Help with these rocks.

Pretty sure they're all rocks. :roll:
Avoid anything that looks like it's rusting. The last one looks like a worn brick.

lol yea pretty sure myself, that last one is interesting i think.

Im going to boil them and scrub them and also steep them in hot water in the sink aswell.

Where are the rock experts on here?

They all look like rocks, and they all should be safe :thumb:

From a purely aesthetic viewpoint, I'd discard #9 and #10, simply because they look different. I prefer to have a more uniform look in my tank with all the same rocks, because it looks more natural.

In addition, the piece of slate (#9) is likely to have sharp edges that could injure the fish. It looks like it was used on a roof at some stage. #10 is a brick that had its edges rounded by being in the water for a long time. Essentially #9 and #10 are building rubble, that I wouldn't want in my tank, but beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder

Thanks for that info mate.

Yea i collected them as i was curious to what they where.
All the rocks above look safe to me.

But i've posted over a number of forums and get advice from a lot of people.

Thanks again.

anything with a metal flake appearance to the rock is also gonna be a no go. its going to obviously contain metals possibly harmful ones. i suggest a nice granite style boulder as its gonna likely be limestone/quartz base. also a few of the rocks u selected i wouldnt go near. 3,8,10 at the very least. well gl to ya. best place i find for rocks is glacial fed rivers. (idk how the uk works but lots of rivers here

You don't have to worry about rocks that are a little rusty. oxidized metals are not harmful.

Why does everyone think they are then?

aaronjunited said:

Why does everyone think they are then?

Click to expand...

Cuz people oft repeat things they hear when they really dont know what they are talking about. This goes for all areas of interest, not just aquatics.

RRasco said:

aaronjunited said:

Why does everyone think they are then?

Click to expand...

Cuz people oft repeat things they hear when they really dont know wtf they are talking about. This goes for all areas of interest, not just aquatics.

Click to expand...

this guy here knows his **** lmao i love that comment there :thumb:

i will happilly aggree with that comment, very funny too.
lmao.

lol i really hope one of you gets some rocks high in copper or try using fools gold in your tank while ur at it. im sorry if you dont understand geology but thinking that any random metal in a rock is gonna ok is just stupid.

I'd appreciate it if we could keep this factual and on topic so that this thread doesn't evolve into some mud slinging contest. I hate to close threads.

As far as I can see it, both sides have good points. Rocks high in minerals can leach fish toxins into the water, but not everything that's a little shiny will give your fish copper poisoning. I am no geologist either, just a humble chemist, but so far I can't see a single picture of a rock in this thread that looks even remotely like it contains minerals high in metal content. 1-8 all look like the same material, whatever it might be. 9 is a roof tile, and 10 is a brick. One can argue about the aesthetics, but I know plenty of people who use bricks in breeding tanks, because they easily stack up to form caves. I've never heard of them causing a problem.

ok #1 thru #8 are limestone rock, where i live there every where ky. they are all over the lake banks here

1-8 look like they belong in a cichlid tank. :thumb:

As for the type-all I can determine is that they're igneous. -Other than that....????
-Sorry, wish I could be of more help! LOL

anything with a metal flake appearance to the rock is also gonna be a no go.

Click to expand...

That's a myth just like the 'no rust' thing. Avoid pyrite and you'll be ok. All those rocks are fine to use. Very, very few aren't.

Thanks people for the help, been told on another forum rocks 1-8 are granite.
Limestone has been mentioned too, either way i'l use granite or limestone anyway. As the rocks are for an mbuna tank.

Once agian thanks for the good help.

aaronjunited said:

Thanks people for the help, been told on another forum rocks 1-8 are granite.
Limestone has been mentioned too, either way i'l use granite or limestone anyway. As the rocks are for an mbuna tank.

Once agian thanks for the good help.

Click to expand...

Thats correct, they are granite and you can find them around drainage ditches and such. I have my 100g full of them and have used them for the past 8 years. They are safe for an aquarium.

Ok matey, thanks.