Safe to add boiled rocks to my fish tank?

[Bohte]

I've collected a dozen of great rocks to make caves out of from the beach. I was told if I boil them first they will be safe to put in my tank. Is that true? They are rocks from the ocean and I have a freshwater tank

 

[smomus]

Don't boil them. They could have air pockets that when they become super heated could explode!
I've read that if you put a drop of vinegar on the rock and it bubbles, don't use it. Otherwise scrub the crap out of it, then scrub some more. When you think it's clean scrub again!

 

[Convict2161]

I would advise against the boiling also. I've heard stories about rocks exploding. They have pours that hold gasses and when super heated they will explode. I'd just scrub them really really good. I've added tons and tons of rocks and never boiled them.

 

[Bohte]

Thanks guys. I will do the vinegar test, soak them, scrub them and soak them again.

 

[Convict2161]

Thanks guys. I will do the vinegar test, soak them, scrub them and soak them again.

No problem

 

[malfist]

The vinegar test can be done with any acid, the stronger, the more fizz. It's a test to see if the rock is a calcite (meaning formed with calcium carbonate) rock like limestone.
If you put a calcite rock into your tank it will slowly dissolve over the years. It's releasing calcium carbonate when it's dissolving, so it will act as a buffer, however it will make your tank have very hard water, which is probably a bad thing.

However, if you found them at the beach, they're probably not a calcite rock. If you found it in a place with a lot of sinkholes in the region (i.e. Kentucky) you're most likely to be in a karst topography, which means the bedrock, and most of the rock you find will be calcite.

 

[ashleynicole]

Ive soaked rocks in bleach water to sterilize them. Scrub, soak in bleach water. Rinse with dechlorinator, scrub again. Soak it in dechlorinated water, then let it sit dry for about 24 hours so any remaining chlorine breaks down.

 

[Convict2161]

Ive soaked rocks in bleach water to sterilize them. Scrub, soak in bleach water. Rinse with dechlorinator, scrub again. Soak it in dechlorinated water, then let it sit dry for about 24 hours so any remaining chlorine breaks down.

The only thing that scares me about bleach is a friend of mine did that and his plecos sucked on the rocks and died, so there must have been bleach still in the pores of the rocks.

 

[Steelhawke]

Ok, here is another option for you. Not sure how big the rocks are, but if they are small enough to put in the kitchen sink, place them there and posit the boiling water onto the rocks and let them soak that way. Keep adding boiling water to keep the temperature up for a while to kill off the germs and bacteria. Rice well then soak in a bleach solution. Then let them dry out real well, if you have the time and space, lay them outside in the sun so all the chlorine dissipates out. Good luck

 

[Minnesota-koi]

Don't use bleach. If anyone knows anyone that uses bleach for anything with fish tell them it is crazy dangerous for the fish. Bleach is almost impossible to completely clean off after using to disinfect something and also happens to be toxic. Don't use soap either for the same reason. My strategy is to scrub and soak scrub and soak.

 

[ashleynicole]

The only thing that scares me about bleach is a friend of mine did that and his plecos sucked on the rocks and died, so there must have been bleach still in the pores of the rocks.

well Ive never had that happen, I usually pour dechlor right on whatever item I bleached and then rinse really well. Scrub again in dechlorinated water and as was stated, let it sit for 24 hours or longer before putting it in the tank. Do not put it in the tank directly after rinsing. You have to let it dry out first so all the chlorine breaks down. Sitting it out in the sun helps too

 

[ashleynicole]

Don't use bleach. If anyone knows anyone that uses bleach for anything with fish tell them it is crazy dangerous for the fish. Bleach is almost impossible to completely clean off after using to disinfect something and also happens to be toxic. Don't use soap either for the same reason. My strategy is to scrub and soak scrub and soak.

Bleach is the perfect disinfectant because it can easily be removed with dechlorinator. they put chlorine in tapewater, that's why you have to buy a water conditioner.

 

[Minnesota-koi]

Bleach just must be too hardcore for this guy. Stuff is scary, one drop can sanitize an entire pool.
One tip on soaking, soak in full sun. I feel the sun rays speed the process, especially if trying to get wood to sink.

 

[Soccerfish]

I use bleach to clean lots of my fish things. I just use regular bleach, not ultra. then i simply soak in water with water conditioner in it (extra of corses, and after i scrubbed them) then if they don't smell like bleach they go into the aquarium, or if I'm unsure/still smell it i rinse then off tap water and set out- in the sun if its sunny. for over night or 24 hours

 

[ashleynicole]

Bleach isn't scary, you swim in it. Drink it in tapwater and it is even used in wound care as something called "dakins" solution.

Don't soak things in straight bleach. You just need like a tablespoon in a sink full of water to disinfect. A little goes a long way.

 

[Minnesota-koi]

Ok ok ill back off the bleach being bad. It's good you have all had success with using it instead of an failures. I just know there are other ways that don't include something that if you don't get it all off will kill your fish.

 

[Natetrix]

I've always been told no bleach!!! But to each their own

 

[Natetrix]

Plus, you can easily use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to sanitize and you don't have to worry about possibly killing off your whole stock

 

[Natetrix]

Oh and one more thing, I'd rather only have to use one product for sanitizing, rather than having to dechlorinate everything with water conditioner after using bleach.

Even then, the chances of bleach being trapped in porous rocks isn't worth losing my fish.

 

[Minnesota-koi]

Oh and one more thing, I'd rather only have to use one product for sanitizing, rather than having to dechlorinate everything with water conditioner after using bleach.

Even then, the chances of bleach being trapped in porous rocks isn't worth losing my fish.

That's what I was trying to say but much more educated like. Ha