Slate In A Tank?

[Ft fisher]

Hey all, I'm currently planning a new tank to put a Betta and a few other fish in and would like to put some Slate or other rock I can stack to create a focal point. Is it possible to just buy some slate from somewhere like B&Q and use that, and if so how do you go about washing it so you know it wont effect water quality? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance all

 

[Verminator89]

All rocks affect water, but alot won't alter it that much.

I myself recently bought slate from my local garden centre. The rocks in my journal in my thread i got for £21 from my local garden centre, theres 30 pieces of slate there So its certainly alot cheaper than buying from an aquatics store. As for washing it i just took mine outside (how they are in the picture in my thread) and i jet sprayed them with the hose, turning them over to do both sides. They're currently sat outside still in the same place and have been for 2-3 weeks now just soaking up rain A bucket, water and sponge will suffice also

 

[Ft fisher]

Thank you so much for the help, much appreciated

 

[waterdrop]

Agree, slate won't bother the water. WD

 

[drobbyb]

I've used slate in my setups for many years with great success. If it changes water chemistry, I haven't noticed it. I have really soft water so If it were making the water harder, I am sure I would have noticed the change in KH and GH (I keep a real close eye on this!)

 

[Katch]

I use slate in my tanks too. Never had a problem. Look in the yellow pages for roofing suppliers for a good source of slate. I got a piece large enough to use as a background in my tank for £2.

You can cut and drill it easily with a hack saw and some wood drills, I even used a circle saw to cut a hole for the outflow of my filter in it. You can also use aquarium sealant to glue bits together to make structures.

I love slate!

 

[awilson360]

I use slate in my tanks too. Never had a problem. Look in the yellow pages for roofing suppliers for a good source of slate. I got a piece large enough to use as a background in my tank for £2.

You can cut and drill it easily with a hack saw and some wood drills, I even used a circle saw to cut a hole for the outflow of my filter in it. You can also use aquarium sealant to glue bits together to make structures.

I love slate!

I have very hard water and have a big chunk of Slate in my Bettas aquarium. pH is fine and I haven't tested GH or KH but even if it does slightly increase over time, it's nothing weekly water changes won't remedy.