Using slate

[Eoin]

It is my understanding that limestone can have the effect of lowering the pH of the water, but I was wondering if anyone knows whether slate has any effects?

 

[Fruitbat]

Slate should have no effect on the pH of your water. I remember the days when almost all aquarium bottoms were made of slate!!!

 

[tbonem91]

I got a bunch from a local landscaping company (about $26 for 5 or 6 large sheets) and broke it up, making several arches and ladges in my tank - it looks great! and I didn't notice any effect on water params at all.

-T

 

[lmw80]

I have slate in one of my tanks and water parameters always read aroud the same, with or without the slate.

 

[oscarbreeder]

Slate doesnt do anything to your water parameters.
I use several in my 180gal for the Oscars to lay eggs on.

 

[QTOFFER]

I remember the days when almost all aquarium bottoms were made of slate!!!

You're dating yourself, Fruitbat!
This weekend, I was in the oldest continuously operated lfs in New York City, according to the owner. Every tank in the store was circa 1961 - with stainless steel frames and slate bottoms. The glass on the 15 gal tanks was 1/2 inch thick - those tanks must weigh a ton empty!

 

[Fruitbat]

QTOFFER....

Just FYI....I got my first aquarium in 1963!! I'm so old that I remember when a rock band was five guys beating pieces of granite together outside the cave opening.

 

[madasafish]

LOL.

Typically, the most reactive rocks are evaporites and biogenically-created rocks (created by organisms such as snails, clams, mussels (by precipitating dissolved ions from the water) and then agglutenated and compressed over time). Some examples include salt (Halite), Gypsum and Limestone. Slate's simply a rock made by fusing tiny particles ("clay" particles) together. These clay particles come from the rocks that make mountains, such as granite, and accumulate and compress at a river's bed.

Just FYI.

 

[Eoin]

That’s great to hear. Slate occurs naturally around here, and I thought it would make for some nice decorations in my tank.

 

[madasafish]

Yep. It's the most reliable rock for aquaria, for sure.

"Caveat, rock hound", however...

In some cases small intrusions of other minerals and chemicals may form in slate and shale. I've heard of cyanide deposits, and have seen great amounts of iron deposits. Iron won't hurt your fish (I've used Iron-rich slate with no problems), but cyanide will. The chance of you finding cyanide-laced rock is very slim, so I wouldn't worry. But I had to mention the caveat anyway.

 

[poikilotherm]

A way to minimize the effects of surface coatings and mineral intrusions is to use rocks that you find submerged in water. These rocks will have had the chance to release most of the readily diffusible surface-available soluble compounds, and should have a lower chance of leaching harmful substances to your fish.

That said, I agree that slate in general is one of the safest aquarium rocks.

 

[deli_conker]

It is my understanding that limestone can have the effect of lowering the pH of the water, but I was wondering if anyone knows whether slate has any effects?

Limestone actually raises your ph. It doesn't lower it...