Leokiss

I suppose the 1st question is can i take rocks from a freshwater stream.I have a few near me they run through corn and wheat fields a couple of mile down stream so pesticides would be present or would they as its winter and no growth on fields? I realise i have to avoid rocks with alkaline in them as i dont want my ph to go any higher.And i would boil the rocks prior to putting in the tank.Is there a rule of thumb i can use to identify rocks? Im gunna ave to do sum study on rock geology?The reason i wanna get rocks from these streams is ive looked in quite a few lfs at rocks and cant see owt i want.I go out on my mountain bike and regularly cross n pass these streams and seen sum rocks that would look great in my tank.Any help would be great ,sorry for long thread

Wolfgang8810

grab whatever rock you like and instead of boiling it throw it in the oven at 300 degrees for an hour. nothing can survive that

Kevin

same exact thing happened to me...i have rocks in all three tanks...the only one i bought was some lava rock for my 29 gal.

sirdarksol

I don't think I would add a rock from a stream that might have been exposed to pesticides. Pesticides aren't alive, and can't be killed by heat.
Other than that, just do a vinegar test to make sure that the rocks won't significantly raise the pH (if the rock fizzes when vinegar is put on it, it will raise the pH). If you've got Cichlids, then you actually want rocks that can raise the pH.

Isabella

Read my reply in this thread: http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/fr...tml#post282147

Leokiss

It appears most have rocks from rivers or streams so may give it ago although i'll avoid the ones i was talking about so i dont run the risk of putting pesticides in my tank!Was reading isabella's thread and the exploding rocks n wondering what would happens if took a rock straight out of oven after 300 degrees!! Ive a feeling there might be a bit of a bang also!Cheers for help guys and girl

sirdarksol

Actually, the oven won't be as much of a problem, because air doesn't transmit heat as well as water, and there won't be evaporating water that would be cooling the rock that much faster.
Still, it is a potential danger, and I would just turn the oven off and crack the door open, letting it cool for a bit before touching it with a pair of cool tongs.

crabbyabby

I would recommend scrubbing the rock before you cook it in the oven. just do a little research to find out about the rock or test it first o make sure that it will not hurt the fish with a high ph or mineral content. or you can do it the lazy way like i did with my little tank and bought them from a store called kavatica I found online. worked for me but best of luck to you and your fish!!!