is marble aquarium safe?

[mr funktastic]

just what the question says. i have a few big sheets of marble in my backyard that i was gonna break up and make caves out of using silicone and i was wondering if it is aquarium safe? i have neevr seen it at pet shops but that is probable because it is soo damn expensive. i am pretty sure that it is safe but i wanted some other opinions before i do it. thanks in advance

 

[Zagz]

I used sections of marble in the aquarium. I bleached it and scrubbed it clean, then rinsed and rinsed and rinsed it.

 

[mr funktastic]

the marble i have is clean thats not my issue i was just making sure that it isnt a rock that has certain chemicals already in it that will leach out into the water. but thanks for the advice

 

[Guest]

Marble should be perfectly fine, its not really porous or anything. You can always test it with vinegar to see if it bubbles.

 

[mr funktastic]

thankyou guys i was thinknig the same thing about the fact that it isnt very porus so what could really be in it? i will post a pic one i get everything set up. it should look neat with lava rock and marble. high contrast it will really stand out.

 

[Guest]

while your at it send me some of that marble.. LOL

just kidding of course, shipping would be a killer can't wait to see pics!

 

[Hara]

I used marble slabs in my tanks, one precautionary statement, be sure to watch the weight and distribute it evenly.

 

[QTOFFER]

The only thing I would be concerned about is it slowly raising the hardness and pH. Marble is a metamorphic stone made up mostly of crystalized calcium carbonate (limestone). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble
I'm honestly not sure if it would affect the water chemistry the same way limestone would. Any geologists out there?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Marble is perfectly fine.

 

[mr funktastic]

i dont think i need to worry about the water getting hard becasue i am putting cichlids in there anyway. thanks for the concern though. and thanks for all the positve feed back i was really hopin that i could use the marble because i hate paying for rocks. i am dying to set up the tank but i wont be finished making my stand till wednesday because of the drying times for the stain and sealant i will post a pic of it when i just start and keep people updated on it as i add fish and other rock structures. do you think a new penguin 350 with the biowheels will be enough filtration in this tank it will probably have about 10-15 cichlids in it. i will be putting in demasoni and labs so they wont get as big as some cichlids. i bought some real nice black sand to go in it so the marble will really stand out. maybe i should get a power head to circulate the water better? or a small internal filter?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

How big is the tank?

 

[mr funktastic]

55 gallon. it is 4' x 12" x 21" roughly. it is soooo long. its going in my room with my other 3 aquariums. i actually have to take one down in order to set this one up i am sooo mad. but i guess 5 tanks in a small bedroom isnt always a good idea lol. the only reason i wanted to put a power head or something in because i cant put the filter dead center so it might not filter evenly and by adding water movement i am more likely to filter all the water more efficiently.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

The biowheels will do a pretty good job. Might want to get a small powerhead on the other end of the tank to give a little more circulation, but the Penguin 350 will be plenty filtration IMO.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Do you have the filter already? If not, might want to look at the Emperor 400 as an alternative as well, or a cannister filter, such as Filstar XP2, a Cascade, or a Fluval.