rocks?

[derekyeakel]

hello all! i got a few rocks from the creek near my house that are realy nice. i couldnt find anything i liked at the LFS :( . anyway is it safe to put these in my tank? and if so what should i do with them to make sure they are clean :?:

[electric molecular]

Hey Derek,

I got some rocks myself from a beach recently. I just soaked them for a couple of days then added them and nothing bad happened. You could try scrubbing them--others might tell you to scrub them with diluted bleach or something, but I stay away from products like that. I think you would be right just to soak them for a little while then add them...

Claire.

[goldenpigeon]

there is a test you can do to see if they are unfit for your tank.

what you have to so is give your rocks a good scrub. then get some vinegar and pour a small amount onto the rocks. if the vinegar fizzes then that means that it has reacted with something on the rock. anyway i know that if the vinegar fizzes it means u can use them

HTH

[mcloughlin2]

what you have to so is give your rocks a good scrub. then get some vinegar and pour a small amount onto the rocks. if the vinegar fizzes then that means that it has reacted with something on the rock. anyway i know that if the vinegar fizzes it means u can use them

Hmmm...i thought it was the other way around...i thought if the vinnager fizzes u cant use them...can anyone else back this up?

[Mulisha]

Yeah i think if the vinger fizzes means there is like something in the rock so if it doesn't fizz means it like sealed and nothing can get in or out :?:

I'm not 100% sure..

[Liverpool_pete]

I think you will find if the vinegar fizzes then it will alter the Ph (bost it up) of your tank and as we all know that is bad.

HTH

[derekyeakel]

fiz or not to fiz that is the question! what i was actualy going to do is scrub the crap out of em soak em in water for a couple days and test the water they where in for amonia,nitrates,etc..... how does that sound???

[Mulisha]

Yeah your right i think it contains a KH boosted in it if it fizzes :P

[goldenpigeon]

well as i understand it if the vinegar fizzes a reaction is being caused. in there is no fiz then as Rick said it means the rock is sealed. if it fizzed then i would not use them. whether it is a KH boost or anything like that. if you are unsure then dont use them. better safe then sorry!!!!!

[Mulisha]

your right about that LOL i added rocks that fizzed becuase i was a noob back then and had like hardest water ever and ph of like 9.0 LOL

Good old Jewel Chiclid LOL they leave threw anything..

[Liverpool_pete]

Maybe test the water in the cup before and after i would be more looking at ph rather than amonia and nitrates.

[axelfaz]

hi guys what it mean if it fizzs its akline and makes your water hard like limestone crushed mable etc

[electric molecular]

Oh yeah forgot to mention that when I put rocks in and had no trouble, I did do the vinegar fizz test--there was no reaction which meant the rocks were safe to put in.

Claire.

[Mulisha]

good to know :D

have you got a pic of the rocks in ya tank?

[Merrilyn]

Derek, soak the rocks in some salty water. The salt will kill any fresh water nasties, then give them a good rinse in plain water. Check the pH in your tank for a few days after you add the rocks, and see if it's making a difference to your water.

So long as the rocks are smooth, and water worn, they should be fine. Sharp rocks are not a good idea with discus.

BTW, the vinegar test is an old fashioned way of testing rocks. Normal vinegar is too weak an acid to produce much of a reaction. You actually need something stronger than that. Just checking the water for an increase in pH and hardness is a more reliable test. :P

[electric molecular]

Mulisha, this is the type of rocks I have in my tank--as you can see, they are well water worn.

[Mulisha]

Yeah that's looks nice i seem to always find very bad rocks that leak stuff into my tank LOL so now i go for driftwood :lol:

[piranha-discus]

hi there , i know a beach where absolutly plenty of those rocks in victoria, the closest to melb as i know , go to flinders beach in the mornington peninsula, it is salt water there but the beach is coved of those sort rocks, the salt water would kill all the germs then u would have to clean it very well out , possible boil it like what i did. get a big pice glass for the back of tank, then use those gravel as in the pic as electric molecular pasted, use silicone and then paste it on the glass , stick those rocks on then finish the project with the gravel as electric molecular pic to cover all the silicone.and put some plants on too, i mean fake ones,( can use real plants but let the project dry out first) as when every thing dries then u give it another wash then, stick it on a angle, about 60 to 80 degree on the rear of your tank, thats the cheapest way i know how to get a good look background but to get that rocks u got to do a bit of driving,
,,, ben

[electric molecular]

Hehe pirahna--it's funny you should mention Flinders--I actually got my rocks from Cape Schank, just near Flinders.

Oh and Merry Xmas y'all!!

Claire.

[xmasfish]

Have you considered petrified wood? I have always found it to be quite inert due to the high silicon content and cut and polished or au naturale it looks great.