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Posted by John DeBoo on September 20, 2007, 10:56 pm
Please log in for more thread options Once I settle on an aquarium, I'd like to add some Shale and Lava rocks
from our local area to create a nice looking setting and to provide some
'hiding' space for any fish wanting to do so. I know that this not
recommended due to possible contamination issues. HOWEVER - if these
items were soaked in say a 5% or 10% solution of bleach, then thoroughly
soaked & rinsed, would they likely be OK from contaminates and perhaps
minerals(?), or should I simply bite the bullet and pay a heavy price
for features from my local fish store? I'll use whatever gravel comes
with the set up and would really like to make it look nice inside,
however the safety of my little finned friends is more important than
the use of local rocks.
Thoughts, comments, absolutes?
Grandpa John
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Posted by Jeffrey St. Clair, Ph.D. on September 20, 2007, 11:45 pm
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IMHO, I would just boil your rocks for about 30 minutes. Botulinum, the
bacteria which causes botulism lives adundantly in common dirt. It takes
roughly 20 minutes to kill the bacteria, so you could do 30 just for good
measure if you want. ;) If the rocks are two big, you can bake them at 300
degrees for an hour. Does the same thing.
Also, I wouldn't recomend shale as it composed of clay and sometimes can
release petroleum into the water. Lava rocks work great. Limestone also
great. Holey Rock, which is limestone, is also a great option and really
cheap on ebay. It might raise your pH a tiny bit, but you can monitor that
pretty easily.
> Once I settle on an aquarium, I'd like to add some Shale and Lava rocks
> from our local area to create a nice looking setting and to provide some
> 'hiding' space for any fish wanting to do so. I know that this not
> recommended due to possible contamination issues. HOWEVER - if these
> items were soaked in say a 5% or 10% solution of bleach, then thoroughly
> soaked & rinsed, would they likely be OK from contaminates and perhaps
> minerals(?), or should I simply bite the bullet and pay a heavy price for
> features from my local fish store? I'll use whatever gravel comes with
> the set up and would really like to make it look nice inside, however the
> safety of my little finned friends is more important than the use of local
> rocks.
>
> Thoughts, comments, absolutes?
>
> Grandpa John
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Posted by John DeBoo on September 21, 2007, 12:13 am
Please log in for more thread options Jeffrey St. Clair, Ph.D. wrote:
> IMHO, I would just boil your rocks for about 30 minutes. Botulinum, the
> bacteria which causes botulism lives adundantly in common dirt. It takes
> roughly 20 minutes to kill the bacteria, so you could do 30 just for good
> measure if you want. ;) If the rocks are two big, you can bake them at 300
> degrees for an hour. Does the same thing.
That'd work for me. These are no more than 6" max dia, probably closer
to 4" - the pieces of lava rock.
> Also, I wouldn't recomend shale as it composed of clay and sometimes can
> release petroleum into the water. Lava rocks work great. Limestone also
> great. Holey Rock, which is limestone, is also a great option and really
> cheap on ebay. It might raise your pH a tiny bit, but you can monitor that
> pretty easily.
Ahhh, didn't think of that with the Shale. I liked it because it was
fairly thin and would make a nice platform on top of the lava as well as
a somewhat secure hiding place for the fish. Maybe we have some
limestone or sandstone around locally I can use. If not I'll likely buy
at a store. I was going to use some "Desert Rose" (Gypsum) but found
it'd likely fall apart in water over time sooo...
We have some really nice red & black granite here too and I'd thought of
using it as the gravel as it would look nice, then remembered all the
work required to crush it. Plus I had a concern with the sharp edges.
Rocks & minerals are another of my hobbies and I'm a novice at it too.
Grandpa John
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Posted by Jeffrey St. Clair, Ph.D. on September 21, 2007, 9:12 am
Please log in for more thread options
Hi John,
Nice to meet a fellow rock fan as well! :) You could also find a nice flat
slab of marble or slate, shale's harder cousin. ;) Do you have any landscape
supply shops near by? They usually sell in bulk to home builders and pool
builders, but it's been my experience they'll let you have a dozen rocks for
around 10 bucks.
> Jeffrey St. Clair, Ph.D. wrote:
>> IMHO, I would just boil your rocks for about 30 minutes. Botulinum, the
>> bacteria which causes botulism lives adundantly in common dirt. It takes
>> roughly 20 minutes to kill the bacteria, so you could do 30 just for good
>> measure if you want. ;) If the rocks are two big, you can bake them at
>> 300 degrees for an hour. Does the same thing.
>
> That'd work for me. These are no more than 6" max dia, probably closer to
> 4" - the pieces of lava rock.
>
>> Also, I wouldn't recomend shale as it composed of clay and sometimes can
>> release petroleum into the water. Lava rocks work great. Limestone also
>> great. Holey Rock, which is limestone, is also a great option and really
>> cheap on ebay. It might raise your pH a tiny bit, but you can monitor
>> that pretty easily.
>
> Ahhh, didn't think of that with the Shale. I liked it because it was
> fairly thin and would make a nice platform on top of the lava as well as a
> somewhat secure hiding place for the fish. Maybe we have some limestone
> or sandstone around locally I can use. If not I'll likely buy at a store.
> I was going to use some "Desert Rose" (Gypsum) but found it'd likely fall
> apart in water over time sooo...
>
> We have some really nice red & black granite here too and I'd thought of
> using it as the gravel as it would look nice, then remembered all the work
> required to crush it. Plus I had a concern with the sharp edges. Rocks &
> minerals are another of my hobbies and I'm a novice at it too.
>
> Grandpa John
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Posted by John DeBoo on September 21, 2007, 2:18 pm
Please log in for more thread options Hi Jeff, I never thought of the landscaping places. Good lead, thanks!
I went to our local fish store this AM to get crickets for our
little toad and snooped at aquariums etc. I noted they had all manner
of different rocks, starting at $2.99/lb for the same lava rocks I
picked up for free along the road<G>.
I'm wondering if the pieces I got are slate instead of shale. Have to
look closer at my books. Whatever it is it's flat, dark gray in color
and splits fairly easily lengthwise. You can see the grain lines
running lengthwise. As time passes I'll learn a lot more about rocks
and fish both and do a much better job of describing and IDing them.
Grandpa John
Jeffrey St. Clair, Ph.D. wrote:
> Hi John,
>
> Nice to meet a fellow rock fan as well! :) You could also find a nice flat
> slab of marble or slate, shale's harder cousin. ;) Do you have any landscape
> supply shops near by? They usually sell in bulk to home builders and pool
> builders, but it's been my experience they'll let you have a dozen rocks for
> around 10 bucks.
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> from our local area to create a nice looking setting and to provide some
> 'hiding' space for any fish wanting to do so. I know that this not
> recommended due to possible contamination issues. HOWEVER - if these
> items were soaked in say a 5% or 10% solution of bleach, then thoroughly
> soaked & rinsed, would they likely be OK from contaminates and perhaps
> minerals(?), or should I simply bite the bullet and pay a heavy price for
> features from my local fish store? I'll use whatever gravel comes with
> the set up and would really like to make it look nice inside, however the
> safety of my little finned friends is more important than the use of local
> rocks.
>
> Thoughts, comments, absolutes?
>
> Grandpa John