info on rocks...

melissadotson

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parkersburg wv

Mar 24, 2011

• #1

i have my 55gal. cichlid tank up and running ..but i would love to add some rocks and drift wood..i live close to the ohio river..and can get plenty of wood..but can i use rocks from there too? if so do i have to boil those too? or how do you prepare them for a tank?...thanks for any info...:thm:

 

TabisFish

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Jan 21, 2011

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Tabi Underwood

Mar 24, 2011

• #2

Yep. Just scrape the crud off of them with a toothbrush, then boil them to disinfect

 

OrionGirl

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Sheila

Mar 24, 2011

• #3

Know your rock...I would put a sedimentary rock in. Something that's been polished smooth and round in the river is likely safe, but double check before adding it.

 

W

wpgfish

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winnipeg, canada

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TROY

Mar 24, 2011

• #4

be careful boiling rock as some rock have air pockets and they can blow up. the best way that i have found is to scrub them then put them in water with some bleach and the next day put them in water with prime. prime kills off the bleach

 

Coler

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Mar 24, 2011

• #5

What kind of cichlids are you keeping ? Rocks can affect the water conditions in your tank, Ph & hardness in particular.

 

melissadotson

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parkersburg wv

Mar 24, 2011

• #6

munba speices ..like yellow labs, acies , red zebras...i also have a pair of calvus...

 

Coler

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Mar 24, 2011

• #7

Nothing to worry about - rocks from a river or elsewhere will be fine. Limestone/slate stuff like that will buffer your water nicely.

I wouldn't bother boiling them - hot water, very, very, very mild bleach solution, and a thorough rinse afterwards = good to go.

(have to ask - calvus are in separate tank to the mbuna ?)

 

Inglorious

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Cedar Rapids, IA

Mar 24, 2011

• #8

You can try dumping some vinegar on them to see if there's a reaction. If it bubbles then you probably don't want to use them, otherwise they should be ok.

 

SubRosa

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Mar 24, 2011

• #9

Inglorious said:

You can try dumping some vinegar on them to see if there's a reaction. If it bubbles then you probably don't want to use them, otherwise they should be ok.

Click to expand...

The vinegar test is just a test for limestone. Limestone can increase pH and hardness, but that would be a benefit for Rift Lake fish.

 

Coler

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Mar 25, 2011

• #10

^ exactly

And if you've already got super hard water, its just a nice buffer.