Nourhan Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 Hello! I found these stunning rocks on etsy. The seller says she collects them from river bed, forests, and mountains. How would I go about sanitizing them for my tank? Thank you 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colo3000 Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 (edited) Hello! I just boil mine for about an hour in a pot on the stove. I would advise against putting them in the oven because they’d be more likely to explode if there are air pockets. You may also want to test the rocks with some drops of vinegar on the outside to see if they fizz at all. That’d be a sign that they’ll dissolve in your tank and release alkaline minerals into the water. Edited September 8, 2021 by colo3000 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 soak them in hot water. a little heat to kill whatever is living on them, and a good soak to dilute whatever chemical may have gotten on them along the way. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 I boil mine then sun dry. Doubt both are necessary it’s just convenient for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 I just scrub them in hot water, soapy if they’re super dirty (Dawn so it rinses clean), then rinse and scrub some more until I’m happy. Unless they’re super porous, they’re not really going to hold on to much and soap will clear off most anything. You just need to make certain the soap is absolutely 100% rinsed away. I figure if @Dean’s Fishroomsays it rinses clean, it does. Beautiful rocks, by the way. Nice find! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardedbillygoat1975 Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 I pour my electric kettle boiling water over, scrub and repeat. If I’m worried I throw vinegar or h2o2. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted September 11, 2021 Share Posted September 11, 2021 I just rinse them and scrub them, no soap or heat or anything. 😄 In the past I’ve also done the oven and the sun method. Here’s what temperatures and times the CDC recommends for dry heat sterilization (scroll down to the second section): https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/sterilization/other-methods.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshStover Posted September 11, 2021 Share Posted September 11, 2021 Pressure wash, dry in the sun then stick them in the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nourhan Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 On 9/10/2021 at 9:59 AM, Odd Duck said: I just scrub them in hot water, soapy if they’re super dirty (Dawn so it rinses clean), then rinse and scrub some more until I’m happy. Unless they’re super porous, they’re not really going to hold on to much and soap will clear off most anything. You just need to make certain the soap is absolutely 100% rinsed away. I figure if @Dean’s Fishroomsays it rinses clean, it does. Beautiful rocks, by the way. Nice find! I actually didn't end up purchasing them. Seller claimed it was 100% sandstone. I got someone properly identify them, turns out it was a mix of different rocks such as granite, and other components. I didn't feel comfortable putting them in my tank because of this, I didn't want minerals leeching in the tank. It's a shame cause they are gorgeous! I guess I'm stuck with pet store rocks. I heard a family pet store that sells good rocks so I will check it out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 On 9/12/2021 at 7:53 PM, Nourhan said: I actually didn't end up purchasing them. Seller claimed it was 100% sandstone. I got someone properly identify them, turns out it was a mix of different rocks such as granite, and other components. I didn't feel comfortable putting them in my tank because of this, I didn't want minerals leeching in the tank. It's a shame cause they are gorgeous! I guess I'm stuck with pet store rocks. I heard a family pet store that sells good rocks so I will check it out Sandstone is one of those you want to be careful where you source. It’s a rock that could absorb stuff. That would be a “boil it” fir me. Granite is pretty safe. The pics look more like granite, but you’d have to have some rock experience to sort them out. Probably best to stick with pet store stuff unless you’re pretty comfortable with ID. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Uni Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 I test it with muriatic acid to test the rock it gives a better reaction then the ginger test, than I usually fill a boiling pot of water to kill any bugs on it then just let dry in the shade in my house Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nourhan Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 @odd rock absolutely agree, everyone said sandstone has a tendency to absorb and also I heard it turns jelly like over time because it will be submerged under water. Why are all the pretty stuff forbidden for aqauriums lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 First I Would blow them with air to remove the fine particulate that may be on them....then rinse them in the sink to remove any stuck on particulate that may be on them. The take them outside and hose them off with the sprayer. Then connect the pressure washer and really get them clean. then I would Air dry them out in the dessert sun to bake off anything that might be alive. Then I would bring them in and put them back in water and boil them for 3 days ensuring that they stay at boiling temps to kill of any microorganisms that may have been hitchhiking on them. Once the boiling is completed I would then irradiate them in the hopes that the radiation would kill of any Alien species of microbes. We don't want any of those now do we. Once they have absorbed enough radiation to power a small....ah hell make it a large continent. We have to let the radiation bleed of for about 20 years to ensure we don't make mutant fish in the tank.....I believe they would be detrimental to the environment if they were to escape....lets not get me started on the problems with our natural resources..... So yeah at that point I think they would be safe.....I would still test the water parms just to be sure though.😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JettsPapa Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 This topic reminds me of when I was setting up my first tank. I had a large piece of petrified wood laying out in the flower bed that I thought would look good in it so I picked it up, rinsed it with a hose, and put it in the tank. It obviously had a significant void in it, because ants floated up out of it for two or three days afterwards. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 On 9/13/2021 at 11:33 AM, JettsPapa said: This topic reminds me of when I was setting up my first tank. I had a large piece of petrified wood laying out in the flower bed that I thought would look good in it so I picked it up, rinsed it with a hose, and put it in the tank. It obviously had a significant void in it, because ants floated up out of it for two or three days afterwards. I really do boil all of my drift wood and not just once. I do it multiple times to get most of the tannins out of them. I boil it ...let it cool dump the water refill and boil again.....I do this 4-5 times before it ever sees the inside of my tanks just because of the tannins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 @Nourhan have you found the Aquarium Science blog yet? He answers most of these questions, and expends a lot of energy and time debunking aquarium myths that many aquarists have tried to make cannon. Once I found his blog, I was able to reinvigorate my love of fish keeping! I think someone in here may have shared it before... I might have shared it 🤔 Look up Aquarium Science . org Excellent answers regarding how to determine safe rocks for the aquarium, safe wood for the aquarium, and links to peer-reviewed research that debunks a lot of assumptions (hint: almost all rocks are neutral, so can't take pH above 7, and even "base / alkaline rocks" that bubble with vinegar or muriatic acid have a limit on how high they can boost the pH. I hope it helps as much as it helped me! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanked Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 On 9/13/2021 at 11:33 AM, JettsPapa said: It obviously had a significant void in it, because ants floated up out of it for two or three days afterwards. Very similar experience with a cherry log that I converted from yard art to a fireplace mantel for a friend. I'm glad I was working in his shop instead of mine. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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