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Hi I am new here and like the site so far. I have a question about rocks. I found some nice size rock around my home and in the woods That I want to put in my tank. I brought them home and washed them up with hot water then power washed them. One or two may be lime stone not sure about the rest. Will they hurt my fish or make the water turn colors? thanks

Hi,
As far as turning the water colors, I seriously doubt it.
As long as you cleaned the rocks, and you did and
described the process, I'd say that they are just fine.
The problem with rocks is that some of them, the
Carbonates, such as limestone, can increase the hardness
of the water and raise the pH of the water. Normally this
process is very slow, and any fish in the tank can easily
acclimate to that change as it occurs.
It is up to you, as the fishkeeper to decide if your fish
can tollerate the higher pH and GH. Some fish can while
others won't breed in the high pH, and some are so stressed
that they could die.

If you are concerned that the pH be stable and in the low
7.s then you should test the rocks to see if they are
carbonates. The way to do that is to scratch the surface
of the rocks to get a fresh unweathered surface and then
drip a couple of drops of acid on them. If they fizz or
bubble, then they are releasing CO2 and they are
carbonates. The usual acid that nearly every home has
on hand is vinegar (acidic acid).

Frank


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