help me identify this rock?

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ultimatedc

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Apr 11, 2011
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124
Just wondering if its safe for use. I poured vinegar on it and it didn't bubble but a few chunks of it I had kinda crumbled. I think its mudstone but I hope not as I have a lot and really want to use it.
 
Here's pics.
 

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Well I had it boiling all day but idk if it'll break down or release any metal or calcium..
 
I just really want to be sure its safe by knowing what kind of rock it is. Vinegar is a very low acid concentrate and not the best way to test a rock.
 
Well, there's a risk you take for putting any rock in an aquarium. It looks sedimentary, which would explain the crumbling. If your not comfortable putting it in, don't put it in. But you've done everything right, and it sounds like you've done your research.
 
Yeah I have. I'm just curious if its mudstone. The bigger pieces seem stable though.
 
Pull it out, put it in a QT tank with a cheap fish, I wouldn't risk my tanks ecosystem without doing that.
 
Will it potentially kill off my bacteria? I relocated my cichlids in it to another tank and all that is left is two goldfish who were feeders but never got ate. Now I plan on permenantly rehoming my cichlids and stocking this tank with quite a bit of fish in a few weeks. Will keeping the rocks in there as a test run potentially harm my next bath of fish?
 
I'm a geology major and I can say that while it's a lot easier to identify rocks in person, that definitely does not look like mudstone to me. Mudstone is much finer and is closer in texture and look to shale. Looks like you've got some sort of sandstone, which do fine in tanks... but as I said, much easier to ID with specimen in hand. ;)
 
I can provide some more pictures, if it is indeed sandstone, I will begin my rock wall assembly :D

What I'm most concerned about is can this potentially negatively effect my water parameters, or beneficial bacteria, so much so that when I go to restock this tank in a few weeks I will have to re-cycle or something? I'm afraid of it totally throwing my system out of whack and preventing me from stocking up with fish when I get paid next month D:'


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Above all else however, what concerns me is how quickly some of the smaller pieces degrade in water and how easily shattered they are.
 
Hi Ultimatedc, I agree with morgie, it looks like a red sandstone but try the vinegar test first, if it doesn't fizz it should be ok. better safe than sorry.

Pete
 
It won't throw off your water parameters as long as you wash it thoroughly and scrub off any of the bits of matrix that you described as crumbling off. As long as you scrub off the loose bits it shouldn't degrade in the water. Sandstone is a silicate, and as long as you don't have a weak cementing agent in the sandstone it shouldn't dissolve or will dissolve slowly. But remember it is sandstone, so that's not entirely a bad thing. You could use the crumbled bits as substrate.
 
Pretty much any rock is safe for aquarium use. If it starts to dissolve (which would only be like a limestone or other chemically produced rock) in the water it could become a problem but that's the only issue I can think of. Even if it was dissolving it would give fish some extra minerals like calcium and such. :I I think a lot of people are scared of rocks for no reason haha.
 
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