Using natural rocks in aquarium

[echoDreamz]

Our neighbor is moving and within his backyard he had a small pond that was installed - he is filling it / removing it and asked if I would like the rocks that are in it. They are very nice and I would love to add them to our aquarium instead of these fake decorations.

1. Cleaning them / prepping for adding to tank. Some say boil, some say dont boil, some say use bleach, others say dont, some say just drop them right in... AHHHHHH. What is the best option here? Honestly the reason for not boiling the rocks makes sense to me, and I do not want any *explosions* in the kitchen

2. I did the "vinegar test" on a few of them, no fizz, nothing happened at all.

3. Does adding the rocks actually do anything for the tank? I see some again say it is simply cosmetic, others say do not add them unless you want higher PH, some say that the rocks are inert and will not hurt anything...

I would really like to add them into the tank to give a more "natural" fee for the fish.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Jess1ca]

Our neighbor is moving and within his backyard he had a small pond that was installed - he is filling it / removing it and asked if I would like the rocks that are in it. They are very nice and I would love to add them to our aquarium instead of these fake decorations.

1. Cleaning them / prepping for adding to tank. Some say boil, some say dont boil, some say use bleach, others say dont, some say just drop them right in... AHHHHHH. What is the best option here? Honestly the reason for not boiling the rocks makes sense to me, and I do not want any *explosions* in the kitchen

2. I did the "vinegar test" on a few of them, no fizz, nothing happened at all.

3. Does adding the rocks actually do anything for the tank? I see some again say it is simply cosmetic, others say do not add them unless you want higher PH, some say that the rocks are inert and will not hurt anything...

I would really like to add them into the tank to give a more "natural" fee for the fish.

Thanks for any advice!

I put mine in a sink full if vinegar water, scrubbed em with a stuff brush then rinsed them real good and dumped boiling water over them a couple times before putting them in the tank

 

[echoDreamz]

Oh... How can you stand the smell... Just that little bit of vinegar had me holding back my lunch...

Should the ever be cleaned outside of the tank? I see videos etc. showing people putting them in the dish washer etc. I would assume that is a no-no due to the beneficial bacteria?

 

[M1k3y_gumi]

Well if its a solid rock then the only bb is on the surface and cleaning really wouldn't affect your cycle. All rocks are different some are inert others mess with water chemistry. The vinigar test is supposedly pretty accurate but the best would be try and find what kind of Rick it is and find out if its safe.

 

[butterfly_koi]

I have shared this article countless times and never get tired of it because I wrote it for inquiring minds such as yourself

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/introduction-adding-decor-aquarium/

Rocks such as limestone etc. can contain CaCO3 which can cause the Ph in the water to rise, sometimes it won't and often times it won't be a drastic change. CaCO3 is an alkali compound which acts as a neutralizer to the acid (vinegar), when an acid is poured on the rock the calcium carbonate neutralizes the acid therefore making it bubble.

The vinegar test does not mean that the rock is not safe for aquarium use, it just means that there are traces of calcium in the stone.

 

[echoDreamz]

I have shared this article countless times and never get tired of it because I wrote it for inquiring minds such as yourself

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/introduction-adding-decor-aquarium/

Rocks such as limestone etc. can contain CaCO3 which can cause the Ph in the water to rise, sometimes it won't and often times it won't be a drastic change. CaCO3 is an alkali compound which acts as a neutralizer to the acid (vinegar), when an acid is poured on the rock the calcium carbonate neutralizes the acid therefore making it bubble.

The vinegar test does not mean that the rock is not safe for aquarium use, it just means that there are traces of calcium in the stone.

Thank you for that. The rocks are lava rocks. I have then in the tank now after a good cleaning. Checked today at about 20 hours in the tank. No change in PH.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Lava rocks are great for aquarium use because they very seldom mess with the water levels if any at all. This is a rock that can NOT be boiled, air pockets in the rock can result in a nasty explosive accident. Glad the article helped

 

[echoDreamz]

Lava rocks are great for aquarium use because they very seldom mess with the water levels if any at all. This is a rock that can NOT be boiled, air pockets in the rock can result in a nasty explosive accident. Glad the article helped

I did not boil them. Just washed them in hot water and scrubbed them with a brush.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Lol I figured you didn't just throwing a warning feeler out there for any other users that might have the same question.

