Doug Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 I'm going to be getting a 4foot tank sometime soon, and want to start collecting some rocks for it, not to use as substrate, but to make hiding places for fish. what kind of rocks are appropriate for an aquarium? and where can they be found? anyone in hamilton have a favourite place to collect them from? Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTam22 Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 I found some awesome ones at the beach last weekend 8) - I haven't put them in yet but apparently all you have to do is boil them and they should be fine. Beach might not be the easiest idea though :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishkeepa Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 I was told they should be ok just give em a boil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 I have never boiled any rocks I have put in my aquariums, just scrubbed the muck off. Depends where you collect them of course. There may be residual farm sprays or stuff on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damiana Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Depends on what kind of tank you're doing. If you're doing a hardwater setup, there's a lot of really cheap schist to be found. One good place is down at a wholesale landscaping place in Cambridge. You buy it by the kilo. I think I have about $20 worth, and its completely filled a 4 ft long tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Why buy rocks when you are surrounded by free ones? :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rory Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Why buy rocks when you are surrounded by free ones? :-? I agree, i managet to pinch off with one of my mums spare slate tiles! Cost $0.00 Shist might be hard to find lying around in hamilton, its mostly volcanic there isn't in??? any way you could make cool hiding structures out of concrete, driftwood, etc etc I must admit making hiding structures look good is harder than you think. But good luck and make sure you post some pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted July 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 thanks for the tips guys. any types of rocks to avoid, I'm going for a general comunity tank with ph 6.8, or as close as i can keep it. gimme a month or two to ge the tank setup and some fish in it and i will post up some pics. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keri Anne Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Avoid the volcanic rock if you can as it 's known to be high in iron which can be harmfull to fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRSkz Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 I get all my rocks from my "Southland Sand and Gravel" and I've managed to get a shopping bag full for only a buck or two. I never boil either, just give them a wash and in they go. Haven't had any problems yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 I'd go down to the Waikato River, and pick yourself a nice selection. The standard grey river rocks are fine, I just let mine dry out and spray with hose, and run over with an old tooth brush. Try to get flat ones for roofs and tall squareish ones for walls if you plan on building any caves. Flat rock slates are fantastic for roofs if you can find any. Only real rock that'd cause you any concern that I could think of would be limestone. If you have any rocks you're suspicious of, poor vinegar on them, if it fuzzes a little then don't use it, otherwise its fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTam22 Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 If you have any rocks you're suspicious of, poor vinegar on them, if it fuzzes a little then don't use it, otherwise its fine. Can I ask what the vinger clashes with to make it fizz? :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Can I ask what the vinger clashes with to make it fizz? :roll:Lime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Lime makes it fizz and lime will raise your pH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Which isn't necessarily a bad thing as most tanks PH tends to drop due to acids in fish waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 I have three large pieces of marble in one tank and the fish and plant are doing OK. It depends on what kind of fish you want to keep,what you feed and how often you water change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted July 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 i belive it is the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) that reacts to the acid in vinegar. limestone breaks down quite easily in water, and I would imagine the consant PH swings would be a bad thing. I just changed all the substrate in my 20L tank when I found out it was causing the PH to rise form 6.8 to 8 everytime i changed the water. I didnt want to have that kind of problem in my new tank, so guess i will collect a bunch of rocks and soak them in water overnight and test the PH of the water see if it changes. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoandWilly Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 There's a great place in hamz called captain compost, they have all types of rock's under the sun, they are located in frankton if anyones wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Definitely do the vinegar test if you're in any doubt. Or yeah, leave them in a bucket of water for a few days and test the pH of the water. But also keep a bucket of plain water as a 'control'... some tap water will change its pH after it's been left to settle for a few days so you need to know what's the rock effect and what's just the water doing its thing. I believe bottle # 1 in a nitrate test kit is hydrochloric acid so you should also be able to get some nice fizzing with that if you get bored with the vinegar :lol: If you're doing the fizz test, be sure to test any whitish lines in the rocks. Sometimes a patterned rock is made up of layers of lots of different stuff and it all has different properties. Personally I like nice smooth dark river rocks and I always think it's a good idea to boil them. Better safe than sorry! (*has visions of 'rock snot' invading her tank* eeeewwww!) On the other hand I don't know how you would make places for the fish to hide using roundish river stones. I use driftwood for the hiding places and rocks just for decoration. Good luck and have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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