I have like, this stream thing behind my house. If I were to go collect some smooth rocks from it, what would I have to do to make it so I could use them in a fish tank? I'd like to make a kind of like, retaining wall out of them using aquarium sealant. Is this possible?
Vizja13
OK River Rock is absolutely fine to use...
1. Soak them in treated water a bit of bleach ( to kill any wild diseases and parasites )
2. scrub them
3. Boil them
4. Let them sit in the sun for a few days to dry..
May need to rinse and boil a few time to make sure bleach is gone...
You can pour a little vinegar on them. If it fizzes, don't use the rocks in your aquarium. This means that they have a chemical / mineral compound in them that is not inert and are not safe to use in your aquarium..
1. Soak them in treated water a bit of bleach ( to kill any wild diseases and parasites )
2. scrub them
3. Boil them
4. Let them sit in the sun for a few days to dry..
May need to rinse and boil a few time to make sure bleach is gone...
You can pour a little vinegar on them. If it fizzes, don't use the rocks in your aquarium. This means that they have a chemical / mineral compound in them that is not inert and are not safe to use in your aquarium..
Yep I use river rocks myself. I made a thread on theme that had vanished intot he depths of time XD. In it we were debating my cleaning method. I put them in a pot and gently boil them(lid on) for about 10 minutes or so.
Some people believe boiling rocks will make them explode but that is only certain types of rocks, and generally if you just dump them into already boiling water. There are a lot of types out there you can boil no problem.
So I boil them then scrub them good, and then wash them off in hot water again and dry them off and into the the tank they go.
NOW before anyone tries to kill me for talking about boiling rocks. I always suggest people do their own research and make their own decisions. Safety does come first. I just have never had any problems with it.
Also a safety note I suggest after you boil to drain out a lot of the water and them set the whole pot with rocks in aside to cool naturally. This will be safer than poor cold water on them which can shock the rocks and may cause cracking or breaking or even minor explosion.
Some people believe boiling rocks will make them explode but that is only certain types of rocks, and generally if you just dump them into already boiling water. There are a lot of types out there you can boil no problem.
So I boil them then scrub them good, and then wash them off in hot water again and dry them off and into the the tank they go.
NOW before anyone tries to kill me for talking about boiling rocks. I always suggest people do their own research and make their own decisions. Safety does come first. I just have never had any problems with it.
Also a safety note I suggest after you boil to drain out a lot of the water and them set the whole pot with rocks in aside to cool naturally. This will be safer than poor cold water on them which can shock the rocks and may cause cracking or breaking or even minor explosion.
SOME rocks do, most of what you find in rivers and such should be fine. The rocks that are explode are generally volcanic in nature and have trapped pockets of gas or air in them. As well they are porous and air enters then naturally. It is whent he air gets hot and expands that the rocks can't handle the stress and "explode"
The small smooth river rocks and such you will be picking up should be more than fine to boil. This is why I generally have the lid on the pot I am boiling to help protect the area. I find it works perfectly fine.
Just put enough in at a time to layer the bottom of the pot and put in warm water. Bring the water to a boil with the rocks in it, boil for a about 15 minutes. Then turn it off, take the pot off the heat and let it cool. Pour out most the water and let it finish cooling. Then get something clean you can really scrub the rocks with, do that under hot water, hot enough that it cleans but not hot enough it hurts your hands. Rinse them well and set them aside.
To further clean them you can wipe them down or soak them in some vinager and then once again wash them off in hot water. Then they should be fine to put use.
Remember safety first.
The small smooth river rocks and such you will be picking up should be more than fine to boil. This is why I generally have the lid on the pot I am boiling to help protect the area. I find it works perfectly fine.
Just put enough in at a time to layer the bottom of the pot and put in warm water. Bring the water to a boil with the rocks in it, boil for a about 15 minutes. Then turn it off, take the pot off the heat and let it cool. Pour out most the water and let it finish cooling. Then get something clean you can really scrub the rocks with, do that under hot water, hot enough that it cleans but not hot enough it hurts your hands. Rinse them well and set them aside.
To further clean them you can wipe them down or soak them in some vinager and then once again wash them off in hot water. Then they should be fine to put use.
Remember safety first.
-grabs safety goggles- Got it! I will go collect some rocks when I get home 
I want to experiment with this before I do anything else in the tank
I want to experiment with this before I do anything else in the tank-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
