Lava Rock

[Leopardess]

Stupid question for ya:


I am in the middle of setting up another ten gallon tank for my betta and perhaps some glolite tetras, and I wanted to build the back up with some lava rock. My question is, is the kind that you buy for grills the right kind? I guess I had never even realized that lava rock was used on grills...never heard of it. So, I bought a bag in the barbecue section of a hardware store...is this okay to use? I imagine it wasn't treated with anything....

 

[lilsilkk1112]

Hrm.. Lava Rock? Haven't heard of it, but I'd like to be informed, so I hope someone replies.

What exactly is it?! Charcoal?! I dont think that'd work, so it has to be something else, right?

 

[Leopardess]

No, its similar. You can put well washed coal in a tank for decorations, btw, at least according to all my fish books.

 

[lilsilkk1112]

Wow, interesting! Thanks for the knowledge.

 

[rml2314]

Don't kno much bout lava rock so I did some searching on the net and judging it by the minerals in it:

Mineral Content

Nitrate Nitrogen.................................4.0 p.p.m.
Phosphorus........................................6.0 p.p.m.
Potassium.........................................59.0 p.p.m.
Zinc.........................................................6 p.p.m.
Iron..................................................10.0+ p.p.m.
Copper...............................................5.5+ p.p.m.
Magnesium.......................................2.0+ p.p.m.
Boron.................................................10.0 p.p.m.
Sulfate.................................................7.0 p.p.m.
Organic Material...........................................5%
PH.........................................................8.2 Units
Calcium..................................1.3 Meq/100 gm*
Manganese...........................0.6 Meq/100 gm*
Sodium...................................0.1 Meq/100 gm*
Cation Exchange Capacity..3.2 Meq/100 gm*
* Milli-Equivalent per 100 grams

I would personally not put these in my tank for it has a lot of metals in it. I also think you're going to struggle a bit with PH. This is what I think, not what I know.

PS: No question is a stoopid question!!!!!!!!

 

[Leopardess]

Hmm, first, thanks for taking the time to look that up.
second, I believe I have heard of people using it before, I just didn't know if the kind that was packaged for grilling would work.

See, it says in my book, "Aquarium Designs: Inspired By Nature" "Lava rock, or broken peices of lava rock can be used to create an unusual substrate." Granted, I'm going to use it as a "wall " in the back....

So, now I'm even more confused...Anyone else who knows can you please speak up?

 

[dana307]

I used it in my turtle and fish tank for a turtle basking place. Seemed to be fine but that was before I owned my own test kits. Checked the water at the LFS once a month or so and nothing showed up. I had to silicone pieces together to get height for the turtle. From what I read up on BEFORE using it, I read somewhere (can't remember where) that is was okay to use in tanks. Can be rough so be careful if you have corys or loaches.

 

[dana307]

More info. Guess I got curious myself.

For use in FILTERS, one web site says, Lava rock isn't a great media as the inner pores will clog and start to channel water, cutting down on available surface area. All this provides a massive surface area for the bacteria to establish themselves. Another says not to use in saltwater tanks,... Some types of rocks that are placed in the tank, for instance some types of lava rock, some decorations and equipment used, and so on may leach copper into the system as well.

For ponds, I found this: The outside biological filter can be homemade or you can purchase a commercial unit. ....... I strongly suggest using plastic media. Second best is lava rock. ANOTHER site says.... Suitable types of rocks for the aquarium include lava, sandstone, slate, granite, basalt, and quartz. Didn't find much discouraging except for use in salt tanks.

 

[1979camaro]

ive seen it for sale in the lfs...i think the key is whether it will leach said chemicals into the water in a harfmul quantity...i presume if you did water changes as usual it wouldnt be a problem, though the ph could be an issue...as far as prep i would definitely boil it for a good while...lord knows whats on it

Kevin

 

[Leopardess]

okay...thanks for all the info guys and gals I appreciate it. That said, I think I will boil some tonight and then work on siliconing it together to make the shape I want tomorrow. I'll be sure to keep checking the water parameters after I put it in. Plus, right now the tank is empty, so if something bad happens I can just take it out. I'll let you guys know if I see a change.

If anyone has anything contrary to the statments above, speak up now because it's goin' in tomorrow!

 

[Dogsby]

From everything I have read and heard, its ok to use lava rock in fw tanks. has lots of places for bacteria to live in, but it can cut fish up pretty badly.
Shawn

 

[Leopardess]

okay great. The fact that its sharp shouldn't be an issue, because I am an getting it as a base upon which to grow some christmass moss and java moss....thanks again all

 

[Jawz]

ok lets get some experience here, i have lava rock in my tank, 35 gallon tank, i got about 20 lbs in there for about 6 months, my ph and nitrate levels are all constant, fish are perfectly fine, i keep up on my maintenance and regular water changes. Futhermore i have it in my power filter for biofiltration, i made my own filter packed with lava rock and it really worked, it helped cycle a friends tank realllllly fast. hth

 

[Leopardess]

YES! Thank you very much! I knew I had heard of people using it before...I didn't think I was going crazy, although one can never be too sure... Did you do anything special to it before you used it and did you get yours at a lfs or like I did, which was in a bag designated for grills?

 

[Jawz]

i bought mine off of ebay, pretty cheap too, i dunno the guy said he bleached it and stuff, i dunno i just washed it and declorinated it and threw it in the tank, cycled the tank and put my fish in.

 

[Leopardess]

alright, well, I decided to boil mine. I have it boiling now...and it smells suspiciously like a barbecue! Is it just that this is what the rock smells like when its hot - and that makes the barbecue smell, or what? I would have thought that if it were treated with something that it would say so on the package, right? Actually, on the back, it has a chart of lava rock compared to things like charcoal and wood, and where it says "wood flavor," lava rock is a "no." That leads me to believe it should be just pure lava rock...geez, I wish they just sold this stuff at the petstore!

 

[fishysmell]

I had some in my 24 gallon for about a year before I started thinking it looked stupid. It was the stuff at the hardware store like you have. I used nearly the whole bag and made a big pile. Never screwed up any of the chemistry. The only problem is it collects fish waste really fast and can trap it causing the nitrates to go up but if you don't mind cleaning it about once a month its fine. I hope that helps.

Just wash it before you throw it in to get the dust off. I don't think boiling is necissary but if you already did then I guess that doesn't matter.

 

[dana307]

I bought the kind for the grill and just gave it a good rinse. Hot boiling water couldn't hurt though, right?

 

[Leopardess]

yeah, I finished boiling it and started siliconing peices together...it looked awesome, I had the exact shape I wanted. Then after dinner, I went over to it, lightly touched a rock, and it fell off. The adhsive (silicone) didn't stick! I wonder if it just wasn't dry yet (the rock, that is)...I'll try it again tomorrow. thanks for the info dana