[logan22]

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]

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

 

[Diztrbd1]

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

 

[logan22]

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

 

[gklaw]

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]

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]

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

 

[cichlid]

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]

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]

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

 

[gimlid]

Iron will show as a reddish colour I am told