How to properly clean rocks from outside...

[Gordo124]

Found some good looking rocks outside of my house so i can hold the drift would down in the bucket... I would like to keep these rocks because it looks like it would make my tank look natural... How can i make these rocks aquarium safe?

 

[Athaocity]

I found some rocks from minnesota river too and to make them aquarium safe, I drop some vineger on them to see if they bubbled. they didnt so then I ran it under running water while brushing the rocks with a sponge. I boiled water and poured them into a bucket and threw the rocks into the bucket and left it in it for about a week(replacing water once it gets cold). it did me good. typically thats how you clean rocks and dw.

 

[Gordo124]

I found some rocks from minnesota river too and to make them aquarium safe, I drop some vineger on them to see if they bubbled. they didnt so then I ran it under running water while brushing the rocks with a sponge. I boiled water and poured them into a bucket and threw the rocks into the bucket and left it in it for about a week(replacing water once it gets cold). it did me good. typically thats how you clean rocks and dw.

What does it mean if it bubbles when u put vinegar in it?

 

[mfdrookie516]

nothing if your pH is 7.8 or higher... very little if your pH is above 7. Only if you have a lower pH will that matter.

 

[Athaocity]

if it bubbles, the rock will alter your water chemistry. if it does not, its safe to use. you dont have.to use vineger, just acidic substances. there are some rocks that are safe.and.some.that contains chemicals thats bad for aquarium use.

 

[mfdrookie516]

vinegar (or any acid) doesn't tell you anything about 'chemicals that are bad for aquarium use'... it only tells you that the rock is calcium carbonate and will potentially raise the pH of the aquarium if it's below 7.6-7.8. In 90% of situations, it's not even something that I'd consider important. The only situation I'd be worried about was if there were a lot of calcium based rocks (relative to the tank size) and the pH of the aquarium was quite low.

 

[smomus]

Make sure you do NOT boil any rock. There could be air pockets in them and they could explode.
With mine I first scrubbed and scrubbed. I then used hot water mixed with aquarium salt and let them soak for a few hours. (Most things that could potentially harm your fw tank cannot survive in salt.) Scrub them again and soak. Rinse off well in fresh water then they are good to go in your tank!

 

[cavnoe]

I have to admit to the crime of boiling rocks. I am lucky they have never exploded. I washed and then boiled them. I forgot they could exploded. I will try these other methods in the future.