Rock Decoration Question

[jbarr]

Hi, I just got a 90 gal (HUGE, wow) and I'm currently cycling it.
Since I'm just cycling it, I'm in the market for some decorations.
I have some rocks in my yard that I really wanna use, but I notice they are directly under the exhaust for my washer and dryer. Aside from the tiny bits of lint collected, are they contaminated?

You know what I mean right? They exhaust from washer&dryer. The rocks have been there for a year or so. Are they unfit for aquarium use due to the chemical exhaust??

Also, anyone w/ 75 gal. and larger (or anyone!) have any ideas for decorations in my new 90 gal? I'm really sort of overwhelmed.

 

[jamesrm]

I would just wash them really well. I enjoy bonding rocks together with Silicon to make neat looks for my tanks. All kinds of rocks at landscaping stores, etc.

 

[theotheragentm]

What do you mean under the exhaust? What comes out of the washer/dryer? The lint should not be a problem. If you are dumping washing machine water on them, I would skip on using them.

The other thing you want to be careful with when using rocks is that they are not going to affect the pH level of the tank. Someone else can probably tell you about that in better detail than I can.

Driftwood seems to fill up larger tanks nicely. I don't have access to any where I am, at least not without a huge price tag. Large rocks are often used. Check out the Freshwater Tank Showcase Forum for some ideas.

 

[Jman17H]

The best rocks for a tank are granite, sandstone or lava rock. Unless you are doing an african cichlid tank you do not want to use limestone for it raises the pH. It depends on the geology of your area on what type of rocks are common. For instance, here is Ohio almost everything you see is limestone but there is also quite a bit of sandstone. I am not an expert on rock identification but maybe someone else could tell you about the vinegar or acid test for limestone.

Driftwood is very beneficial to a tank. It is often a 2nd source for benificial bacteria. I have never bought a peice but simply go out to a body of water and find something I like. When I get it home I run it through 3-4 cycles in the dishwasher with no soap on hot and have never had a problem.

 

[kansei]

You should scratch off a piece on the rock and pour vinegar on it -if it has any reaction don't use it as it could affect PH . Any rocks that you question should be checked scrubed clean with hot water and soaked for a week or so then test the water (PH/KH) for any funny perameters before addding to the main tank . As far as set up I went with rock, upright driftwood , rock, rock, driftwood, piled rocks, driftwood, piled rock with a couple of fake plants in the backmixed with real and real plants in the front . Also used treasure chest and some of that stuff mixed in as my wife and son like the colorful deco.

 

[theotheragentm]

Home Depot has what they call Mexican Beach Stones that comes in 50 lb. bags. Those are the smooth, round rocks. I'd show you a picture of my tank, but my damn hard drive took a dive and I'm a bit behind on my backups.

 

[jbarr]

What do you mean under the exhaust? What comes out of the washer/dryer? The lint should not be a problem. If you are dumping washing machine water on them, I would skip on using them.

I'm not dumping washing machine water on them per se, but since they are under the exhaust, I sort of am.
Exhaust as in, where the steam from the dryer is blown out. It's on the side of my house. All I know is it blows steam from the dryer (and washer, possibly?) outside, where a few rocks sit beneath. All houses/aptmt complexes have them, I'm sure. Or else the dryers would just blow steam into the house?? I have no clue, I'm still just a kid

Should I just thoroughly rinse them? I'll prolly check out Home Depot/Menards/any landscaping place as well... Maybe I'll do that before I use any of these rocks.