How to Make Sure Outdoor Rocks are SAFE for Your Aquarium

Rocks are expensive if you buy them in fish stores, so whenever I see good rocks, I always pick them up. Today, I got a ton and I'll show you guys how to see if they're safe and how to make sure nothing gets into your aquarium through those rocks. Enjoy!!!

[@downtownnikka]

Two methods of testing rocks. 1. Home Depot/ Lowe’s sells Muriatic Acid.. couple drops on your chosen rock, if the acid fizzes. The rock has hard metals and will change the water chemistry of your tank. 2. Very simple. Grab a steel knife, Steel has a hardness of 7/10. Try and scratch the stone with your knife, if you cannot etch it. Chances are it’ll be safe. If you can etch it. Test with acid

[@user-xy3jf7ew4n]

i would not agree on the Muriatic Acid, i own a pool company and we use it to clean a salt cell with the acid, it foams on anything that has a dirt on it

[@mdcclxxviepluribusunum1066]

I would ignore your advice on 1. Lemon juice is acidic enough to test. Muriatic acid can be used for a trade secret though.

[@papaspipe6167]

I tested mine with speemen and they didn't fizz!

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

Just because a rock is in or by the ocean, doesn't necessarily make it safe for an aquarium. Many rocks leech off substances within the rock that change the ph of your tank, Regardless of how well you clean them

[@rossrossallan4339]

Not true ....

[@Kevin24.]

I picked some river rocks covered in moss partially...and my aquarium is thriving with such a beautiful landscape. And my guppies are happy too. Ya'll make too much for too little.

[@dasit4416]

just use vinegar , no bleach needed

[@prolly2stoned420]

So how bad could the rocks changing the PH really be? I just took a bunch of random rocks from my yard and put them in a tank.

[@minibatman2.016]

It depends on the type of rock. I recommend using a key and scratching the surface, if it leaves a visible or extremely noticeable scratch mark then it’s not hard enough to have in a tank, if it leaves just a lil indent that’s barely visible then it’s hard enough and safe for a tank. More scratches is more calcium. And drastic changes to PH can kill your fish, plants or anything living in the tank. But it also depends on how much you have of the questionable rock, if it’s one small one or maybe even a fist size, then it would barely do anything to a 30+gal tank. Just depends on it’s size and the size of the tank. This is all from my experience though bc I did the same thing and didn’t notice a big change until months later. ALSO if u have PH problems even without the rocks, get crushed coral. You can use it as substrate or put it into ur filter. It basically manages your PH level for you by dissolving or not depending on if it’s too low or too high. (This is recommended for a medium PH level like 7.5)

[@davidjeyaseelan7608]

Thank you for making this vid!!!

[@cococalm]

I have always just boiled the rock .... let it cool down before putting in aquarium ... rock can shatter if core is still too hot.

[@gennerobootz6490]

Will blow on the rocks, make them safe to put into the aquarium

[@gennerobootz6490]

I want to put some outside rocks I found into my aquarium, but I’m not sure what to do to see if they’re safe with boiling them actually make them safe

[@goldfishenthusiast3265]

If for some reason you're doing this process with acid, bleach or soap, DON'T. Do it with a safer alternative, Vinegar.

[@FatBoyEntertainment]

Isn’t vinegar an acid. But yeah I see your point

[@aarondavies8486]

I bleach my rocks all the time don't hurt nothing as long as they are soaked and washed with fresh water but I forget that the so called best country in the world can't drink tap water because its not that safe

[@Dr.CumsteinMD]

​@@FatBoyEntertainmenttrue, it's not an acid, but it's very acidic.

[@ariannerose541]

Wondering if I could boil them and let them sit overnight for my rosy minnow breeding tank ??

[@craniumrex4614]

Sorry no one answered but please never boil rocks of any size. They can explode.

[@mazda_rt24-p]

​@@craniumrex4614that's highly unlikely

[@flipsnap]

What about just putting the rocks in boiling water that should do it right?

