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rocks
Dec 25, 2009 17:37:22 GMT -5
Post by friedegg45 on Dec 25, 2009 17:37:22 GMT -5
hi me again 3rd thread in less than 2 hours after year away. can i put rocks i find into a community tank. if so how do i prepare them IE washing them. also can i break them into smaller pieces and what glue/silicon do i use with them to build some caves/structures cheers Brian
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rocks
Dec 25, 2009 18:30:07 GMT -5
Post by Carl on Dec 25, 2009 18:30:07 GMT -5
Silicone or Marine safe Epoxy is great for building caves, etc.
I have broken rocks with a chisel and hammer (it also allows you to see "inside" if there are potential issue of contamination deep inside the rock that might leech out later)
Generally a bath in very salty water (1.030 or more, think "Dead Sea") will generally take care of most issues. Boiling also works.
Avoid some shales, and other sedimentary rocks, or rocks from questionable sources. Rocks that have been in rivers are almost always OK.
Carl
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rocks
Dec 26, 2009 22:34:24 GMT -5
Post by bikeguy33 on Dec 26, 2009 22:34:24 GMT -5
i have used boiling them. we have a huge pot to boil. knowing what the rock is made of is good too....for the simple reason, depending on what the rock is, it can act as a bupher and change ph, as well as different mineral levels. as for putting them togeather, i dont use anything. i arrange them and balance them to make caves etc. never had a rock slide...
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rocks
Dec 26, 2009 23:28:24 GMT -5
Post by parker002 on Dec 26, 2009 23:28:24 GMT -5
If you're going to put "wild" rocks in your tank, the best you can find are the "glassy" kind that are often found (smaller of course) in sand. Those are generally silicates and won't react as readily with your tank water. As bikeguy mentioned, you probably don't want anything that will change pH or other chemical properties because you can't predict to what extent it will change water chemistry...
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rocks
Dec 26, 2009 23:29:40 GMT -5
Post by kagome on Dec 26, 2009 23:29:40 GMT -5
Um, some of us are clumsier than you Bill! lol I did have a rock cave crack a tank once when the top got knocked off. Luckily, the crack was small and easily fixed, but that could have been really bad. I think a bit of silicone is a good idea for small caves that will be manageable enough in size to take in and out of the tank.
If you can't boil the rocks you can also place them in a bucket of water with a very mild bleach solution and let them soak over night. Then rinse them very well with clean water, fill the bucket back up and add a whole bunch of dechlorinating solution.
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