Rocks for my Aquarium

[nzpv03]

I found some nice rocks in my backyard that i would like to add to my aquarium...the only question i have is what i should to to prepare these rocks to be safely added to my aquatic community...i.e. cleaning etc... thanks in advance!!

 

[MSU Fan]

rinse really really well. boil if you can, bake if you can't, and then rinse again. If you have no other acids available, put some vinegar on the rock. If it starts sizzling, then you shouldn't put it into an aquarium. If not, then let it sun dry if possible (again, baking works), and then put it into you aquarium. Keep an eye on your PH and other levels to make sure the rock isn't affecting anything.

 

[Guest]

what does it mean if the rock sizzles from vinegar?

 

[fish_4_all]

Salts, carbonates, other nasty things. If the rock sizzles or bubbles it has things in it that will disolve in the aquarium and could either throw your chemistry way out of whack or worse, kill the fish.

 

[Guest]

Also, if you can post a pic of the rocks, there are many people here that can identify and tell you that they are safe.

what does it mean if the rock sizzles from vinegar?

There could be metallic substances that can release into the water and harm if not kill the fish. If it sizzles it can be a sign of high concentrations of calcium which will affect your water.

 

[nzpv03]

wow i never even thought of all that! i will get a pic of the rocks (they all look the same) asap!! thanks alot for all your input...so do i pour vinegar AFTER boiling?? or before i go through all of that??

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I'd rinse off any dirt first, then test. If all tests ok, then go through the process.

 

[nzpv03]

ohh okkk I will andkeep you updated! and my ph is pretty low..will adding these help raise it a lil??

 

[MSU Fan]

it could, however, I wouldn't actually plan on it. As I have learned from reading too many posts on this site, it's better to have a stable PH, than to have one at a target. So as long as your PH pretty much stays the same, you shouldn't have to worry about it. On the other hand, a constantly fluxuating PH can have disastrous effects on your fishy's healths.

 

[eah]

I've read that vinegar isn't always strong enough to be sure. What I did with some rocks I wanted to put in my tank was test with vinegar and then soak in a bucket for a few weeks to see if I had any PH changes. I tested the PH before and after and didn't see a change so I decided it was safe. So far, so good!

Good luck with yours.

 

[nzpv03]

oh ok that is also a great idea...I'll try that as well...i want these rocks but not in change for my fishes' lives!! OH yah I was not trying to reach a certain PH but thought if i had a natural way to keep up the ph permenantly i would give it a shot you know??

 

[nzpv03]

ok so i poured vinegar on the rocks...and they didnt sizzle or bubble...it was a very SLIGHT sss for a second and thats it...not a significant sizzle...what should i do?

 

[Guest]

All the rocks had a sss?

 

[nzpv03]

nope, one of them did...but no visual anything (does that even make sense) it just made a SOFT sss

 

[Guest]

I would cut out the one just to be safe. Just MO

 

[nzpv03]

i will heed that warning and get rid of it! Thanks for your help mike

 

[scalesojustice]

what is the best way to bake rocks? I'm horrible cook.

EDIT: on a serious side note, i did recently pick up some rocks and hope to add them to the aquarium (once i build the stand and fill it with water, so i have some time) and i have been researching how to clean them properly. Thanks!

 

[nzpv03]

so scales what'd you find out in your research? I scrubbed them and boiled them..

 

[scalesojustice]

basically, MSU fan spells it out in the second post, but i hadn't come across the baking idea before.

considering i have some time before my new tank is set up i was going to take my time (sun dry and let them soak in buckets with water tests while i get my tank together), but i figured i could throw baking into the mix just to be sure.

however, i'm sure if you took the time to scrub them and boil them you should be fine, as long as you didn't scrub them with some type of cleaning agent, other than water and vinegar.

 

[nzpv03]

lol i made SURE there was no cleaning agent on the brush! hey even if these rocks raise my ph to a higher but STABLE (because i know how important that is) level it would be ok since my ph is a little low right? Stable is the keyword here!