Can I use this in the aquarium?

[xStatic 93]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section - I wasn't sure where to post

I found this rock a couple days ago on a hike and I was wondering if it would be okay to place it in my tank? I believe it's mostly Quartz but obviously there are some other types of rocks/minerals incorporated in the rock. I am a little weary of the red coloration because I thought it might be iron in the rock?

I read somewhere to pour vinegar over the rock and if it doesn't react it should be safe to place in the aquarium. Is that true? If I could use it that would be great because it's a very pretty rock! It's quite large as well, about 6x4x3inches.

[koko 14,340]

Yes hun it does work.. if it starts to bubble dont use it

[xStatic 93]

Yes hun it does work.. if it starts to bubble dont use it

 

Okay, thank you! I will do that now  

[shakaho 6,312]

It looks like it has a lot of sharp edges.

[xStatic 93]

It looks like it has a lot of sharp edges.

It's a little jagged, although nothing sharp enough that I would be uncomfortable rubbing the palms of my hands over. I found it in a stream so I guess some of the edges have been worn smooth by the water, but there are some edges that aren't smooth (I wouldn't really call them sharp though). Do you think the fish will hurt themselves on it? 

It passed the vinegar test and then I poured boiling water over it. I have to go to work soon so I will leave it on my desk to cool and decide what to do with it when I get home tonight!

Edited June 1, 2016 by xStatic

[shelbysfish 370]

 

It looks like it has a lot of sharp edges.

It's a little jagged, although nothing sharp enough that I would be uncomfortable rubbing the palms of my hands over. I found it in a stream so I guess some of the edges have been worn smooth by the water, but there are some edges that aren't smooth (I wouldn't really call them sharp though). Do you think the fish will hurt themselves on it? 

It passed the vinegar test and then I poured boiling water over it. I have to go to work soon so I will leave it on my desk to cool and decide what to do with it when I get home tonight!

 

 

What kind of goldfish do you have?

Maybe you could file down the edges, smooth them out.

[xStatic 93]

 

 

It looks like it has a lot of sharp edges.

It's a little jagged, although nothing sharp enough that I would be uncomfortable rubbing the palms of my hands over. I found it in a stream so I guess some of the edges have been worn smooth by the water, but there are some edges that aren't smooth (I wouldn't really call them sharp though). Do you think the fish will hurt themselves on it? 

It passed the vinegar test and then I poured boiling water over it. I have to go to work soon so I will leave it on my desk to cool and decide what to do with it when I get home tonight!

 

 

What kind of goldfish do you have?

Maybe you could file down the edges, smooth them out.

 

I just have orandas and fantails, so they're pretty tough fish. I think I'll try to sand down the more sharp edges, but overall it's not too bad. 

[Acro 675]

A file and sandpaper will make everything good.  I do it all the time. 

[KimA. 55]

Make sure you boil that sucker. Looks like there's a lot  of  pockets  for  bacteria.   Nice looking  rock.

Edited June 30, 2016 by KimA.

[Jeana727 952]

I have one that is very similar to it. I have several good sized river rocks that my son found & brought to be years ago. I washed them (scrub brush & water) then boiled them for awhile in a big soup pot!

[AquaAurora 357]

The vinegar test shows the rock will raise pH. Bubbling does not have anything to do with/lack of iron.

quoted from another forum

What is the vinegar test?
The vinegar test could be more accurately called the acid test, as any acid will work, and the stronger the acid, the better the test. What you are doing with the vinegar test is place a few drops of an acid onto a rock to test for the presence of carbonate (CO3-) or bicarbonate (HCO3-) anions.

How do I preform this test?
Take the rock in question and put vinegar, or another acid, on it. If it fizzes (very much like how soda fizzes) you have a rock that contains either carbonate or bicarbonate. The stronger the acid, the lower the level of carbonate or bicarbonate you can detect and the more obvious of a reaction you will have. The API Master Test Kit nitrate Bottle 1 contains an acid perfect for this test. 3-5 drops is all you would need if using this bottle.