[@zzospreyzz55]

Just boil or bake the rocks to disinfect. No chance of leaching chemicals into the tank and it's just easier.

[@LMatRC_I_Am_Steve]

They might explode…

[@jacobolabisi707]

So make sure the acid won’t effect but then use bleach lmfao wtf

[@CichlidsTank22]

So does lemon work?

[@blueheart2227]

Thanks u helped

[@dariusrblx1597]

i found some beautyful rocks and i boiled them in water befor add them'

[@fadeski28]

this might be a dumb wuestion but will an orange work just as well as a lemon i have an orange tree but no lemons lmao and i think that oranges have acid

[@tortuga2984]

Oranges aren't as acidic. Use vinger its the beats of all world in this situation.

[@maximuszonunpuii2693]

I just clean with normal water 2months ago, thats all, all my fish are still alive.. 😁

[@aungkyawzin1240]

So do I. I also scrub them with a bit of soap and wash thoroughly.

[@maximuszonunpuii2693]

@@aungkyawzin1240 no soap sir, just use brush...

[@randydomingo9299]

Hi sir, can use any kind of rocks?

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

@@randydomingo9299 You definitely definitely cannot use limestone because it changes the ph

[@elmervlog24]

How many time you brush and rense?

[@Ghost-pv6gx]

What if you boil the rock instead of bleach, will that also work?

[@carly3864]

do not boil the rocks! they could explode 😬 this is because of air bubbles inside of the rocks

[@futureaquariums5099]

@@carly3864 Wow! I didn't know that until I searched it up! Definitely not safe to boil rocks.

[@TA_pS]

@@futureaquariums5099 so is it okay to just rinse it off????

[@futureaquariums5099]

@@TA_pS Yes, but make sure you do it very thoroughly.

[@thomasenglish1]

Oops, I just boiled 5 rocks..

[@MissChelle]

Cool!❤️🇦🇺

[@gratersat]

How much bleach did you use?

[@praisegeorge4762]

So I'm ready to put it in the aquarium rite..?

[@futureaquariums5099]

If you did these steps ur rocks should be good to go! Sorry for the late reply!

[@sf49erswarriorsgiantsgumba99]

Dammit I thought there was bug on my phone screen!!!😂😂😂

[@saifullahsuhaimi3955]

HAHAHAHA me too😂😂

[@jamesmock8685]

Same

[@UmmeSalma-kk7xb]

can i give them in my betta tank?

[@xiao6638]

Just as long as they aren't sharp, or have jagged edges. Smooth ones/curved rocks are fine.

[@sierra3830]

as long as they are smooth, betta's long fins can get caught on jagged edges and tear

[@Amare-fidem-spes]

Put in a bucket and pour boiling water over them, add epsom salt and leave for a couple of hours. Rinse off well and repeat. Rinse of well.

[@3nigma.3nc]

That's a great idea if you want to turn your rock into a fragmentation grenade.

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

It doesn't matter about cleaning them, some rocks leach out the substance that creates the rocks. For example it would be deadly to put limestone in a fish tank because it would change the ph.

[@WayneNaude670]

@@3nigma.3nc plz elaborate as i was basically going to do the same thing with the rocks i got today, but now im a bit weary

[@travisdykes252]

@@tiffanyclark-grove1989 depends. Are you trying to keep fish that need soft water and acidic water? Yeah. Fish that need hard water and an alkaline pH? Well that’s why Texas holey rock gets used in African cichlid tanks as well as Argonite sand.

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

@@travisdykes252 yes, it is tricky. I just know I killed my goldfish by using lime stone.😥 I figured it out by myself after I thought about how you use lime in the garden

[@MassachusettsTrainVideos1136]

can I use powdered bleach

[@futureaquariums5099]

Powdered bleach should work, as long as you make sure to rinse it thoroughly to get all the excess bleach off. Be careful not to use too much!