Is there any preparation I should do before putting rocks in my fish tank from the pet store?

Answer 1

my only suggestion is rinse them well before putting them in the tank as they can have dust and other stuff on them if they've been around for a while.... it also depends on the type of rocks you're meaning.... there are the little tiny things that you buy in a 2lb/5lb bag (I think that's the size) and then there's other things that are bigger.... whatever ones you're getting, rinse them before adding them to your tank. Let them soak in really hot water for a bit then rinse them with cold water/water that will be going into your tank if you have to treat your water.... Then add them to the tank and if you're adding rocks while you have fish in there, watch out for the fish lol...

when you do a total tank clean as well, get one of those cleaners you can do rocks with (sorry forget the name of it but it's a fairly long hose and goes off suction/gravity). I used to have one when I had my tank and the amount of "dirt" that would come out was unbelievable!

good luck/enjoy!

Answer 2

As some will suggest just boil it, however, it all depends what you call a pet store? Its become blatantly obvious from this and many other sites that some stores will sell you anything.

You need to check first there's not different colours running through the rock. This is generally an indication of minerals and metals within the rock.
Depending on the type of fish you have depends on the type of rock your going to place in there, you don't really want to be putting a piece of limestone in an amazon tank, so as suggested boil the rock then put it in a bucket of water, check it periodically you will be looking for anything unusual, like fizzing or substances floating off and leaving something like a film on the surface of the water and lastly test the water with a PH kit see if its altering the PH of the water.
The safest pieces of rock are inert generally slate or granite.

Remember pet shops supply pets and you can buy all sorts of rocks for various animals like reptiles.

AJ

Answer 3

People like to make this so complex. Since you've gotten or are getting it from the pet store I am making the following assumptions - it is either for substrate or for decoration & it is aquarium safe (I'm also assuming it's for a freshwater tank).

If it's gravel for the substrate, you need to rinse it thoroughly until it comes out clean. This might mean a little soaking but you want to rinse not only dirt and dust but loose dye. The gravel won't be as bright anymore but it will be safer. Just rinse until you don't see anymore more color in the water itself.

If it is decorative rock - it should be tested as safe already so technically you should just need to rinse it but I always soak mine and look for any residue to float to the surface (I don't trust the stores). If there is residue, then further action is needed, if no residue then just rinse again and use it.

Enjoy your new rocks.

Answer 4

Assuming you're not talking about live rock for a salt water tank...if you found the rocks outside, I would rinse them well, then boil it. I know some people that have ended up with little creatures or fungus/molds growing on the rocks/in the tanks after adding them. Definitely boil it first.

Before doing that, pour some white vinegar on the rocks. If it foams or bubbles, you may not want to use it because it's either limestone or contains calcium carbonate-which will raise your ph in the tank, sometimes very high.

Answer 5

Normally rocks just need to be scrubbed clean with fresh water before putting in the tank. However this and other set up actions (gravel, filters, heater etc,) should be done a couple of weeks before putting any fish in the tank. The temperature and acidity (ph) should also be checked and adjusted just before adding a few fish at first (unless they are cichlids which should all go in at once).
Be careful with certain rocks as they can seriously upset the chemical balance of the water. You can always soak them in separate water for a while and test the water (or take a sample to your aquarium store for them to test - often for free) before adding them to your tank.

Answer 6

you do not would desire to positioned rocks in any fish tank, yet some fish require "caves" to cover in. those do not would desire to be organic rocks: they'd be flower pots, little castles, empty Marmite jars, etc. in case you're asking suitable to the gravel or pebbles oftentimes used on the backside of tanks, it particularly is behaviorally significant for particular fish species, in spite of the shown fact that it is not needed for many. a great number of fish are bred and raised in bare-bottomed tanks.

Answer 7

YES! I made this mistake years ago, and killed all my fish. Wash them thoroughly with tap water. I use a strainer. Put the rocks in and wash them. It cleans all the dust off of them, as well as any toxins they may have been contaminated with.

Answer 8

Just rinse them off. If they are live rocks for your saltwater tank, then there are more things involved, but since you didn't mention saltwater or live rock, then I'm going to assume that you mean freshwater.

Answer 9

boil water and soak them in the water for about 15 minutes, this will get rid of any bacteria you don't want to introduce to your fish tank

Answer 10

Boil them, you never know where the store keeps them before they get to the shelf. Also, make sure to avoid any chemicals, they are highly toxic to fish.

Nosoop4u