Stones From The Beach

[spongy]

Hi all, I'm currently setting up a Cichlid tank and am having trouble scaping it, I've bought a bit of ocean rock, but the pieces aren't that nice really, and I have some slate too which is ok but I'm struggling with rocks and stones.

Can I just use stones from the beach? I know they'll be covered in salt but after they're cleaned they should be ok shouldn't they once cleaned?

It's just living in Brighton (UK) I literally have BILLIONS to choose from! And a good rummage around should provide me with what I think I'd like...

 

[Munroco]

Thats what I did, I discounted a couple that looked "soft or crumbly" but the rest have been in my tank for 3 months now with no problems. I made sure to clean off any algae.

 

[attibones]

You'll want to be very careful with using things from the beach. The problem occurs when porous stones are introduced to freshwater tank. Marine salt gets into the water and that can cause issues. It lingers especially in wood. I'm not sure, however, if the salt is enough to bother an African tank. It would be harmful for, say, a South American community.