are these rocks safe?

[ellzmabob]

i'm looking for some large rocks for my freshwater axolotl tank and came across these on etsy. it says they can be for aquariums but would they be safe?

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/473291718/beach-rocks-river-stones-1-lb-natural?ref=related-7

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/473...search_query=aquarium rocks&ref=sr_gallery_19

 

[Delapool]

Hi, they look ok. Might be some limestone ones in there, hard to tell. Did they say where collected or the rock type at all?

 

[ellzmabob]

Hi, they look ok. Might be some limestone ones in there, hard to tell. Did they say where collected or the rock type at all?

it just says "from the banks of Sandy Creek, Texas"

i can ask her what type they are but she just says they are collected from near her home

i hope they arent limestone i don't want to raise my ph at all

 

[Delapool]

it just says "from the banks of Sandy Creek, Texas"



i can ask her what type they are but she just says they are collected from near her home



i hope they arent limestone i don't want to raise my ph at all

Hmm, tricky! You could ask her to try putting vinegar on them to see if any fizz perhaps.

Over here it would be rare to get limestone rocks from a creek bed (unless a large area of limestone country which she would hopefully know). Bit of a punt but most creek rocks will be harder sedimentary or volcanic to survive being rounded. So I'd think you would be ok (er, unless not ).

 

[ellzmabob]

Hmm, tricky! You could ask her to try putting vinegar on them to see if any fizz perhaps.

Over here it would be rare to get limestone rocks from a creek bed (unless a large area of limestone country which she would hopefully know). Bit of a punt but most creek rocks will be harder sedimentary or volcanic to survive being rounded. So I'd think you would be ok (er, unless not ).

apparently they are all limestone. she didnt know that until i asked about it.
what do you think about these ones?
All Natural Granite Stones , Hand picked from
the North Shore Of Lake Superior

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/386..._search_query=aquarium rock&ref=sr_gallery_36

 

[Delapool]

Ouch!!

These latest ones look better to me. I'd agree on the granites where I can see the speckled pinks and blacks. Maybe some other similar intrusive rocks in there as well.

 

[ellzmabob]

i got these 3 rocks for free but i dont know what ones they are? are they quartz?

 

[Delapool]

Hard to see - maybe some individual little crystals in there. They don't look like quartz. They look chalky but I assume hard rock and no reaction to vinegar? Guessing either quartz or light coloured intrusive rock.

 

[ellzmabob]

Hard to see - maybe some individual little crystals in there. They don't look like quartz. They look chalky but I assume hard rock and no reaction to vinegar? Guessing either quartz or light coloured intrusive rock.

yeah vinegar didn't do anything i've just been soaking them in boiling water
do you think they are granite?

also do you think i should soak them for a couple of days or over night? i've been scrubbing them with a toothbrush for ages and they seem to be as clean as i can get them.

 

[Delapool]

Look pretty clean to me. I think overnight would be fine.

They're not what I would call normal granite as don't have the pink minerals but possibly some sort of granitoid rock. Maybe of quartz and orthoclase feldspar (no mafic minerals or plagioclase) but just guessing there (most of my work is computer based now).