Aquarium rocks

[razorsingh]

From what place do you buy your aquarium rocks? Can I add any random rock from outside after cleaning or I should rely on the marketplace. Got some list from the net and let me know if they are worth referring to.

15 Best Freshwater Aquarium Rocks Reviewed

Can I use my own outdoor gravel or rocks in aquariums? Choosing the best freshwater aquarium rocks is fairly straightforward. Look no further, the most complete guide to discover the best rocks for your home aquarium.

inlandaquatics.com

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/fish/fish-tank-decor/fish-decor-rocks-coral

 

[Hendre]

Basically any rocks that don't react with strong vinegar are usually considered "safe", meaning they are not alkaline and won't release minerals into the water, screwing with your pH. Usually scrubbed rocks are good

 

[duanes]

When in the US, I used to go to land scape companies.
They would get a tare weight of my truck when I drove in, I would drive into the yard, pick out a truck load of rocks of a certain type, and they would weigh the truck on the way out. I was charged per ton. Usually about a 10th of the cost at a LFS.
Any rocks that didn't fizz with a few drops of vinegar put on them, were OK for me, although if I noticed a strata of iron ore, I might hesitate (but not hesitate for planted tanks).

 

[jjohnwm]

I've bought rocks that way also; the cheapskate in me was grinning from ear to ear when they weighed my whole vehicle with and without rocks and then charged me practically nothing. I did it both for landscaping boulders for the yard and aquarium rocks.

In my current rural home, I have a large pile of boulders in a back field that were laboriously removed by previous generations of farmers to make tilling the soil easier. It's roughly 60 feet long, 20 wide and at least 10 high. I think I'm set.

Anybody want some? Free...but you pay postage and an appropriate handling charge!

 

[Gourami Swami]

Hendre has the right idea... vinegar test works...
If the rock looks inert (gray shale-like rock, no sand comes off when rubbing it) I usually don't even test em, just scrub em with hot water and in they go.
Landscape supply is a good idea as well if your in a city and don't have access to outside rocks
If you need gravel, any "river gravel" or "pea gravel" will work from the hardware store, but will be very silty and dirty, should rinse them well.

 

[jjohnwm]

Wild-caught rocks are a bit more work, but provide much more satisfaction than captive-bred (store-bought) ones.

My locality has a few small scattered populations of limestone (not ideal for typical freshwater tanks) but large herds of granite are very common, sometimes intermingled with a few quartz-veined specimens. They're hardy, can be found in all sizes, and are generally very easy to capture; they adapt to captivity with few issues.