Rocks In Tanks...

[BlueDragon]

Not sure if this is in the right place...

Basically I just want to know if I could put rocks in my tank that I find liying around places? I know to avoid sandstone, but really I mean more like the prettier ones I find on my walks, maybe ones with quarts or other nice bits in them?

I was planning on sterilzing them with a Milton soloution as I don't actually have an oven at the minuet. Would that be good enough?

Are there any other stone types to avoid?

Looking around on here my tank looks boring and really amtureish : (

I find some lovely rocks on my walks around the countryside that I often end up bringing home to display in the house. I think some of them would look really good in a Fishtank : )

 

[garyspence84]

Iv used some rocks iv found near my house in my tanks, I still actually have 1 in my tank just now. Only thing is the cleaning them.

I recently found some nice rounded rocks on a beach and took them home and cleand the absolute life out of them. I cleaned them with 2 different solutions, boiled water from the kettle and even left them to "steep" in water for 2 weeks, and they still made my water in my tanks go brown.

Maybe I just had the wrong type of rock or something, or maybe too many in at 1 time? Dont know, but the ones I have now are OK, and a hell of a lot cheaper than buying them from a shop

G

 

[big_sw2000]

Rocks of beaches are not a very good idea. A lot of them will containe salt.

Most important thing, drop a little acid, vinagar on them, if they fiz, get rid of them. If not they should be fine to use.
Have a read of this

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/55806-rocks-for-use-in-the-aquarium/

Steve

 

[BlueDragon]

Thanks for that link Steve : )

I never get to go to the beach (although I'd love to), but the river Derwent runs through the Nature Reserve I have litrally two streets down from my house. You can get some lovely rocks from there, some really pretty ones. I was wondering if I could use them. Alot of them are just smothened granet so I'm assuming if they pass the vinigar test they'd be fine to use? You do get ones with rust-veins running through them, but they're always pretty obvious. And there's loads of sandstone. Is sandstone a definate no-no? Some say it is and some say it's OK?

It's said that some stone is unsuitable 'cause it raises PH, but my PH is really low, the lowest it can be. So in my case could these rocks actually benefit the tank?

And don't worry, I'm OK to take certain rocks away from the reserve, only from certain places and as long as they're not too big, 'cause bigger rocks tend to be of great benefit to the wildlife there so are protected. So are certain trees, tree stumps... even old fences!

 

[BlueDragon]

While I'm asking about rocks I'm also wondering about wood? In most cases for animals I know that fruit wood is fine, but again are there any woods to avoid?

Same story as the rocks really, I have some interesting bits of tree that may look good in my tank. No bark on them. I have no idea what tree they're from (I just pick them off the ground, never from a living tree) but I've had them sitting in my house for a while now. I have one branch that's smooth and looks all blotchy and a little branch that's curled into a spiral. There are bigger bits too that I like the look of.

Is it just the same rules as rocks really? Give them a good, hard clean and as long as they have no bark, moss, mould or anything else like that on them then they're OK?