Safe Aquascape Rocks..Feather Stone?

[Jamie]

I'm to the point of formulating an aquascape for my 150. I already have three nice large pieces of driftwood and 150lbs of fluorite. I would like to Have a nice sized rock or two in there as well. I went to Home Depot to see what they had and came across a couple that looked promising. One was called "feather stone" and the other was "flag stone". I am very leary of what I buy so that I don't upset my water conditions. The flag stone seemed harmless- like it may be some form of sand stone. I have no idea about the feather stone...which of course is the one I like. ANy input on either of these would be helpful. Thanks

-Jamie

[Matt W]

I am not familiar with the feather stone, but I can confirm that flag stone is OK for your tank. I would not recommend getting it at home depot though. At least at my home depot they charge per the piece. They were charging 4.00 or so a piece. I went to my local landscaping supply company (look up "Rocks - Decorative or Landscaping" in the yellow pages) and got the flag stone at .15 a pound. I got 12 large rocks totalling about 65 pounds for about 10 bucks...

[Jamie]

Thanks, I actually just got a lead to a local landscaping company/quarry from the guy at Home Depot. I did a little more research and found out that feather "rock" is suitable for the aquarium. It is an inert volcanic rock and contains minimal sulphates. It is extremely light (though sinkable), shapeable and IMO is very attractive. It is a bit pricey costing $8 per rock. Though the rocks are of a substantial size. For anyone looking into rocks for aquascaping a larger tank...I would consider checking these out. Flag Stone is much cheaper though.

[BluEyes]

I just collect basalt from all around here. It's grey and angular - they often use it for fill along highways. I just wash it off, boil it, and put it in. No problems so far, and you can find some pretty dramatic-looking rocks for free.