View Full Version : rocks from liberty resevoir what do i need to do to them ?
MossOnGrass
10-10-2005, 5:15 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/patrick5874/libertyrocks.jpg
Hey guys I went to liberty resivoir on a rock collecting expidition and brought these back I want to put them in my 125 show tank but dont want to kill any fish ! I washed them off well ! what should i do next before I introduce them to the tank , should I bleech them should I boil them or just throw them in the tank ,any and all help would be appreciated !
thanks in advance ,
patrick
jenBLKAROWANA
10-10-2005, 5:17 PM
I would boil them....Just to make sure everything is safe...I have found rocks by my house, and just washed them off, but if the were in some sort of water, I would boil the crap out of them!
Just my opinion!
Jen ;)
HarleyK
10-10-2005, 5:32 PM
rock collecting expidition [/CENTER]
Howdy,
if they are dry, they should be fine. Scrub them well to remove environmental pollutants like oil (I have no clue how remote that Lake is you're talking about). Aquatic contageous organisms don't do well when dried out. If you want to be on the very safe side, boil them. I never did it with my rocks, though, and it's just fine.
And first and foremost, make sure that you do not have any metallic enclosures in the rocks. Since it was a geological trip (as I understand), I am sure you know what to look for (pyrite etc). Also carbonates and other minerals that affect water chemistry.
Besides that: Self-collected rocks are fun!
HarleyK
MossOnGrass
10-10-2005, 5:57 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/patrick5874/r.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/patrick5874/o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/patrick5874/k.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/patrick5874/c.jpg
Liberty resivoir is a body of water that the city of baltimore draws its water from , no gas powered watercrafts are allowed in it , most of the rocks were pulled out of the mud because of a low water levels I just snapped 4 more pics of the different rocks I found I know one is slate and im iffy about putting those in mabey someone can identify the rocks for me !
joeytoe
10-10-2005, 6:10 PM
Ive only used Rocks I found at the beach. had them for many many years an never did anything to them.
HarleyK
10-10-2005, 6:24 PM
Howdy,
If you see metallic refections, don't use the rocks. It could be mica, but it's hard to tell apart on pictures. Slate is perfectly safe. However, I am not sure if this is slate. I guess you refer to the third picture. Slate is layered and easy to scratch. If it's not layered, it's not slate. Also, check for carbonates. Fill a glass with water and drop the rock into it. If it bubbles (not like pop - much more subtle), then don't use it. It'll harden your water. That's not a problem if you keep hard water fish, though.
Good luck,
HarleyK
MossOnGrass
10-10-2005, 9:17 PM
thanks for the info , im thinking too much its got me a little scared
Fish_are_fishfood
10-10-2005, 9:57 PM
thanks for the info , im thinking too much its got me a little scared
Well, whats the worst that could happen, you loose all your fish, no biggie, ha. Just boil em up and giva-a-go. Nothing like livin on the edge.
God made dirt and dirt don't hurt :D
MossOnGrass
10-10-2005, 11:40 PM
i just boiled the hell out of the first two pics on the second set of pics , Ill try them tommorrow !
rweedon
10-10-2005, 11:48 PM
please don't use them yet!!! bleach them 1/2 cup per 5 gallon and then rinse them very well... if any of them are porous put them in a strong dechlorinator solution 1 tbsp per 5 gallons for a day or two...
I just boil them for a few minutes a couple times changing the water each time, I have had "rocks" fall apart during this. It kill the critters, and degreases/ desoaps them. If you bleach them use non detergeant bleach and rinse them in clean running water afterwards. Don"t use rocks with blue patches or ones that prove soluble in boiling water.