Can I use this rock?

L

LiquidSmokeGTS

AC Members
Jan 19, 2005
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I recently picked up this rock from the LFS. I noticed there's green/orange/white/black stuff all over part of it. Is this rock ok to use in my tank? I've only rinsed it with water so far. This side will be against the back of the tank the other side is grey and is slightly smoother and doesn't have any of this stuff on it. Should I do any other special cleaning to it?

Thanks!
 
Hard to tell from the pic., but I'd say it's algae. You could boil it if you have a pot big enough and turn it over a few times. Try to pick off what you can and just put it in the tank. Keep an eye on your nitrates, as the dead or dying algae will polute your water a bit. You may have to do more frequent water changes till it's gone for a couple of weeks. I put a big lava rock in my tank after hosing it down. It was too big to boil. I found that after about 4 days all the algae was gone....think my fish ate it.
 
Yes think so, boil it for a while, tryed just giving it a scrub?
 
Judging by those pictures, I would have to believe that that is not lava rock but a composit rock. It looks like it has been exposed to weather for some time. I would have to say that those black and yellow patches on that rock are not algea but lichens and/or molds. Have you put vinager on it to make sure it is safe for an aquarium? If it is safe, scrub it down and boil it really well. It should be fine.
 
Boiling it now. I'll have to do one end and then the other because of the size. I haven't heavily scrubbed it yet, just rinsed it and kinda picked at it. I'll try to find something to heavily scrub it with afterwards. What's the vinegar test? I am not familiar with this?

Thanks for the responses...
 
If you put a few drops of vinager on the rock and it sizzles, it is unsafe for your tank. (I know it tests for lyme, but I'm not sure what else. Vinager is also a great cleanser. Abigail Adams used to clean her house with it to prevent the family from getting smallpox.) Of course, rinse it well. :)
 
Boiled / Scrubbed

Well, I probably boiled this thing for almost 3 hours and scrubbed the hell out of it. Still some on there though, mostly the black stuff, anything bad should be dead hopefully?...I poured white vinegar on a portion of it and could not hear any sizzling from a holding distance, however if I put my ear right up to it I hear a very faint sizzling. Remember I got this at the LFS. The guy there said it shouldn't change my water and that I may just want to rinse it off so that it does not cloud my tank. What do you think?
 
If the vinigar sizzles and bubbles on the rock it is reacting to the acid. Water with a PH of less than 7 is acidic(soft). If the reactive rock is placed in this tank water, it will leach and change the water from acidic to hard - in effect raising the GH of the tank. Even in hard water a rock that fails the vinigar test will make the water harder. If you put the vinigar on the rock you will know if it is bubbling or not...very evident. If you can't tell, it's probably fine.
 
As long as it has been boiled and scrubbed, and it didn't react to the vinager, it should be fine. Sure, put it in. It is a great-looking rock. :)
 
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