Is the following True 0r False???....

[enphared]

I read on a website the following and wanted to know if it was true before i tried it because i dont want to harm anyone...



How do I make rocks safe for my fish?
Many people enjoy having rocks in their aquariums, and for many reasons. One, they make for a very natural look and setting, not only for your guests and family to enjoy, but also for your fish. Two, rocks create a great environment for many kinds of fish to create territories and hiding places. But a major down set on creating a rock environment is that rocks from your local fish store can be very expensive when your buying in large amounts. So, if you can find rocks where you live, or while your on vacation, you can create a beautiful environment for your fish and enjoyable display for your friends and family at almost no cost. But be sure that you follow the following steps very carefully before adding the rocks to your aquarium.

Find a pot big enough to hold at least a portion of your rocks.
Fill it no more then half-way with water.
Place the rocks in the water so that they are completely covered by the water.
Now bring the water to boiling for at least 2 minutes.
Once the water has been boiling for at least 2 minutes, remove the rocks and check to see that the water is not cloudy. If the water is cloudy repeat steps 2-5. Once the water is know longer cloudy move to step 6.
Rinse the rocks off.
And finally, the rocks are now ready to be added to the aquarium.
Please be sure that you NEVER USE SOAP when you are dealing with aquarium items


true or false??

 

[loganj]

That would work OK for rocks that were just dirty I guess. Some rocks will raise the hardness in the tank as they slowly dissolve. Any type of aragonite would be an example of this. I suspect that limestone would cause similar problems. Some rocks can have metal deposits that can leach into the water also. I don't know any way to absolutely guarantee that a rock is safe for the aquarium. One way to determine whether it is likely to affect pH is to put some white vinegar on it. If the vinegar fizzes, the rock will probably afect pH and hardness. If not, it's probably OK. If you see any bright specks in the rock...possible metal deposits...I wouldn't use it. Sorry I can't be of more help, but this method has worked for me for 20+ years.

 

[Jack]

I would check on-line pricing. You can likely buy in bulk for a decent price. I know you can buy dry baserock pretty cheap (about $50 for 50 lbs.).

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

I took rocks from outside and soaked them in very hot water in the same way you would continually soak driftwood, worked fine, no problems.

 

[Stephanie]

I've had rocks in my tank for years. I found them outside (I live in a hilly area). They look like granite or something similar. I boiled them in a big pot and haven't had any problems.

 

[loganj]

Granite is OK...wont affect the pH. Most of the dry base rock you'll find online will either be aragonite or some other type of calcerous rock. You don't want to use this in a FW tank unless you are housing african cichlids. I would not put any rock in a FW tank without doing the vinegar ( or any weak acid) test on it. JMHO.

 

[TankGirl]

What I did was put my river rocks (tested with the vinegar first, no fizzing) in a fire pot outside, or it could be done in the fireplace. I basically cooked the rocks in the fire, right on the ashes, to be sure I was killing everything, because I did not have a pot big enough, and no patience to boil one rock at a time. Then I put them in the tub and rinsed the heck out of them, with a bit of scrubbing with a clean brush. I did not have any trouble doing it this way, and have had no problems in that tank. My tank ROCKS!