Coating outside items

[BalaGuppieGirl]

I received as a gift real lava rock with quartz gems in them. I LOVE this beautiful and rare gift but it is causing ammonia levels. Is there a way to coat these rocks so they are safe for my tank like clear marine Epoxy?

 

[Delapool]

That's quite odd. I can't figure out how the lava rock (which I assume is volcanic) or the quartz gems would cause ammonia levels. Neither of those rocks should be an issue.

Have the quartz gems been placed in the rock or are they part of the rock?

Vesicular basalt with zeolight is all I can think of that may be an issue.

http://www.netartsbaytoday.org/assets/images/Vesicular-basalt-1.jpg

 

[BalaGuppieGirl]

The gems are there naturally. I was told by the person who gave it to me that it is quartz and that he has no issues with them in his own tank but my fiancé and I placed one rock in a bucket of water that tested with no ammonia and within 3 hours the ammonia was at a .5 level when retested.

 

[BalaGuppieGirl]

We also tried boiling the rocks and retesting and still tested with ammonia levels.

 

[Delapool]

Are the gems soft or hard? I.e. can be scratched with steel? Quartz will be really hard.

If the lava rock is dark coloured then quartz is less likely.

All I can think of is zeolite which can absorb and release ammonia under certain conditions. A bucket of salty water may sort them out if this is it.

Example below:

http://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=562#.VRazsO0azCQ

 

[Gillie]

I have a hard time believing the rock itself would be causing a rise in ammonia levels. Ammonia is an organic byproduct. I would test the tap water for ammonia, then fill a bucket, add the rock and test the water again in a few days. If the rock was found outside there may be something trapped in it somewhere that may be rotting and causing the ammonia.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Delapool]

That could make sense. Would be handy to know if it was picked up off the surface or was chipped out of a railway cutting or something where it could be fresh rock. Intriguing!