River Rocks

[davidtcb1]

Hello:

Was able to be "out in the country" this weekend near a creek and found a few rocks that I thought would be nice in my new 125g malawi tank. Can these be cleaned enough to be safe in the tank or should I just stick to the store bought rocks? I have been washing them off this afternoon and they are sitting in a water/bleach combo right now. A lot of "stuff" comes off when I scrub them with a scrub brush, yet the majority seem to be coming clean (i.e. the water runs clear off them after scrubbing)..

Thoughts??

Thanks!

 

[BillD]

The short answer is yes, you can use them. The only caveat would be to not add rocks with metals in them. I picked up a bunch of rocks and gravel from the shore of Lake Ontario, that I am using for a small tank with P. flavus. The gravel has been screened for size, and the rocks and gravel will be bleached before use. I have been using lake rocks for years. What I like is that the water has worn them smooth. The gravel is mamde up of the rocks so the rock and gravel match in colour for a natural look.

 

[davidtcb1]

Is there a way to tell whether or not the rock has metals?

 

[JDogg]

Is there a way to tell whether or not the rock has metals?

red rocks "usually" contain iron, also any rock that have a metallic luster i.e look shiny like a metal (shiny silver, shiny yellow...)