Lava rocks for grills OK for aquariums?

Mount_Prion

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 31, 2012
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Looking for a good source of lava rock to build some basking structures in my new setup for my turtle. (Tank hasn't arrived yet, will post pictures when it does, getting ready for now).

Looked around a bit on amazon, as I'm in NYC and landscaping supply places aren't common here.

Can you use the lava rocks I see advertised for fire pits and grills in an aquarium? Specifically looking at these:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B071S2NB3S?th=1

It doesn't seem like they've been treated chemically or anything but I don't know.

Thanks!
 

Mount_Prion

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 31, 2012
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Yes, i used lava rock in a bag from Home Depot. Just make sure you rinse it very well.
Thanks! I'll rinse and maybe soak them overnight. Just ordered 75 lbs to build a couple basking spots. The plan is to build almost little containers with them that I'm going to fill with plant substrate to plant some patches of shallow-water growing grass my LFS is holding for me.

I'm going to build one around the (internal) overflow, so I figure it'll function as additional mechanical filtration, a basking spot, and something nice looking to hide the overflow itself. Gonna stick the rocks together with coral epoxy and stick sand to the epoxy when its still soft so it ends up looking more natural than just white.

Sooooo excited to set this all up!
 

Mount_Prion

Piranha
MFK Member
Jan 31, 2012
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So I ordered 75 lbs of these on Amazon then 5 minutes later I get a response from the seller to my initial question. They said these rocks (the tumbled round ones) have been fumigated! And as such they're definitely NOT aquarium safe. And they'd started preparing the order so I couldn't automatically cancel it! Argh.
 

Jhay3513

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jun 15, 2017
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Charlotte, NC
Yep I get mine from lowes for like $4-5 for 8lbs or so. And these laundry bags from Walmart for $0.94. One. Bag made three media bags that size

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