Lession learned - cheap gray gravel from big bog store.

[gabdewulf]

This is more of a lesson learned than trying something.  Got some cheap gravel from the cement section of a big box store. The gravel has been in a couple tank for over year.

Learned two negatives, first some of it has metal shavings which led to some rust which is no big deal. This is how our granparents got iron in thier diet. 

Two: one of the tanks had hardened rock layer along the bottom which wouldn't come up with a child's shovel.

Be warned if you try it. 

[jwcarlson]

Did you rinse it well before you used it?  Do you have a link to what you bought?  I believe there's some sands are Home Depot (and I assume Lowes) that are made for paver base which is not standard sand.  

 

Big box gravel/pebbles need to be rinsed A TON and mixed aggressively.  Just running water through it isn't enough because a bunch of stuff is stuck/hardened on the sides of the rock.  If that ends up in a tank it will settle overtime and would absolutely become kind of hard.

I've never had an issue with the big box stuff as long as I'm buying actual rocks.  And as long as I rinse it until I've got raw/bleeding knuckles from hand stirring the rocks.  

[gabdewulf]

Oh yeah, rinse it and let it soak in a bucket before adding it.

It was from the Depot Quik Crete brand gravel.