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Rocks: Sandstone (002)


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If your sandstone rocks have been soaked in some toxic chemicals at some stage, they will release them back into the water over time.

But normally sandstone is fine. I have used it in tanks for over a decade.

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Hi Tricky

Baz is correct. You need to be certain of where the rocks came from and what possible toxins/chemicals they've come in contact with.

For more information on rocks for the aquarium, here is a good article by one of the more experienced forum members/geologist:

Aquarium rock article

Cheers

Paul

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It shouldn't matter how porous the rock is, however with sandstone there seems to be different grades sort of.

Some of it is real coarse and crumbly, and some is fine and solid. Avoid the coarse crumbly stuff as it tends to fall apart and may damage/break your tank.

The rocks in this post are sandstone and have all been in my tank around 4 yrs with no hassles at all thumb.gif

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Thanks for all the responses. I feel a little more confident now. It was just a passing comment from a friend who had seen my tank. So I thought i would check it out with the experts and see the response. Ive just lost a heap of fish recently and cant pinpoint the problem so I am now grasping at straws! When he told me his opinion on sandstone I had to investigate further. Thanks again.

Ricky

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A good test for rocks is to put a bit of vinegar on it if it bubles it is not safe for your tank

...not necessarily true. Any rock with a calcium carbonate content will "fizzle", therefore all limestones fit this mold. Clearly limestones are ok for use in hard water aquaria.

The porous nature of sandstones do subject them to contamination. Be sure of your source because as already stated they will leach the contaminants back into the tank. Composition wise, sandstones are generally suitable for aquaria...keep in mind that they vary widely in source minerals ie. iron sandstone and lime sandstone have considerably different chemical properties.

The "baked" or metamorphosed sandstones are best as they have lost their porosity and do not crumble when exposed to water over a long period. How do I know if it has been metamorphosed?...hit it with a hammer and when the hammer bounces back and hits you in the forehead rather than breaking the rock, it has been "baked".

merjo smile.gif

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