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In our 10G that I just set up, we used rose quartz, and utah ice as the decor, and red gravel as the substrate.
Does anyone have any experience with these rocks?
I have noticed that the GH and KH are testing higher than they ever did with our 55, and I fill them from the same sink.
Ideas????
Thanks again,
Dan

55G -5x Bosemani, 3x Emerald Cory,3x Red Rainbow, 3x Turquoise Rainbow. 20G-Empty. 10G -4x Danio 3x Cory Fry 1 Gold Mystery Snail. 10G- 1x CAE, 2x Tetra 1x ADF

I don't know what "utah ice" is, but quartz is inert, I've got some quartz rocks in my tanks with no problems (rose quartz shouldn't be any different in that respect from plain white quartz)

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Hi,
Any of the varieties of Quartz are fine for the
aquarium. Just a caution, Quartz is silica and the edges
can be as sharp as broken pieces of glass. Unless the
sample is water worn (the edges smooth) they will slice
a fish quite badly. When startled, fish tend to dart about
and should they brush against an edge, they could be badly
injured.

I find no reference to "Utah Ice." I suspect it is a local
name for, perhaps, dolomite from the Green River Basin, or
another carbonate. Any carbonate rock will raise the pH
and hardness of the water. Unless you are keeping fish
that like the higher hardness and pH, I'd remove that rock
and put it on a display shelf.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Is Utah ice the greenish quartz that is found in the desert?

I have seen the utah ice called ice quartz on-line, it looks like a big chunk of clear rock salt though. I took it out of the tank tonight, and it felt slimy in comparison to the rose quartz in the same tank. I will do a PWC in the AM, and then re-test the water to see if the GH or KH is any different. What twigged me to it is that the same water is used for both tanks, and I am getting radically different readings from each.

55G -5x Bosemani, 3x Emerald Cory,3x Red Rainbow, 3x Turquoise Rainbow. 20G-Empty. 10G -4x Danio 3x Cory Fry 1 Gold Mystery Snail. 10G- 1x CAE, 2x Tetra 1x ADF

Just stick the rock in a bucket of water for the night. Compare the hardness in the bucket before rock and after rock. That should be a pretty definitive answer.

Hi,
I went to a nearby rock shop and the owner told me that
"Utah Ice" is actually Selenite. It is a clear, colorless,
variety of Gypsum (CaSO4. 2H2O). It is usually found
intrastratified with layers of Limestone, shale, or even
clay - carbonates.
Immersing Gypsum and its varieties can cloud the crystal
and essentially ruin it over time.
I'd place it on the shelf rather than immerse it in the
tank.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

It's on the shelf.... I took it out, and you can actually scratch it with a fingernail! Very soft stuff. Neat to look at, but not good for tank.
Thanks to all for your input.
Dan

55G -5x Bosemani, 3x Emerald Cory,3x Red Rainbow, 3x Turquoise Rainbow. 20G-Empty. 10G -4x Danio 3x Cory Fry 1 Gold Mystery Snail. 10G- 1x CAE, 2x Tetra 1x ADF