Why do I care about carbonate and bicarbonate?
Carbonate and bicarbonate will buffer your pH to a pH of 8.3. It will not allow it to get much lower than that and will provide stability and protection against sudden swings in pH. For more information on pH and how carbonates effect it see this article by Bass Master: GH, KH, and pH

Are carbonate and bicarbonate good for my aquarium?
In many instances I would say yes. Because they provide stability, which is much more important than a specific number for pH to most fish, it is not a bad idea to keep rocks that have carbonate or bicarbonate in them. There are also a number of fish (including African Cichlids) that prefer a pH slightly over 8. The only times it would be a bad idea, in my opinion, would be if your tap (or other source) water already had a high pH, or you have fish that are very sensitive to pH and prefer a lower pH.

This is based on 2 years of geology classes. If anyone has any comments or if I have any glaring errors please point them out and I will fix them in this post.

 

I'm not sure that there is a freshwater test for iron, Seachem has one for saltwater.. and googling I see a little meter to check iron but not sure if you'd want to spend that much $ to test a rock.

 

For what its worth I used rose quarts in a tank with dwarf shrimp (very sensitive critters) before without issue. 

When I get new rocks I test my tap then put rocks in a clean plastic bucket+ tap and let them sit for 3-7 days then test again.  I check pH, gh, kh, and tds (but this does not show iron content).  I ended up not being able to use some stunning 'zebra rock' in my shrimp tank as its pure magnesium and calcium which shot my gh and kh off the chart!

 

Btw its dangerous to boil or bake rocks, if there are any air pockets in the rocks they could explode, so please be careful about heating them.

Edited June 30, 2016 by AquaAurora

[xStatic 93]

Thanks all I've had it in the tank now for a while with no ill-effects. I don't think it's going to do any harm. I didn't boil or bake it, just simply poured a kettle of boiling water over the surface of the rock to heat it up and then I left it to cool. The fish don't mind it and and I really like the way it looks.

[Mernany 3,708]

I'm at a time when the first place I have no clue who I was in my room for a long way in the

[FredTheGoldfish 174]

What does it look like in your tank? Photos?

[Helen 8,511]

What does it look like in your tank? Photos?

 

yes, you read my mind! please show what it looks like in your tank, i am really impressed with this rock you found i like it's natural earthy look. if you're not sitting it on substrate, you may want to find something suitable to rest it on in the tank. years ago i came back from the ocean beach with a beautiful rock, put it in my tank (barebottom) and cleaned each week by just shifting it around. it created many scratches on the glass and thanks to a goldfish tooth which was caught under it, a nice big gouge. 

[Jeana727 952]

Where's The Pics

[xStatic 93]

Whoops, sorry I missed the comments on this thread!

[Acro 675]

Is the driftwood suspended?  If so, how did you do it?

[xStatic 93]

Is the driftwood suspended? If so, how did you do it?

It's just floating I would actually like for it to eventually sink but so far it hasn't budged from the surface.

[Daniel E. 10,021]

I agree with not boiling the rock. Just for a future note. I'll say I have multiple rocks that look a lot like that one in my take I harvested around my property. I've have some of them for as much as a year and have not had problems form the rocks.

Sent from my Z963VL using Tapatalk

[FishyMandy 6,277]

It looks great in your tank!

I've had rocks I found around the yard in my tank before with no ill effects I heard that same thing about boiling them though

[AquaAurora 357]

 

Is the driftwood suspended? If so, how did you do it?

It's just floating I would actually like for it to eventually sink but so far it hasn't budged from the surface.

 

Is it a cedar?  I have a red cedar for over 4 years in my 55g and its been screwed to a large river stone.  If I unscrew it it'll still shoot to the surface.  The wood use to be underwater a man made for over 60 years before I got it.

Only good woods that think instantly are malaysian and mopani.  Manzanita and ghostwood will sink after a bit of soaking/.boiling, along with other hardwoods

 

Note to anyone considering using cedar in a tank: don't use cedar if it still smells like cedar-the sap (gives its smell) has anaerobic qualities and will harm respiratory system of fish (don't think it'll play nice with beneficial bacteria either).  Also have a way to weigh it down permanently, it'll never sink (unless its a 40+lbs monster stump, then maybe).