Shadowraven
Aquarium Advice FINatic
No problem loach.
Aren't Rocks....Just Rocks??
- Thread starter RooRoo
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Irish.OG87
Aquarium Advice Freak
Im curious, but what does the vinegar test on rocks test for? to check to see if its porous? Meaning its no good for an aquarium tank, right?
Mr. Limpet
Aquarium Advice Addict
Pigeonfood said:
It tests for calcium deposits. Porous rocks are ok (ie lava rock). Here's a good page on the what's & why's of testing rocks/gravel/etc.
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/termsandtables/f/outdoorrock.htm
Tim Wheatley
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2011
- Messages
- 1,342
The vinegar tests the acidity of the rock from what I understand. If you put acid on a rock which is acidic/neutral pH buffer itself you will get little/no reaction. If you get a reaction you know you have an alkaline (high pH, high buffer) rock.
Tim Wheatley
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2011
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That link seems a little too simple. It says to avoid Limestone, for example. Actually if you want high pH Limestone should be exactly what you put in your tank... I guess everything is subjective.
Mr. Limpet
Aquarium Advice Addict
IMHO, most people in FW want to avoid high pH, at least I do.
mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
But why? I have yet to figure out why people think pH is such a big deal. Don't take this the wrong way, I would just like to know. My pH has always been 7.8. Always. It has never been a problem. I never understood why the magical number 7 was so important.
Mr. Limpet
Aquarium Advice Addict
mfdrookie516 said:
Exaclty my point, why add an element that would jack your pH from 7.8 to 8.4 or higher. That's what SW keepers are looking for and I understand that. Mine is a rock solid 7.8 and don't want to mess with it going up. If anything I'd want something to lower it and I don't need that either.
Shadowraven
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Limestone is a carbonate rock which is an alkali. It reacts with vinegar since it is an acid. All carbonate rocks will react this way, but only they will.
Carbonate rocks can cause your pH/gH to rise when added to the tank. This is because your water very slowly dissolves them, releasing minerals into the tank. That is fine if you have fish that like a higher gH/pH, but not so good if you keep most tetras.
I know that is true because it happened to me before I knew better. If your pH/gH is higher already 8.0^, it won't make much difference. It will just help to keep your water more alkaline.
Carbonate rocks can cause your pH/gH to rise when added to the tank. This is because your water very slowly dissolves them, releasing minerals into the tank. That is fine if you have fish that like a higher gH/pH, but not so good if you keep most tetras.
I know that is true because it happened to me before I knew better. If your pH/gH is higher already 8.0^, it won't make much difference. It will just help to keep your water more alkaline.
Irish.OG87
Aquarium Advice Freak
Where I live the tap water is relatively hard, when i did my pH test yesterday it was at 8.2, so would these rocks not make a difference?
Shadowraven
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Since your water is already hard, it shouldn't make too much difference. Just make sure that you monitor it closely to see where it goes.
From my understanding of this, there are only so many solids that can be dissolved into the water at one time. The water will eventually reach a point where it is saturated and can't take up any more minerals. That is why coral and other carbonates can be used as a buffer to keep water hard and alkaline. The water will only get so hard from the small amount of minerals being dissolved at one time from our carbonate rocks, substrate and coral/shells. Fish living in that water tend to use those minerals for metabolization of nutrients. They will act as a "sponge" to take up minerals from the water.
The reason we advise against the use of this rock in most aquaria is that the water can get pretty hard. Too hard for many of our fishy friends who can't use these minerals in the same way hard water fish do. Some examples being most tetras and corydoras who would get sick if they were kept in water that was too hard. The fish we put into this environment have to be the ones who like it that way. Notable examples of which would be many cichlids, gambusia (livebearers) and brackish water fish.
BldrArch
Aquarium Advice Regular
I've got some sandstone laying in the garage I was hoping to build a cave out of and just do some general scaping with it...has anyone tried the "sterilization" method Shadowraven outlines using bleach? Just curious...I'd hate to boil it and have it go flying across the room (I've got a 21 month old toddling around LOL!).
WendiDell
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have used bleached once and it worked out fine. But the rinsing over and over to make sure all the bleach is gone is extremely important. On the last rinse I soaked the rock in Prime to make extra sure the chlorine was gone.
I don't know how it will work on sandstone, I know nothing about rocks, except that sandstone is porous and crumbles easily, and granite is very hard and Diamonds are expensive.
kurtyboh
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yeah I don't imagine sandstone lasting very long in an underwater environment with decent circulation
allaboutfish
Aquarium Advice Addict
my sandstones do perfectly fine (if you mean the kind baked from the sun from sand)
BldrArch
Aquarium Advice Regular
I'm in CO and am 10 miles from a sandstone quarry. It's used here to build everything! It's the red, heavily compacted type used in construction. Not sure if that makes a difference. I'll do a little more research. The most important thing is that it doesn't leach any other minerals.
kurtyboh
Aquarium Advice Addict
I am not a geologist but everytime I touch sandstone it leaves grains behind. I would fear after a period of time that it eould break down by the current created in the tank
allaboutfish
Aquarium Advice Addict
that doesnt happen to me after i boil them so maybe it's just sand hanging on to the rocks
BldrArch
Aquarium Advice Regular
Yeah....this stuff doesn't crumble at all...it's what they use to clad buildings with around here. It sort of reminds me of slate. In fact, here it is LOL! Chemical composition and all.
http://www.loukonenbros.com/page15.html
I know in further reading it's recommended as an aquarium stone 50/50. Mostly it's not recommended because of its possible mineral composition. I'm not trying to debate. I just find it interesting. I also don't mean to get off topic...
http://www.loukonenbros.com/page15.html
I know in further reading it's recommended as an aquarium stone 50/50. Mostly it's not recommended because of its possible mineral composition. I'm not trying to debate. I just find it interesting. I also don't mean to get off topic...
