Slate Help

[Sime]

Hi, I've searched all over the place for some desent slate to use in my tank but no lfs around me has any. They all have small stone type bits, but not nice flat large ones.

Can you use slate from builder's yards or roofing slate without doing any damage to your water quality?

What has everyone else used?

thanks,
Simon.

 

[@ombomb]

I bought some green slate from the landscaping section of the local garden centre.

You'll find a much better selection there at a much better price than at the LFS, just make sure you vinegar test it before adding it to the tank.

 

[Sime]

thanks!

whats the vinegar test

 

[Purplesmurf]

Always boil and brush scrub any rock you plan to put in you tanks. I even boiled the rocks I use to tie zuchinni down with.

Also, don't feel limited to slate. Any igneous or sedementary rock will do well in a tank. I personally use grainte and much prefer it to slate.

http/purplesmurf.com/images/Fish/100_1901.JPG

Vinegar test: pour a few drops of vinegar onto the rock you want to use in your tank. If the rock reacts (bubbles) then chances are it will change your waters chemistry.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Also try to avoid slate that has shiny/silver lines/blotchs/rusty bits in it as this indicates metal ore traces in it and can change your water chemistry or make your fish sick.

 

[Sime]

thanks everyone, i'll see what i can find

 

[Fish Buddy]

Just one quick pointer... don't use sedimentary rock as they tend to change the water chemestry but rather use metamorphic rocks.
Shale is sedimentary and slate is metamorphic
(limestone is sedimentary and marble is metamoprphic but use neither in an aquarium)

 

[Sky042]

I've found that you can find large river rock and slate from landscaping places very cheap.

 

[smithrc]

we got the slate for our tanks from a local landscape company - £3 each - we bought the 4 biggest bits they had... and attached them with a club hammer and chisel

we got enough to do the tanks ... and my parents used the rest (a LOT) to build a water feature in the garden.