Fake rocks ???????

[Vnessa123456]

I bought some black smooth rocks at Petco after I read that my Hillstream loaches enjoy sitting on rocks. (I live in an urban area with no streams. I suppose I could have gone rock hunting but oh well.)

I have just noticed something odd going on with one of the rocks. It looks like it's dissolving, and it looks like there is some weird stuff in the middle or the rock. Do you think Petco is selling FAKE ROCKS??

This is really weird to me. Do you think the fake rock is harmful to my fish?

 

[tarpon]

Hmm...were they marketing them for aquariums? Is it dented in on the white spot? Idk if you did built its important to boil a rock and do the vinegar test before putting it in a tank. How long has it been in your tank?

 

[jsoong]

I doubt that it is fake ... rocks are too cheap to copy! <And fake plastic/resin rock don't dissolve.>

This is possibly a sedimentary rock, with varying composition (veining & inclusions). If you have soft (or acidic) water and those veining is carbonaceous, then it can dissolve into the water.

You can test that by dropping some acid (vinegar or muriatic acid, or CLR) on the spot, if it bubbles & dissolve, then it is a sign that the rock is carbonaceous.

Rocks dissolving into the water will increase the KH & pH. Why don't you check the water & compare that to tap & see if there is a difference. A small amount of CO3 dissolving into the water should be OK, but large pH change might cause problems if you do large pwc with tap water as there will be a pH swing which might stress the fish.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Did you wash the rocks before putting them in? Like jsoong said it could be mineral content, but it could be something from the processing too.

 

[Vnessa123456]

They were rinsed off, not boiled or vinegar tested. I bought them from PetCo so chances are they are just cheap. Does anyone know a place I can purchase good rocks for the aquarium? I definitely need them to keep my 6 hillstreams happy.

 

[HUKIT]

Why buy rocks when they're sitting outside on the ground waiting to be picked up, go to a creek, down by the lake, or a local park...they're everywhere and they're free.

If your not interested in doing that then go to a local landscape supply and they'll have lots of options for pennies on the pound not five dollars a pound like the LFS.

 

[reefdiver]

don't go to a park since they may have pesticide or other chemicals but
Hukit is on point