Rocks

[rodd]

Umm.  
I got some rocks from the beach. They are not in the tank. I have a few proper aquarium rocks in there already. Can i just scrub up the ocean rocks and soak them in water and boil them etc to make them safe to put into my tank?  

 

[Rose]

Not unless you would like to kill all your fish. I tried to do this and it never worked. I really don't recommend doing so. Rose 8)

 

[Davy Reynolds]

It's never a great idea adding stuff which you've just found.
Though if you really want to add some then your on the right line. Just make sure you soak it for a long time

 

[William]

My tank has rocks which I found on the beach.

Make sure there is no tar/oil on any rocks or even on the beach if there is then dump them all!! When you get home first scrub them a little to get rid of any obvious dirt (try to pick clean rocks!!) . Then do a vinegar test if the rocks fizz then they are no good for the tank (they have calcium and it will raise hardness and will raise pH levels too. Then with all the safe rocks boil them several times in water for about 10 minutes.

Place them into the tank and enjoy I DON'T reccomend wood as it can have little critters in it which can rot and do all sorts of nasty things. Make sure the rock has no cracks which these nasties could be inside

William

 

[waggy1]

so if i go to beach tomorrow and get some stone as long as they are smooth with no crack and holes for nasties to hide in i will b ok . and just boil them several times . thanks

 

[Lateral Line]

There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to rocks collected from nature. Hard rocks as long as they are not sharp, are a better bet than softer stuff. Igneous and metamorphic rocks are better than sedimentary rocks. Stuff like flint is going to be chemically inert. Limestones/chalks are best avoided unless you are into rift valley setups as they will harden water. Sandstones often contain large amounts of metals, and are best avoided unless you know exactly what they are and where they came from.

Stuff like granite, basalt, rhyolite, gabro etc. are good bets. It is difficult to advise with so limited info.