Would it be alright if i were to find some cool rocks it my backyard or anywhere really, wash them off real good, and put them into my tank. Petco has some cool rocks with holes in them and all that but for $10 a piece it's a little pricey for me. Also what is the proper method for washing the gravel, decorations, and plants before putting them into your tank?
Rocks
- Thread starter Jdatphhs
- Start date
There's a few different topics on rocks here. Here is a recent one:
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33538
You can also use the search function at the top of the screen to find more. Good luck.
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33538
You can also use the search function at the top of the screen to find more. Good luck.
Most everything you just want to rinse in tap water and put in the tank. Rinsing things gets all the nasties off of them that may cloud your water...even things that you buy in a bag for your tank (like gravel etc)
Rocks...most rocks are OK for your tank, but not all. I'd be really hesitant to just pick them up out of the yard and use them. Think of all the things that could be on them...have you ever sprayed your yard with bug killer or weed killer? Have you ever given the dog a bath and soap could have gotten on the rock somehow? If you're looking for cheap rock, try some LFS have rocks cheap (not chain stores like Petco or Petsmart, they usually just have the plastic look-a-like rocks) or you can try a garden place.
IF you pick things up off the ground...I'd be sure to scrub the heck out of them maybe with a new toothbrush or just your hands, maybe soak them in a little bit of bleach mixed with water, then scrub some more and rinse with heavily dechlorinated water. You dont want to use any rocks that are like limestone, that fall apart real easy because they'll alter the chemistry in your tank and thats not good for the fish.
Rocks...most rocks are OK for your tank, but not all. I'd be really hesitant to just pick them up out of the yard and use them. Think of all the things that could be on them...have you ever sprayed your yard with bug killer or weed killer? Have you ever given the dog a bath and soap could have gotten on the rock somehow? If you're looking for cheap rock, try some LFS have rocks cheap (not chain stores like Petco or Petsmart, they usually just have the plastic look-a-like rocks) or you can try a garden place.
IF you pick things up off the ground...I'd be sure to scrub the heck out of them maybe with a new toothbrush or just your hands, maybe soak them in a little bit of bleach mixed with water, then scrub some more and rinse with heavily dechlorinated water. You dont want to use any rocks that are like limestone, that fall apart real easy because they'll alter the chemistry in your tank and thats not good for the fish.
Store-buying isn't always safe. Most LFS sell limestone (which is the main rock you want to avoid if you're worried about raising the PH) that people use in african cichlid tanks especially (to raise the PH). Knowing what the rock is will be the best thing - whether you're buying it or picking it up off the ground.
I went to a landscaping place down the street from me and talked to a guy you knew everything there was to know about rocks. I ended up getting some colorado river rocks that he said wouldn't break down in the water and should do just fine in fish tanks. They are nice looking round pieces in lots of different colors and it only cost 13cents a pound. I also got some driftwood to put in the tank at the lfs.