What kind of rocks do you use for your tanks and where do you get them?

iamzrad

iamzrad

Members
I get mine from my stream in my back yard! I just look for the smoothest ones I can find, wash and scrub them with hot water and a little vinegar mix, rinse with cold water and in the tank they go.
 
DonkeyFish

DonkeyFish

Members
Hey Paul!! Looks like we're on the same track... I've got a source for a boatload of freshly dug up rock, just trying to figure out how to tell if they're "fish safe"!

I'll ask here too. Although rock that works ok for Cichlids may not for others. Anybody know how to test a found rock for suitability? I've heard about pouring vinegar over a rock to see if it bubbles, but there seem to be some details missing. What kind of vinegar? Soak the rock or just pour it over? If it does bubble, what exactly does that mean? I know it's said that Limestone is no good for anything other than hardwater high pH use, is that the rock which bubbles under vinegar? Are all other rocks one might find around here otherwise safe?

Oh the questions!!
 
danger_chicken

danger_chicken

Swim Fishy Swim!
TheWire said:
i got mine from Patapsco River....them round river rocks...
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That's were I get mine. I soak them in a bleach solution and then scrub them with a stiff brush and rinse and dose with prime. I've read to stay away for the rocks with metallic particles in them like mica.
 
T

TheWire

Members
danger_chicken said:
That's were I get mine. I soak them in a bleach solution and then scrub them with a stiff brush and rinse and dose with prime. I've read to stay away for the rocks with metallic particles in them like mica.
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ya..if they look shinny with sparkles on it...avoid those
 
Lively

Lively

Members
I thought it was muratic acid you used to test for calcium? I think? I don't remember the mineral now - but it will make your water hard.

I use blue slate - lucky me has several deposits in my yard that I collect from.
 
fischfan13

fischfan13

Banned
The last time that I needed a large amount of rocks I went to one of the cement/block/landscape wholesalers up here in Jersey. I was charged one cent per pound for river rock...269 lbs for $2.69.
After I brought the rocks home I placed them into a large rubbermaid garbage container in the yard. I added a few capfuls of bleach and filled with water. The following day I added fresh water from the garden hose and kept adding until the water was clear...I did this for three days.
Afterwards I took the rocks out and let them dry in the sun.
Now this was about 7 years ago or so...so the price of rocks would be a bit more. I have a huge problem, especially living in NJ, with using rocks from any of the streams or ponds here...
 
dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
Landscape stores are a great source for rocks. Back in Cali, I had an old pick-up (73 GMC Stepside - I miss her) and would go to the landscape/gravel place and fill the bed with river rocks for like $10-15. Slate, Mexican Pot Rock (aka Texas holey rock), limestone, etc. were like 30-40 cents per pound, less in bulk.

With rock that's not from a waterway, I've always just rined in a bucket of tap water to get the dirt and small pieces off. Bleach is a good idea for water from waterways.

Regular white vinegar will test for calcium carbonate in rocks. Limestone will fizz (as will baking soda)...which means that it will buffer the water (good for some cichlids).

A fun science trick is to add some baking soda and vinegar together in a glass and cover the top with a platic bag. The CO2 produced will put out a match!

I use strictly flowerpots and PVC in my tanks. Much easier to keep clean :)
 
Lively

Lively

Members
I didn't know that plain old vinegar would test for calcium carbonate (I knew it was calcuim something lol - long day in the heat fried my brain!) I was going to test some rock but couldn't find muratic acid - guess I can do that now!
 
P

Paul S

New Member
There's a place near BWI called The Stone Store which I may check out tomorrow morning. I'm looking for something interesting for the rescape of my (90G planted) tank. A lot of the GWAPA members like something we refer to "Porous Mossy Rock" which is actually a form of basalt but unfortunately, it is not locally available and hard to find. Scales use to get it... :(
 
Tony

Tony

Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
I picked up most of my rock on the side of the road headed up the PA turnpike. Wherever they've cut through the hillside, you can find some cool flat-ish rocks (sort of slate-ee). Also old bits and pieces of patio slate I've amassed over the years.

But then again, my 110 is not very natural looking. Sort of the standard cichlid condominium with flat rocks stacked staggered for hiding spots.

Think I may redo the rocks to get more eroded, late-looking when I move them over to the 180.
 
A

AlishanAS

Guest
Back in the 80's I used to live near a store that provided headstones. It was located across the street from a very large cemetery. :angel2:

I passed by one day and there was a broken up gray granite headstone sitting outside their fence.. you can guess the rest of the story.:eek:

I still have all the pieces left and have used them in my tanks on and off over the years.
 
mscichlid

mscichlid

Founder
minifoot77 said:
what about the sparkley stuff in some rocks is it all bad or will it fuzz up with vinegar too?
Click to expand...

Sometimes it's mica and sometimes it's not. The rocks I prefer that are inert are slate and quartz. The black rocks on side of the road used as rip rap work, too. But I don't know what it is.
 
P

Paul S

New Member
I picked up some nice pink and white rocks from The Stone Store near BWI (they also had the same stone in white/gray and just white). I think it might be some sort of granite. It was .25 per lb. It looks nice wet and should contrast nicely with the black substrate and plants.
 
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