Can you put limestone in an aquarium

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Thread starter jonnyf84 Start date 12 Jul Joined 22 Mar Messages Hi, for my upcoming re-scape i would like to use local rock, i'm from Wensleydale in the yorkshire dales so up on the fells there is a fantastic selection of beautiful limestone rock, is limestone rock safe to use in aquariums for both plants and fish?

AdAndrews Member. This may help to reduce stress in fish and can also give your aquarium a natural and authentic appearance. Rocks or wood can provide hiding places to fish that need this kind of environment to escape other aggressive species. It can also make fish feel safer if they are used to living in caves created by the rock or wood. Additionally, some species breed or lay eggs on these objects.

The final advantage is purely aesthetic. Elaborate rock work or a beautiful piece of driftwood can often make your tank look spectacular. For hobbyists who prefer the natural look, it is hard to go wrong with adding stones or wood to an aquarium.

If you keep a great deal of rocks or wood in your aquarium, it can be difficult to properly clean the tank without removing them all. Uneaten food and debris will often get trapped back in the rock work and will end up working its way down into the substrate beneath the rocks. Vacuuming this covered substrate is impossible unless the rocks are removed. If you decide to have a stack of rocks in your aquarium, be prepared to remove them at least once every one to two months to vacuum up this trapped debris.

Rocks and wood also make it difficult to catch fish or remove dead ones. With so many places to hide, often a significant amount of the rock or wood needs to be removed in order to catch any fish assuming they are not slow moving. Certain rocks or wood can be harmful if your fish prefer a certain set of water parameters that are the exact opposite of what the rock work or wood create.

For instance, if you put driftwood in an African cichlid tank, the cichlids prefer a high pH while the driftwood is creating a more acidic environment.

Most rocks weigh a great deal. The glass or acrylic used with aquariums is very strong, but not without limits. Do not stack too much weight against the back glass of the tank or stack too much weight on the bottom. A good precaution if you are going to stack a lot of weight up is to buy some egg crate at a hardware store, cut it to size, and put it on the bottom of your aquarium underneath the substrate.

This will serve to better disperse the weight of the rock work. Sometimes, rocks or wood can create a poor visual look. For instance, driftwood can stain your water with tannins if not boiled properly before its introduction.

Also, rocks and wood provide additional surfaces for algae to grow on. A subtle layer of algae looks very nice on these objects, but if large clumps start to form, you may not like the look.

The first thing you need to do before using a piece of wood in your tank is to boil or soak it for several hours in hot water. Boiling the water will ensure that any bacteria present in the wood are killed while soaking it will make the wood water-logged so it will sink.

If the wood is too large to fit in a sink or stockpot, put it in a plastic tub or trashcan and keep adding hot water. Soak and scrub the wood for at least 3 days and up to 7 days. In addition to bacteria, wood particularly driftwood may also contain tannins. Tannins are not harmful to fish but they can change the pH of your tank water and will also stain it a yellowish brown color.

Soaking and boiling can help to remove tannins from the wood but it will take a while — several weeks up to a month of soaking. Avoid bleaching the wood to speed up the process because while it may kill some bacteria, the effects may not be as long-lasting and it could contaminate your tank water.

Once your rock or piece of wood is clean, make sure it will not crumble in your aquarium. To test this, wash the object in some water, and brush it with a hard brush.

Then let it soak in a bucket of water for 24 hours. Brush the rock again -- if a significant amount of the rock or wood is still flaking off, it is probably going to degrade in your aquarium. The impact these substance have upon your water is often overstated. If your water is already approximately neutral in the 7s , these rocks are probably only going to raise the pH by several tenths. This is hardly enough to impact most fish. However, if you have slightly acidic water less than 7 and intend to keep it that way, then these rocks can have a large impact on the pH.

The effect also depends on the buffering capacity of your water relates to the hardness or softness of your water.

First, you can add some drops of vinegar to the piece of rock. If it fizzes, it is safe to assume that the rock will raise the pH. This method is not always accurate, however, and a more complete test is to drop dilute HCL which you can find at hardware stores and see if it fizzes.

You should also avoid rocks that will introduce heavy metals into your tank. If you see metallic-looking veins running through the rock, it is generally not a good idea to introduce it to your aquarium. Pyrite should never be put in an aquarium.

Finally, be cognizant of where you found the rock or wood. Did you find it in a heavily polluted area? If so then it may contain contaminates that can kill your fish. Was the rock or wood submerged in water? If so, then there may be harmful bacteria or fungus growing on it. Just be aware of the environment the object came from and use common sense. Below is a list of rocks and woods that are generally recommended for aquarium use.

However, remember to think about the considerations discussed above as well as the environment you are creating in your aquarium. Not all of these rocks will work with every species of fish. Driftwood — if you purchase driftwood from a store, make sure it is aquarium safe and not only for reptile use — also, never use driftwood from the ocean in a freshwater setup. Choosing a Freshwater Aquarium Substrate.

Learn about the factors you should consider when choosing a substrate for your freshwater aquarium. Aquarium Decorations.

Popular as prizes at carnivals and state fairs, goldfish are known for their orange-gold coloration, but they actually come in many colors and patterns. Discover five common myths about the beautiful betta freshwater fish. When you see signs of stress in your fish, you can then take steps to identify the source of that stress and then to resolve it before it becomes a major issue.

One of the most attractive ways you can decorate an aquarium involves a combination of driftwood and live plants. Selecting a Background for your Freshwater Tank. The way you decorate your tank makes a big difference in its appearance.

An unfiltered tank is a unique challenge - you will learn the basics for how to get started in this article. An Overview of Fish Bowls. Wall Mounted Fish Tanks. Acclimating Fish - Drip Method. Learn how to properly acclimate your fish to your aquarium using the drip method.

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Log in Register. Search titles only. Search Advanced search…. Search forums. Log in. Install the app. Contact us. Close Menu. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Limestone in aquarium. My basement is being water proofed so there are guys with big scooper trucks basically digging a big hole all around my house.

They've dug up a LOT of limestone around the house so I was thinking I could use some for my aquarium.