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for a fresh water tank?? or will it mess up ph, and all that??

Found it 2!/2 feet down when i was working on digging out the new pond.... wondered if it was safe-- if it is, Im gonna break it into 2-3 pieces and build a cave, If its not- itls going to be a steppinng stone or 2 buy the pond....

well i have used sandstone in my tanks for over ten years and i have never had any problem with ph levels and i know this because my 6ft stays at around 8.5 for the cichlids and the 5ft stays at about 7 so it doesnt change the ph at all.and it also makes the tanks look very natural.

I thought it would be- just wanted to check thanks!

Depends on what kind of sandstone it is...

Sandstone is bascially sand cemented together with a mineral. Depending on what kind of mineral it is, it may or may not be safe for the aquarium. Some sandstone is cemented together with quartz, and it's generally safe. Other sandstone is cemented together with calcite, and your hardness/ph will increase.

You can most likely find out what kind of sandstone it is by doing a quick search for the type of rocks commonly found in your geographical region.

*edit* I suppose you could just test it yourself, as varying compositions might vary from what you find information on. Get a bucket and put some water in it. Leave it for a while and let the pH stabilize. Take a reading of pH and hardness to get a baseline. Then take a small chunk of the rock, and place it in the water. Leave it for a few days, then go back and test the pH and hardness. This will tell you if your rock is safe.

Last edited by Fallout at 17-Mar-2005 06:32

Didnt know that about sandstone- did a quick search, and most of the sandstone here is very rich in quarts, so im guessing its safe.

don't guess, test it

Will be testing

Sandstone is rather soft as well...it'll be easy enough to do a vinegar scratch test.
Carefully make a scar on the surface using a sharp knife, pour a small ammount (capfull should be enough) of vinegar on it. If it fizzes then it's likely composed of stone that will raise the ph.
Depending on the fish you have, the size tank and how much of it you use you may or may not see a noticible raise in PH.

^_^

[hr width='40%']"I'm alright, I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe"

Hi,
Sandstones consist of sand deposits in which the individual
grains have been cemented together. The "cement" that holds
the grains together can be calcite, dolomite, or silica.
If the cement is calcite or dolomite, the sandstone can
affect the hardness and pH of the tank. Only the silica
variety will not affect the tank.

The general way to determine which you have is to scratch
the surface with a knife to obtain a fresh, unweathered
surface, and drop some acid on it to see if it fizzes.
Depending upon your household, the normal acid that is
available is vinegar. Geologists use diluted HCl in the
field, and in the lab, they make thin sections of the
rock and examine it under a special microscope.

The reason for the dilute HCl is that if the cement is
dolomitic, it may not fizz with a common household acid
such as vinegar. If you are an adult, or can get an
adult to do it for you, an alternate could be the
sulfuric acid (H2SO4) found in your lead acid battery
(the ones you have to check frequently for water level).

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 17-Mar-2005 09:49

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

I have already done the scratch test before posting and it didnt fizz, but knew the vinigar test wasnt 100% accurate.
Yes Im an adult
tank is my 55 gal- amount im gonna put in is not decided yet- the piece i found is 2 in thick, and aprox a 2 ft oval- itll have to be broken up for use in the tank.

Hi,
Sorry about the "adult" thing but in this day and age
one has to not leave any openings. Sounds interesting
to me that you have found an excentric, a single piece of
sandstone that aparently does not belong there, but is
"safe" for the aquarium. Clean it up and have fun!
Frank


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