term... USUALY what people call "Lava Rock" is Scoria (a rock that forms from foam ontop of Magma Rich in Iron and Magnerisum...

 

[richiestang_78]

Ill probably buy a few small pieces of the ones I like then post them here to see what they are and if they are good or bad. I also might go to the beach and pick up some shale, is shale alright to use?

I foudn this website listing whats safe to use, is this list correct:

Safe Rocks:

* Crystalline Quartz
(Rock Crystal, Amethyst, Citrine, Rose Quartz, Smokey Quartz)
* Granite
* Jade
* Lava Rock
* Microcrystalline Quartz
(Jasper, Agate, Chalcedony, Sard, Carnelian)
* Onyx
* Petrified Wood
* Quartz
* Slate

Unsafe Rocks:

* Coal
(Commercially harvested coal is treated with an oil by-product to reduce dust)
* Coral
* Dolomite
* Fools Gold
(or any other rock with metallic veins--Acid Producing)
* Fossils
* Limestone
* Marble
* Sandstone

 

[JDogg]

Ill probably buy a few small pieces of the ones I like then post them here to see what they are and if they are good or bad. I also might go to the beach and pick up some shale, is shale alright to use?

I foudn this website listing whats safe to use, is this list correct:

Safe Rocks:

* Crystalline Quartz
(Rock Crystal, Amethyst, Citrine, Rose Quartz, Smokey Quartz)
* Granite
* Jade
* Lava Rock
* Microcrystalline Quartz
(Jasper, Agate, Chalcedony, Sard, Carnelian)
* Onyx
* Petrified Wood
* Quartz
* Slate

Unsafe Rocks:

* Coal
(Commercially harvested coal is treated with an oil by-product to reduce dust)
* Coral
* Dolomite
* Fools Gold
(or any other rock with metallic veins--Acid Producing)
* Fossils
* Limestone
* Marble
* Sandstone

list look good... Slate is Good...however SHALE (the un-metamorphosed, Parent Rock of Slate) will probabaly turn to mush/mud unless it is VERY well compacted...

 

[richiestang_78]

Alright forget the shale then, its just thats what washes up on the beaches here. I was reading somethign similar about that.

 

[richiestang_78]

Is Silicone the best to use for forming rock structures? I know to use GE Silicone I to do it since its Aquarium Safe or should I get some sort of expoxy and if so what brand and how much does it run?

 

[JDogg]

Is Silicone the best to use for forming rock structures? I know to use GE Silicone I to do it since its Aquarium Safe or should I get some sort of expoxy and if so what brand and how much does it run?

i would use this silicon, that is what i used to glue the rocks in my mbuna tank and it works well