Stone test?

[fishkeeper]

What is the test that you do with stones to make sure that they are aquarium safe? I brought some home from my holiday in france as they looked nice but I need to test them to see if they are useable.

thanks

 

[Stu Worrall]

usually vinegar or a stronger acid to see if it fizzes.

 

[Ed Seeley]

Testing with acid only tests whether the rocks will harden the tank's water. For most planted tanks with 'standard' fish, filled with tap water and changing 50% of the water each week it really doesn't matter what rocks you have as you will be diluting the carbonates dissolving from the rocks every week. The only time it really matters is if you are keeping soft water species and using RO or other soft water and want to keep the KH and GH down. Or if you weren't doing EI and/or doing large water changes each week.

More importantly you need to make sure the rocks don't have metallic veins in them which can be dissolved in aquarium and especially in acidic conditions and cause issues and poison the fish.

As to the test for carbonates I found most vinegars weren't strong enough and I have used brick cleaner in the past which is stronger.

 

[stressed dave]

would boiling them help? ?
do you know where i can get seiryu stone from?
regards david

 

[Ed Seeley]

would boiling them help? ?

Help with what? It isn't going to make a rock's chemistry change and prevent the carbonates dissolving. All it would do is kill anything living on the rock

do you know where i can get seiryu stone from?
regards david

I would try our two sponsors; Green Machine or Aqua Essentials.

 

[stressed dave]

thanks! ill give them a try

 

[jonnyf84]

A quick question for Ed, i am about to start a new scape with some local rock, its from Wensleydale so it has a high limestone content, i've run a few tests and everything seems fine. I would however like to know some more on these metalic lines you mentioned, there are darker patches and lines on the rocks but they don't seem metalic to me but i can't be certain, is there any way of testing for metal content and what kind of negative effects should i be looking for that are caused too fish and plants due to this?

Regards,
Jonny

 

[Ed Seeley]

A quick question for Ed, i am about to start a new scape with some local rock, its from Wensleydale so it has a high limestone content, i've run a few tests and everything seems fine. I would however like to know some more on these metalic lines you mentioned, there are darker patches and lines on the rocks but they don't seem metalic to me but i can't be certain, is there any way of testing for metal content and what kind of negative effects should i be looking for that are caused too fish and plants due to this?

Regards,
Jonny

Metallic veins are usually reflective and actually look a bit like metal. If they don't then they're probably so low in metals that there's no problem. As to any symptoms you might see well I'll be honest and say I'm not sure but I'd check out copper poisoning symptoms.

 

[jonnyf84]

Thanks Ed, I rescaped my little low-tech 60L on Sunday with the rocks in question so time will tell i guess.