 

[Wy Renegade]

In regards to answering your questions about the rocks adding anything to the tank, it depends on the livestock. If you African cichlids for example, due to their aggressiveness, rocks are an absolute necessity. For most aquariums however the benefit is aesthetic only.

 

[echoDreamz]

Don't you also get more growth room for bacteria as well?

 

[PolyptRus]

You can use pretty well any rocks you can find out side as long as it is not near a road or rail way or other places they could collect toxins. What I do and has always seemed to work because I've never paid for any rocks I have, I first scrub the rocks in water and rinse them off to get rid of any dirt sand or plant matter, than I boil them for atleast an hour I sometimes add vinegar and salt into the water when boiling them just to make sure all bacteria is removed. After they have boiled for an hour I let them sit in the water till they cool then I remove the rocks and scrub and rinse them again. This method hasn't let me down yet!

 

[echoDreamz]

You can use pretty well any rocks you can find out side as long as it is not near a road or rail way or other places they could collect toxins. What I do and has always seemed to work because I've never paid for any rocks I have, I first scrub the rocks in water and rinse them off to get rid of any dirt sand or plant matter, than I boil them for atleast an hour I sometimes add vinegar and salt into the water when boiling them just to make sure all bacteria is removed. After they have boiled for an hour I let them sit in the water till they cool then I remove the rocks and scrub and rinse them again. This method hasn't let me down yet!

I was told NOT to boil Lava locks, because they are porous and could explode.

 

[PolyptRus]

And they were big peices

 

[echoDreamz]

And they were big peices

Some are small just a few lbs, a few others are larger maybe 10 - 15lbs.

 

[PolyptRus]

I boiled all my lava rock some were fairly large. Ive never heard of them exploding.

 

[butterfly_koi]

I boiled all my lava rock some were fairly large. Ive never heard of them exploding.

With all due respect I would consider you a lucky one.
It is an issue of how pourous the rock is and how fast it can relases the gasses from the water boiling inside of them. Water inside the rock will boil and it will build pressure, if the gases can not escape fast enough there is a good chance the rock could explode. This does not only pertain to lava rock but other rocks as well.
I have seen the worst when it comes to this and the outcome is not good. Rocks can explode with such force that it can even go through walls.
I know this from a personal view and this is why I urge people to please please please don't take the chance it's not worth it trust me.

 

[echoDreamz]

With all due respect I would consider you a lucky one.
It is an issue of how pourous the rock is and how fast it can relases the gasses from the water boiling inside of them. Water inside the rock will boil and it will build pressure, if the gases can not escape fast enough there is a good chance the rock could explode. This does not only pertain to lava rock but other rocks as well.
I have seen the worst when it comes to this and the outcome is not good. Rocks can explode with such force that it can even go through walls.
I know this from a personal view and this is why I urge people to please please please don't take the chance it's not worth it trust me.

I know this because one my friends at my old job was out for over a week because he boiled a rock, and it exploded, destroyed the stove, the pot, the walls around the stove / kitchen area, shattered his kitchen window and he had to go to the hospital to have pieces of rock removed from him. It was not a lava rock either, he said he did not even think it was a porous rock, but it exploded.

DO NOT BOIL ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have read other stories of people boiling rocks and accidents happening. I simply got my water as hot as it could be from the tap (which here is pretty darn hot) and scrubbed them, then rinsed and repeated.

 

[PolyptRus]

Wow that's pretty scary thank god that never happened def will not boil them again!

 

[echoDreamz]

Wow that's pretty scary thank god that never happened def will not boil them again!

Still has the scars, thankfully though, none his his face or eyes, only his chest area / arms. He said he felt like he got shot 20 times at once. The rocks blew with such force that it actually went through the oven vent hood, and the microwave above that. I will see if I can find the pictures of it, it was mind blowing.