Rock from a mine

[Sarertnoc Kram]

I have these rocks that were given to my wife, they are from a mine here in las Vegas are they aquatic safe?

Cichlid tank I might not put them in but just curious. If not I might throw them in the leopard gecko tank


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[DIDYSIS]

I use all kinds of rocks in my tanks but nothing like that. Wash it really really Well and just go for it. I don't think anyone will really know. Only thing is some rock can effect Ph and such. Can always teat water from water faucet then place rock in that water and test for change.

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[Fat Homer]

I once remember some one saying you can test if they are suitable for a tank or not with vinegar or something along those lines... something about how the vinegar will react with certain types of rocks and let you know if its safe or not?

But sadly i can't remember the details, but maybe some one else can?

 

[boldtogether]

Try the ol' vinegar trick. If the vinegar starts to bubble and fizz, the rock could buffer the ph in your tank making it more alkaline. If you keep rift lake cichlids, great. If you keep Discus, not so much.

It looks cool and will probably be absolutly fine.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

I think the trick is to try and scratch off some rock particles and add some vinegar or lemon juice and see if you get a reaction. If you do then it will affect your PH. I believe this is the technique but I may be off.

 

[Sarertnoc Kram]

Kay thanks guys will try it in the am


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[benmcfadden]

Yes The vinegar trick works best

 

[alexanian]

I don't think a vinegar test would be enough. Vinegar only tells you if the rock is calceous or not. Since the rock is from a mine and it looks like some sort of a mineral or an ore it could contain a number of possible metals, salts or minerals in it that can affect your water by leaching over time. It looks really nice but I wouldn't risk it with any prize fish, maybe try in a small guppy tank for a few months or so, but that still won't guarante it's safe for other more sensitive fish. For example if it contains copper ore it will leach copper and even though guppies or barbs will be safe it can kill knifefish or other scaleless fish.

 

[Oddball]

Mines usually exist to extract ores. Ores contain mixes of metals including lead, molybdenum, copper, etc. And may contain asbestos, arsenic, sulphur, and/or a host of other nasties. Unless you know what the mine removes, it's best to place the specimens on a shelf and only place agate, quartz, and silicate rocks in your tank that you've collected from a stream bed. Or limestone-based rocks if you're looking to maintain a high pH level in your tank.

 

[Oddball]

Here's a list of NV major mine production rates:

Aggregate 27,650,000 tons
Gold 5,339,000 ounces
Silver 7,361,000 ounces
Barite (shipped) 657,000 tons
Copper 127,976,000 pounds
Diatomite N/A
Dolomite N/A
Gypsum 1,056,000 tons
Limestone N/A
Lithium compounds N/A
Mercury N/A
Molybdenite 591,000 pounds
Perlite N/A
Precious opal 70 pounds
Salt 26,000 tons
Silica sand 400,000 tons
Specialty clay 20,000 tons
N/A Not available publicly


Half of the list is not a risk in aquariums. However, the other half can cause serious problems in solution for fish and people working in the tanks.