MudHog

Help out a fellow person and help me identify the dark rock on the left ride under the big leaf plant. Also pur in my purple quartz piece as seen on the right.

COBettaCouple

well, i'm not a rock Guru but my guess is it might be obsidian? I bet Dino knows. Love the purple quartz btw.

Butterfly

Yes the purple quartz is beautiful
And Dave wins the prize! That definately looks to be Obsidian.
carol

COBettaCouple

lol.. now i want some Obsidian to go with quartz of different colors for a tank that i'll be setting up next year for our Amecas.

MudHog

god why didn't I know that. That's what it is, obsidian.

I need to browse my LFS and find a few gems like that. My purple quartz I picked up from a vacation in CO. My lava rock (other black rock on left) too was picked up on a vacation out west too.

Got some other stuff I need to go through. Is it vinegar to use to see if it's OK for use in an aquarium? Bubbles bad, no bubbles good.

Butterfly

Bubbles means its calcerous and over time, usually a long time, will raise your ph a minimal amount.
carol

Dino

It is either obsidian or slag glass.
Either way, make sure there are no sharp edges that your fish can get to.

MudHog

A better picture of it.

I will have to polish a few edges.

Dino

Oh yeah, that's slag glass.

MudHog

so what's obsidian?

I've heard the name before and know it's black in color. Is it all black like black onyx?

Butterfly

http://www.fi.edu/fellows/payton/roc...t/obsidian.htm

Dino

Obsidian is volcanic glass.
It comes in black, green, mahogony (brown), dalmation( brown/black mix), rainbow ( green /purple/black) and sheen ( crystal arrangement such that it appears black whenthe light hits it straight on, but shiny when it hits it at 90 degrees. Sheen comes in silver and gold colors.

MudHog

ahhhhhhhhhhh

got it now.

I added a picture of my lava rock. Tiger barb and Leporinus felt like taking a picture too and they got in the frame.

COBettaCouple

It's a beautiful stone!