# Lava rock and petrified wood for aquarium



## summit (Aug 22, 2010)

I want to put some lava rock and petrefied wood in my aquarium, I have looked around at a few local places without luck, anyone have ideas where to get some? Also is there other places to buy some quatrz that might be a bit cheaper than the LFS? I tried a couple local garden centers without luck.

Do you also boil this stuff? I hate boiling, I always worry its going to explode, any other safer methods?

Thanks


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Try landscaping stores for the quartz. But I haven't seen many places with large lava rock (basalt) or petrified wood. Maybe Bonsai stores? You don't have to boil the rocks unless they have been buried in soil (soil might have critters). Just scrub them clean with hot water from your tap. Most people go nuts with their rocks wood when they are natural materials present in our water systems.


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## pistolpete (May 2, 2010)

Phone some landscaping places, There is one on marine drive in south burnaby that has an astounding selection of rocks. with lava rock it's good to give it a once over with sand paper to eliminate sharp edges.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

That's Northwest Landscaping. Unfortunately, they have neither right now (I live 4 blocks from them). There is another landscaping place further south on Byrne Road (south of Marine Way) which I heard was better/cheaper though, which I've yet to check out. I'll post up what they have and what it's call and where it's located once I get a chance to visit next weekend. I'm currently looking for a lot of slate fragments and river rocks.


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

summit said:


> I want to put some lava rock and petrefied wood in my aquarium, I have looked around at a few local places without luck, anyone have ideas where to get some?
> 
> Thanks


 I have a slab of petrified wood I would sell. PM me your email if you want pics.


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## summit (Aug 22, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> That's Northwest Landscaping. Unfortunately, they have neither right now (I live 4 blocks from them). There is another landscaping place further south on Byrne Road (south of Marine Way) which I heard was better/cheaper though, which I've yet to check out. I'll post up what they have and what it's call and where it's located once I get a chance to visit next weekend. I'm currently looking for a lot of slate fragments and river rocks.


That would be awesome thanks!


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Try Landscape Supply Centre on Westwood Street, between Lougheed Hwy and Kingsway, in Coquitlam. They have all sorts of rocks. Although I do not specifically remember seeing it there.

Thereis also a hugh landscape supply centre on the S. side of Lougheed around Pitt River bridge around the Esso gas station. I have not been there for a very long time.


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## summit (Aug 22, 2010)

gklaw said:


> Try Landscape Supply Centre on Westwood Street, between Lougheed Hwy and Kingsway, in Coquitlam. They have all sorts of rocks. Although I do not specifically remember seeing it there.
> 
> Thereis also a hugh landscape supply centre on the S. side of Lougheed around Pitt River bridge around the Esso gas station. I have not been there for a very long time.


Thanks for the tip, I did not find black lava rock, but I did find some feather rock that was close looking at the one on westwood, and its just down the street from my work  going to pick some up tommorrow, looks like its aquarium safe and does not affect parameters, but if anyone knows otherwise please let me know!


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I am not sure what feather rock is, but if it's sintered volcanic glass (essentially lava which ejected into water and quenched) then it may be sharp. You're right though in that I don't think it will affect parameters. Does it feel super abrasive to the touch? That's the only thing I'd be worried about.


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## summit (Aug 22, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> I am not sure what feather rock is, but if it's sintered volcanic glass (essentially lava which ejected into water and quenched) then it may be sharp. You're right though in that I don't think it will affect parameters. Does it feel super abrasive to the touch? That's the only thing I'd be worried about.


I did read it can have some sharp edges and you should have some gloves for handling it as it can cut you, apparently it is a type of lava rock, so I am a bit concerned about that as well. It would be going into a tank with angels, gouramis, and perhaps some rams. I am going to have a look today, see how it is, apprently you can file it down too but I don't know if I want to go through that process

Making Feather Rock Caves


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Ok, I saw that same article. Don't worry about lava rock, I may be full of it on other stuff, but I'm a geologist, and have been doing this a long time for a living, so I can assure you it's safe. I guess none of those are fast swimming fish, so the abrasiveness should not be a concern.


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## summit (Aug 22, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> Ok, I saw that same article. Don't worry about lava rock, I may be full of it on other stuff, but I'm a geologist, and have been doing this a long time for a living, so I can assure you it's safe. I guess none of those are fast swimming fish, so the abrasiveness should not be a concern.


Thank you! You have not steered me wrong yet  thanks for the help! If it is excessively sharp I may try to sand it down a bit.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Hey everyone,
Feather stone floats as far as I know, thus the name. We have a massive shipment of stone coming in from overseas this month but likely towards the end of the month. The company that supplied most of the aquarium rock closed down some time earlier this year which is why it is getting difficult to find and also why we had to source out of country. Don't know your time frame but we will likely see the order 3rd to 4th week of this month and we can't wait! There is some new styles of rock in there as well that we have never seen before but there is both Petrified wood and Lava rock coming.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

The only thing that floats in water is pumice because of the porosity. Unfortunately, trade names don't mean too much. I've seen "granite" which was limestone.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> The only thing that floats in water is pumice because of the porosity. Unfortunately, trade names don't mean too much. I've seen "granite" which was limestone.


Agreed but "feather stone" is commonly used for landscaping and is very light. It resembles gray lava stone and is very sharp. It is the only stone I have seen called feather and it does indeed float.


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

I have a bag of reddish lava rock I would sell you, but I am in Cloverdale. Sorry, no pics at this time. PM me if interested.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Rastapus said:


> Agreed but "feather stone" is commonly used for landscaping and is very light. It resembles gray lava stone and is very sharp. It is the only stone I have seen called feather and it does indeed float.


That's good to know Grant. Could be that all the stuff they call featherstone around here is pumice. On cichlid forums, I've seen featherstone which sunk, but was very light.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

It's possible but this stuff is VERY light. I have never seen a piece that did not float, even huge boulders.


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## summit (Aug 22, 2010)

well I went and had a look, wow this stuff is sharp, I managed to cut myself pretty quick as it basically seems like glass jutting out from it, get some nasty slivers from it too. Its like a very sharp grey piece of pumice. It was not quite what I was after so I left it, but still keeping it as an option as I think it would look good, but the sharpness made me worried. I can see how it would be useful for aquariums, a boulder about 18" in diameter maybe weighed in around 5-10 lbs, very light stuff, I have never seen anything quite like it and the closest comparison would be pumice, it has the same pourous properties, would be great for beneficial bacteria to grow.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

If the Specific Gravity is <1, it'll float, because by definition 1 = the specific gravity of water. 1 L of water weighs approx. 1 kg (I say approx, because it fluctuates a bit with temperature), so no matter how big the rock is, the unit volume would be less than that of water if has enough porosity. Pumice formation essentially mimics expanding foam. The quenching of the lava causes rapid degassing of the molten lava which bubbles like crazy and the temperature of the water quenches it. That's why pumice is so unique. But because of the quenching, the silica in the rock essentially "freeze" with jagged edges all over as it splatters.

Probably more than you wanted/needed to know, but I think red/black basalt (or what people tend to call lava rock) will work better for biobeds and aquascaping.


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