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wat do i have to do to make them aquarium safe if they are from the beach

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''All the clown fish and yellow tangs in the world cant save you now!''

Hi,
Rocks in tanks are easy.
You should do two things.
First clean them to remove any polutants and any
critters from them. At the same time you will also
remove any algae, of any kind that might be growing
on them. (Scrub them, and boil them in water for
a few minutes)

Second, when finished cleaning, and they are no longer
hot (naturally ! ) scrape the surface of the rocks
with a knife to get a fresh, clean, surface, and then
drip a drop or two of household vinegar on the scratch
and see if it fizzes.

If it fizzes, it is a carbonate and can alter the hardness
and pH of the water. If it does not, and it probably wont,
then it is "safe" for the tank.

If these are just pebbles to be scattered about the tank
you can set them on the gravel. If these are larger rocks,
or you want to stack them, then you need to push the gravel
aside and place the bottom rock directly on the glass, and
then pile the others on top of that. Glue the rocks
together with silicone aquarium cement, and be sure that
it cures completely before placing the assembly in the tank
on the glass. Fish that burrow, or push gravel around
can disturb rocks laying on the surface causing the rocks
to topple over and crack the glass.

Frank


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

what kind of rocks are they? what color?
it might give us a clue of their traits and compatibility.
i think rocks from the sea should be soaked in water for a long period to get rid of all the dissolved substances that were soaked by the rock.
also, i think it's better not to put a large weight of rocks directly on the glass, but to burrow them gently into the gravel until they get to the bottom. it's unlikely that fish will dig up so deep and that way the weight of the rocks is spread over a larger area (some rocks may be pointy, making a lot of pressure on the glass).