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Old May 29th, 2009  
Fish Addict
 
River Rocks?

Good Morning, I live alongside the famous(?) Miramichi River here in New Bru nswick Canada. It is one of the most famous salmon fishing areas in North America (I might add I no longer eat the fish from here as they may be a long lost relative of one of my fishie friends) This river is fed from the Atlantic so the water is salt. Last night I noticed some lovely smooth beautifully coloured river rocks all along the shore. I am expecting my 55g in this week and will be moving my rescued blood parrot in as soon as tank is ready. Since they enjoy a smoothee bottom, and I will be adding some corys could I use these rocks? I know there was a thread (can't find it) about how to test rocks for their used in tanks'...not sure how easy it will be to vacuum...I am fanatical about testing (could own stocks in API I go through so many). "Hermione" the BP is quite small right now, and she will be set up in another member's stocking suggestion with another parrot and 2 keyholes. Any advice appeciated as always. Cheers

Last edited by kimb; May 29th, 2009 at 04:18 AM.
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Old May 29th, 2009  
Fish Keeper
 
i think people say to pour vinegar on the rock and see if it fizzes. if it does fizz, dont use it, if it doesnt fizz then its safe to use.

im not 100% sure on that, just restating vague memory...

of course you should clean them appropriately before putting them in your tank as well. boiling is the best method i think. i boil my rocks for about an hour, let them cool down, then under running water use a brush to scrub them down. some people suggest using bleach to clean the rocks, just make sure all the bleach is rinsed off thoroughly!
namehater is offline  
Old May 29th, 2009  
Moderator
 
love the river rocks myself! theres some really cool ones out there....heres a link you might have been looking for

Rocks safe for aquarium use??
Shawnie is online now  
Old May 29th, 2009  
Fish Addict
 
Thanks again Shawnie, link very helpful. I may pm prairie to be sure. I love the natural look they would give, plus the benefit of smoother edges. I want this tank to be awesome not just in looks but the best possible home for my girl.
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Old May 29th, 2009  
Fish Keeper
 
Be careful boiling rocks if that is the way you decide to sterilize...if there is water in the rock it can explode...not sure where I learned that but it is stuck in my head...lol
Fishies-for-me is offline  
Old May 29th, 2009  
Fish Addict
 
Will do...thanks
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Old May 29th, 2009  
Fish Keeper
 
Experienced here using river rocks and beach sand. Suggestion is bake em. It's not so much the intencity of the heat but the time spent in it. Bake em at 375 for about 2hrs
MizRamzi is offline  
Old May 29th, 2009  
Fish Keeper
 
I love rocks threads

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fishies-for-me View Post
Be careful boiling rocks if that is the way you decide to sterilize...if there is water in the rock it can explode...not sure where I learned that but it is stuck in my head...lol
Not sure where you heard that - the rock won't explode unless you heat it to several thousand degrees...your stove can't go that hot. Rocks only explode in volcanoes, and even then only if they've got dissolved gases in the magma/lava.

The thread that Shawnie linked to has some info about sandstones and unsafe minerals. Here's another thread regarding testing rocks to see if they're made of limestone:
Pure white Rocks!! :o

Boiling or baking will sterilize the rocks. Personally I'd boil them, as any organics in cracks/pore spaces will then leach into the boiling water and be removed, but baking will still kill anything living in there.

You've likely got sandstone or igneous pebbles. If you post a picture I could identify it

There's a river near where I live too, I was thinking of looking there this weekend for some tank rocks. Why do LFS's charge $10 for one rock? Crazy!
prairielilly is offline  
Old May 29th, 2009  
Fish Addict
 
Thanks Marsh, they are all quite different, pebble type rocks. Many are pinkish, whiteish, lines running through them but no sparkles, some are speckled. Do you know if pouring vinegar on them will tell me anything? They look very similar to the ones you can buy in netting type bags at Walmart or dollar store, except they are not polished (shiny). I am really hoping they will be o.k as I love the natural look they would give to the tank. I will try to get some photos. What should I be looking for as far as water parameters go? I haven't collected all yet since I figured I would ask about them first. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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Old May 29th, 2009  
Fish Keeper
 
Hi Kim

Putting a drop of vinegar on them and seeing if it will fizz will tell you whether or not it contains the mineral calcite, which will dissolve in water (although very slowly) and cause your pH to rise. People who want a high pH (say for some cichlids) sometimes use crushed coral as a substrate for that reason - coral is made of calcite. The mineral dolomite is similar to calcite, but doesn't fizz when vinegar is put on it; it DOES fizz if some of the mineral is scraped off into a powder, and then some vinegar is put on that.

From what you said I think it's unlikely you've got rocks with calcite or dolomite in them (limestone). Try taking a dull steel knife and seeing if you can make a mark on the rock. If you make a mark, run your finger over it gently and see if it comes off (the mark). If you can't make a mark, try using an edge on the rock to scratch the knife - use an old knife you don't care about. If the knife scratches the rock, it's harder than the rock, and the vinegar test may work - or you may have feldspar (likely, the pink ones). If the rock scratches the knife, it's pretty likely you have all-quartz, feldspar or granite pebbles, which from your description I think seems likely.

Quartz, feldspar and granite are all inert and perfectly safe for your aquarium. Quartz is what we turn into glass, and what your substrate is likely made of (if you're using sand or gravel). Feldspar is made into porcelain. Granite is used as you know on buildings and countertops, and it's mostly quartz and feldspar.

One more thought: the 'little white lines' MAY be calcite, but if so I still think its' safe. The amount of calcite is extremely tiny, so it's effect on your pH will also be extremely tiny - you'll completely counteract that with water changes. The white lines could also be quartz.
prairielilly is offline  
Old May 30th, 2009  
Fish Addict
 
Hooray! Sounds like they will be fine...the lines I am seeing are ususally just a darker shade of the rock (if this makes sense), they are "veiny" kind of give it a marble look. Most of them are quite small. I will be collecting them over the week so if I get picks I will post. That you so much fellow canuck....Cheers
kimb is offline  
Old May 30th, 2009  
Fish Keeper
 
You're very welcome Rock questions are fun for me
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