What Do I Need To Do?

[snake007]

I found a rather big slate rock outside in my garden and I want to put it in my tank for my cichlids, can I do this?

Right now im boiling it in hot kettel water in the bucket, what else do I do?
Do I need to scrub it?

 

[Juggler75]

Pour boiling water on it and scrub to rid of any nasties. Slate is inert so should be safe

 

[ZoddyZod]

if it really is slate then it'll be fine as it's inert, therefore it wont change the water chemistry.

A good scrub and the bathe in boiling water should be enough to prepare it.

 

[snake007]

Thanks, Isit safe to put plastic plant pots in there?

 

[ZoddyZod]

plastic plant pots SHOULD be ok, but I always avoid any plastic in my tank personally. I work in the plastics industry and know that some chemicals used in plastic moulding/production are not the sort of things a human would want to be consuming (BPA, formaldehyde, etc.). Therefore I'm concerned about these chemicals leeching into the tank water and being consumed by the fish.

Probably over cautious on my part, but when alternatives are available (terracotta pots for example) I would rather go with the safer sounding option.