How long to quarantine rocks

[Tetra Studio 60]

So I've taken some smooth black pond stones from a nearby river that I was hoping to use for a planted tank as anchors for some plants that are having trouble rooting. I have kept the rocks in their own bucket of water for 13 days and the ph has barely fluctuated during those 13 days, if at all.

Shelving the eternal conversation about the risk of rocks from outdoors as a microbial contamination vector (only snails live in the tank at this time), at this point do I have any reason to worry the rocks may alter the ph of the tank?

 

[tlindsey]

have kept the rocks in their own bucket of water for 13 days and the ph has barely fluctuated during those 13 days, if at all.

Your probably good. I personally would have soak the rocks in boiling water. I wouldn't won't parasites or unwanted critters to survive.

 

[M1A1]

Yeah if they were going to alter the pH then you would have seen something happen by now assuming you have the rocks in the same water as you use in your tanks, you're not using RO or distilled in the tanks but using tap water for testing

For reference, I have a lot of limestone in a planted tank and after a 50% water change with RO water (no buffers), it takes about 6 hours for the pH to go from 7.5 to 8.1 or higher. Don't use limestone in planted tanks btw, bad idea on my part trying to skimp on the costs of rocks...

 

[Tetra Studio 60]

Appreciate it! I have had a rock pop on me before when boiling (luckily it was in the garage), so I do vinegar and then distilled water scrubs now instead.

I'm using the exact water I use to top off the tank water, so the effects should be the same, one would hope at least.

Thanks for the assistance all!

 

[Backfromthedead]

I usually scrub and rinse them off with fresh water then add them right to the tank. As a general rule of thumb i just target harder metamorphic rocks like granite or quartz since they are more or less inert in freshwater. Sedimentary rock like limestone/sandstone or other softer/crumblier rocks and aggregates are to be avoided.

 

[jjohnwm]

This thread really highlights the vast range of attitudes displayed by various posters on MFK.

We have large numbers of aquarists who throw newly-purchased fish directly into their established tanks willy-nilly, with no thought given to possible contagions or infections.

And here, at the opposite end of the spectrum...we are discussing how long to quarantine rocks...

 

[Friller2009]

`1

This thread really highlights the vast range of attitudes displayed by various posters on MFK.

We have large numbers of aquarists who throw newly-purchased fish directly into their established tanks willy-nilly, with no thought given to possible contagions or infections.

And here, at the opposite end of the spectrum...we are discussing how long to quarantine rocks...

Well the rocks came from nature and nature scary.

Just give them a spray with the hose on full blast to piss of any critters and then your good.
Unless its a fatherfish tank, in that case, chuck that sucker straight in.