Ocean rock

[Nikmon]

Hello.

Im really like the look of ocean rock/ holey rock all the decriptions about say perfect for malawi chiclids etc. But i want to use this for my planted tank, with tetras n community fish.

Will it work?

Has any 1 on here done it b4?

 

[MichaelJ]

Hello.

Im really like the look of ocean rock/ holey rock all the decriptions about say perfect for malawi chiclids etc. But i want to use this for my planted tank, with tetras n community fish.

Will it work?

Has any 1 on here done it b4?

Hi @Nikmon Yes, I have tried that before. You have to be careful though and look out for leaching 'metals' and limestone etc... I'd say clean and scrub it off and let it sit in a bucket of tank water (to mimmic the pH etc. of you tank) for a couple of weeks and monitor the EC/TDS. I would like to hear what other people think about this as well.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Garuf]

Do you mean tufa?

 

[Aqua360]

it's worth bearing in mind that if its rock that will raise PH, a lot of tetra's tend to originate in lower PH water,

doesn't mean it can't be done, but its something I would factor in

 

[MichaelJ]

it's worth bearing in mind that if its rock that will raise PH, a lot of tetra's tend to originate in lower PH water,

doesn't mean it can't be done, but its something I would factor in

Good point. I would throw in monitoring the pH in the quarantine bucket in addition to what I mentioned above.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[John q]

Has any 1 on here done it b4?

Yes I've had holey rock in a planted tank. It didn't stop the plants growing but it did have an effect on ph and tds readings.

I have two identical set ups and could never understand why both ph and conductivity was always higher in one of the tanks, basically the tank with the rock in always sat at around 7.4, the other tank sat around 7.1. Tds on rock tank 165 to 200, non rock tank 160 to 175. This phenomenon lasted until I removed the rock (7~8 months) so this isn't something that can be solved with a 2 week soak or good scrub.

Honestly couldn't say if the above numbers made any difference to plant growth but its something worth considering if going this route.

 

[Hufsa]

I would embrace the hardness increase if you're really wanting this type of stone. Tap water, some hardness loving fish maybe livebearers, and easy or hard water tolerant plants, go all in on the look and get a lively and enjoyable tank in return.
Dont really think it would be fair to some of the more softwater community fish to go for hardness raising rocks, but not all community fish are from the same water types, so check which ones will be compatible and not. Ultimately you might have to choose between the rock and certain species of fish, which one you want the most. Happy fish makes for a happy fishkeeper 😊👍

 

[MichaelJ]

so this isn't something that can be solved with a 2 week soak or good scrub.

Hi @John q I assume that is a comment on what I wrote ? Not quite sure why you read that into it... hmm... The soak is really to get a bearing of what your getting into with respect to altering the chemistry of your tank from leaching minerals etc..

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Nikmon]

Thanks for all you comments guys.

Very nice tank john q.

Think il give it a try with just one or 2 pieces n moniter the levels. If it dusnt have a negative effect on plant growth and i choose the right fish hopefully all will be good.

 

[John q]

Hi @John q I assume that is a comment on what I wrote ? Not quite sure why you read that into it... hmm...

No that's not why I said it mate, lol.
Was just trying to point out these rocks will leach their goodies for an eternity.

 

[John q]

Very nice tank john q.

Thanks 😊 it went downhill shortly after removing the rock 🤔

 

[MichaelJ]

No that's not why I said it mate, lol.
Was just trying to point out these rocks will leach their goodies for an eternity.

Roger

On a tangential note: At least one simple test for high lime/calcium content/leaching would be to put a few drops of vinegar on the rock (when dry) to see if it fizzles/bubbles up, if so you can be certain it will leach calcium into your water column.

Cheers,
Michael