# Beach rock from lake Ontario shoreline. Safe?



## philipraposo1982 (Mar 7, 2014)

I was down by the lake the other day and was wondering if any of those river rock looking stones would be safe for aquarium use?


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Give them a good wash and a soak and you should be safe. A boil if you're extra paranoid.


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## philipraposo1982 (Mar 7, 2014)

I am more worried about changing pH and hardness.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

There is a lot of limestone there but all the colourful rocks and slate are fine. It is all I use. Can't beat the price and they are all nice and smooth. I bleach them before use.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

Just don't use the drift wood.... that ended badly.


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## philipraposo1982 (Mar 7, 2014)

I have had driftwood from the lake in my tank for over a year now with no problems...

I picked up a bunch of slate rocks for my new scape.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

uh... avoid burlington bay area driftwood then....  ended badly.


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## Pruss (Nov 25, 2014)

Collecting driftwood and adding it to your tank is a little bit like Russian roulette. One just can't be sure what that wood absorbed out in the lake/ocean. Long soaks to leach out toxins and impurities is always a good idea. Boiling the driftwood to kill most biological hitch hikers is also a good idea.

As for rocks, I agree that you're probably okay using granite, gneiss, quartz, jasper and chert pieces. I would steer clear of highly porous pieces, pieces that are soft enough to be broken by hand, and limestone. 

I would scrub down the exterior of all rocks with a stiff brush and then boil the rocks for an hour.

Tip - Bring the rocks up to temperature with the water when you boil them. Dropping cool/room-temp stones/rocks into boiling water can increase the risk of them splitting. There is always a risk that a rock will break, split, pop when boiling so be cautious.

-- Pat


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## Checkmark (May 12, 2015)

Two words - vinegar test.


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