# outdooor rocks



## logan22 (Sep 6, 2010)

i got some large river rocks from a creek near my house!! i boiled them in hot water before puttin them in my tank..they give my tank a nice natural feel..can this harm my tank water or my fish?


----------



## couch (Apr 22, 2010)

pour vinegar on them and if it bubbles take them out. If nothing happens then they are safe.


----------



## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

long as you boiled them and cleaned them & the vinegar test, you should be ok


----------



## logan22 (Sep 6, 2010)

i didnt put vinigar on them but i boiled them for 20 minutes..wont that kill all the bactiera?


----------



## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Picked my up from from construction work on from a pile on the way to Squamish. Flushed and scrub the dirt off and straight into my tank. Three months or so. So far so good. Guess I am lucky


----------



## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

gklaw said:


> Picked my up from from construction work on from a pile on the way to Squamish. Flushed and scrub the dirt off and straight into my tank. Three months or so. So far so good. Guess I am lucky


Same here, cept I was in Langley lol

logan, the vinegar test to see if it has calcium in it, which you don't want as it will change the hardness and Ph. This article might help you out:
Can I Use Outdoor Gravel in My Aquarium?

.


----------



## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Definitely do a vinegar test. It doesn't take much if it will react with white little bubbles.


----------



## cichlid (Jul 30, 2010)

ya same here, I never boiled my rocks, then again I have cichlids, so the need hard water and and high PH anyway. lol


----------



## pistolpete (May 2, 2010)

Just post a picture of the rocks on here and we'll be able to tell you whether it's safe. Practically all rocks are fine. Even limestone would be ok if you had african cishlids. 

The Vinegar test is pretty bogus, because vinegar is a really weak acid and it's hard to tell the occasional bubble formed by a reaction from one escaping from the rock. Testing for the presence of calcium this way is mostly an old wives tale perpetuated by people who've never actually tried it. Yes, if you stick a sea shell, which is pure calcium in vinegar you will notice a few bubbles, but with rocks it's not the way to go.
Just stick with basalts, granites, and slates and you are guaranteed safe.


----------



## cichlid (Jul 30, 2010)

i think the biggest thing to be careful with is iron deposits.


----------



## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

Iron will show as a reddish colour I am told


----------

