Will Any Stone Do?

[Bugsvile]

Just a question regarding stones for an aquarium, i begrudge paying for stone in a shop if i can pick it up just as easily off the beach. The question is can i use stones found on the beach in a freshwater aquarium?

 

[waterdrop]

Sure! Just give them the "vinegar test." Put some household vinegar on the stone (on each of the different areas if its the type that has different color streak, types of stone etc.) and see if it "fizzes." If it does, that means its at least partiallly composed of the same types of substances as coral and seashells etc. which will dissolve in the freshwater aquarium and raise the pH! Most rocks you gather will not do this, so they'll be fine.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Bugsvile]

You just saved me a whole lot of cash, i'm off to the beach

 

[SJ2K]

Boil them in clean water for a while and rinse them very thoroughly.

 

[HappyGeorge]

Its illegal so watch yourself, Wildlife wardens and the like do not take kindly to it.

 

[waterdrop]

Boil them in clean water for a while and rinse them very thoroughly.

I thought it was safer to pour boiling water over them to clean, rather than submerging and boiling as they could have pockets that might explode? --wd--

 

[OldMan47]

That would be much safer WD.

 

[busterbrit]

Boil them in clean water for a while and rinse them very thoroughly.

I thought it was safer to pour boiling water over them to clean, rather than submerging and boiling as they could have pockets that might explode? --wd--

I was camping at the beach last weekend. It was cold so I threw in some larger rocks into the fire to heat up and then put under the sand to warm my feet. I've done this before and it worked fine.

Well these rocks had water inside and when they heated up they started exploding and hitting my kids. It was quit funny once I got them all out but when they started blowing up I was a little panicked.

 

[SJ2K]

Im talking non pourous here, afterall you dont want stones that may of absorbed harmful contaminants over the years.

 

[waterdrop]

Ah, therein must lie the difference of comment, SJ2K you must be more knowledgeable about rocks than many of us. I wouldn't know for looking whether a rock was porous or not! WD

 

[SJ2K]

Dont take my word for it at the end of the day, your own judgement and understanding is all you can rely on. At the very least as first staded do the vinegar test, your atleast coverd and safe from a rapid pH change. Good luck and keep us posted

 

[OldMan47]

When I was a kid we used to toss rocks into rubbish fires that we would light in the back yard in summer and wait for the rocks to explode. It was great fun when we were all back several feet from the fire but not an experiment I would want to repeat inside my home.
Rather than collect rocks on the beach, how about washing off some likely rocks from almost any other location. My own favorite place to get rocks would be at a quarry. They can be had for almost nothing compared to the LFS, you get to pick rocks that you like and you an just wash them in warm water and expect them to be safe in an aquarium. When you dig up a rock, what are the chances of it carrying some organism that will harm the fish? Think about it. WD and others think I know a lot, but often I just give a question some common sense thought.