FLGirl
Member
I know you can't always tell by a picture but do you think this would be safe for an aquarium? The green isn't painted.
Is green rock safe?
Nutter
Member
I would probably give it a miss. Some crystals are safe for the aquarium but many of them are not. Not being a geologist or even very knowledgeable about crystals, I wouldn't take the chance myself. Perhaps someone else can make a positive ID on the type of crystals they are & let you know for certain if it's safe or not.
gremlin
Member
That looks like some of the "amethyst" crystals you can get for book ends and stuff. I've seen those made into candle holders. I've also seen them in pet store aquariums occasionally. I think it would depend on if it had any coating on it or anything.
- Thread Starter
FLGirl
Member
I don't think its coated with anything. I got it a long time ago from a place that lets you go thru caverns.
jclee
Member
I'm pretty sure that untreated amethyst would be safe, but I would be nervous about the back side of the piece.
TedsTank
Member
That would be safe...seen it in aquariums before. Scrub it good in warm water to get any debries out of it....give it a good blast with a hose or the sink sprayer.
It is amethyst crystals that were formed in tubes not geodes. Not sure what the green layer is but all the rest is quartz. There are absolutely stunnning pieces of it in the Smithsonians Cystals displays...wow pieces you can almost walk thru!!!!
It is amethyst crystals that were formed in tubes not geodes. Not sure what the green layer is but all the rest is quartz. There are absolutely stunnning pieces of it in the Smithsonians Cystals displays...wow pieces you can almost walk thru!!!!
- Thread Starter
FLGirl
Member
Cool, thanks for the answers everyone!
catsma_97504
Member
It looks like a piece off a geode that had amethyst/quartz inside it. To test the outer, green portion, add vinegar to see if it has a reaction or not. If no reaction, then soak it in water and scrub off as much of the dirt as you can.
Be careful in handling the amethyst side as the crystals can be fragile under certain conditions.
Be careful in handling the amethyst side as the crystals can be fragile under certain conditions.
- Thread Starter
FLGirl
Member
I just tested and the green didn't fizz. Its all washed off and looks great. Heres another view...I'm debating still on whether to use it though and might not because I don't want it to bother anybody in the tank....also don't want it to be ruined either because my rents got it for me when we were there and I really like it.
jclee
Member
Since you're worried about it getting ruined, I should ask what kind of algae-cleaning animals you've got in the tank. I seem to think I put amethyst like that in my tank once, and for lack of cleaners that could reach inside the crevices, they did get a little funky. I'm sure you could take it out and scrub it down with an old toothbrush if that happens, though. I think that's what I did in the end. (It was a long time ago, so my memory's a little fuzzy.)
TedsTank
Member
You are correct...sparkly crystals and things don't stat looking good in a tank...as bacteria and algae grows on them. You would have to frequently rinse or brush it off.
- Thread Starter
FLGirl
Member
I don't have any cleaning animals, not yet anyways. I think I will just leave it out for now. Thanks for all the help!
