Is this rock safe for my tank???!!??

[iljadej]

Hey everyone, I saw these rocks outside of the mcdonalds parking lot once and then also in my neighbors front yard, they are the perfect size and I think would look great inside my tank. Do you know what kind of rock it is and if it is safe for my fish????? Thank you.

 

[AquaticAustin]

No expert here but I would think if you washed them really well, maybe even boil/bake them they should be fine.

 

[Dburgess1231]

definitely. just throw them in a pot and boil them for a while.

 

[TL1000RSquid]

Don't know what those are or if they're safe, but boiling rocks can be very bad certain types of rocks can explode when boiled.

 

[dundadundun]

be careful boil/baking them. if they're allowed to cool rapidly they could potentially crack/break/explode. bleach/rinse/dechlor/dry/let sit until bleach smell is long gone would work just fine.

by the looks of them - safe - prior river rocks...

for more definite answer... scrape/scrub/bang them together and see if they're soft, crumble or otherwise something that could easily leach. pouring vinegar or h2o2 (household peroxide) on them and seeing if they react would also give clues of their chemical makeup and if they'd be workable.

 

[Dburgess1231]

yeah dont boil it for a long time. just drop into boiling water then take it out. just to "blanch" it to kill anything that may be on it.

 

[dundadundun]

yeah dont boil it for a long time. just drop into boiling water then take it out. just to "blanch" it to kill anything that may be on it.

incorrect - 15 minutes at over 170 degrees Fahrenheit is what's known to kill most nasties. this temperature must be this as deep into the substance as nasties can be harbored for the entire 15 minutes. for rocks, this would be as deep as the surface pours. for organic substances, this would be core temperature.

 

[Dburgess1231]

sorry i just dont see 15mins as a long time XD i was saying dont throw them in for several hours haha

 

[dundadundun]

gotcha!

 

[jpappy789]

I'm an advocate of just bleaching rocks myself...