River rocks

[Chris45]

I've just collected a bunch of river rocks in assorted sizes shapes and colours, from a local stream.

Do I need to boil these before they go in the tank, or will rinsing them in tank water be enough?

[MAC]

I've never boiled any of the countless rocks I've collected and put in my aquariums. I may rinse them if there's noticable stuff stuck to them, but mostly I let them completely dry in the sun or outside for a day or two and call it good. 

[Eric R]

I don't boil the rocks I collect in my yard that I use. I give them a scrub and a rinse if they have any dirt. If you're concerned they could affect your aquarium ph and you don't know what types of rock you have, you can always spray with vinegar to see if it reacts. Probably not an issue though.

[Tanked]

It depends on where you got the rock. Boiling may not be needed, but it can't hurt.  Boiling kills living organisms, and helps remove pollutants from the pores. 

[Chris45]

I did end up boiling them out of paranoia. Here's what the tank looks like now: rocks

 

[Patrick_G]

There’s at least one parasitic disease that can be transferred from just walking in a stream. In fly fishing we make sure to sterilize our boots when moving between watersheds. It couldn’t hurt to treat the gathered stones the same way.