# Rust on slate?



## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

While there is a lot of talk about metals like iron in the water, I never worry about the small amount I might add. a piece of slate may have some or not. But it will not be nearly as much as your water has been exposed to already!
Got a big old metal water tower somewhere in town? 
Almost from the minute your tap water is captured, it is exposed to metals of all sorts. Pumps, pipes, valves and faucets are all made of metal. Depending on the building code in your area and the age of your house , your house plumbing may be metal. Normally only newer houses are plumbed with plastic. 
So if you add some metal on a slate, how much does it effect things overall? Not as much as that big old cast iron fire hydrant out front?


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## Pb4life2 (May 8, 2014)

PlantedRich said:


> While there is a lot of talk about metals like iron in the water, I never worry about the small amount I might add. a piece of slate may have some or not. But it will not be nearly as much as your water has been exposed to already!
> Got a big old metal water tower somewhere in town?
> Almost from the minute your tap water is captured, it is exposed to metals of all sorts. Pumps, pipes, valves and faucets are all made of metal. Depending on the building code in your area and the age of your house , your house plumbing may be metal. Normally only newer houses are plumbed with plastic.
> So if you add some metal on a slate, how much does it effect things overall? Not as much as that big old cast iron fire hydrant out front?


Makes sense when you put it that way....

Thank you lol I won't worry and will just keep up with my water changes (reverse osmosis)


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

I wouldn't worry about it.

Slates generally considered safe, and people have been using it for decades in all kinds of successful setups.

It's quite possibly that the slate could have some rust staining from some iron compounds, but it would be a really small amount, and it wouldn't really brush off like you describe, so I suspect it's some sort of algae or possibly bacterial film. Either way, nothing to really worry about.

Also a pretty cheap source of slate is the flooring section of Home Depot/Lowes, or a landscape supply place if you want the big chunky types. You could probably buy more then you can carry for not much more then what one rock in a fish store costs.


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## BobLsaget (Apr 29, 2014)

I can tell you pretty confidently that If it was the Slate causing the "rust" it wouldn't just fall off like that. 

More likely some form of fish excrement or algae.


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## metageologist (Jan 10, 2008)

I'm thinking you have diatoms. 

Have a gniess day. -Scott


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

I missed saying anything about the real worry! Yes, I would guess it is diatoms as well. If you brush your hand over it and it comes off real easy almost like silt on the bottom and floats around in a brownish cloud don't feel bad. Seems kind of almost a normal thing that comes to newish tank stuff and then leaves after a while.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

I won't hammer the point on metal and fish/ plants being okay but I just read down to this posting. Check out the containers used!

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=644210


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I have some stone in a tank that has rust spots. They do not come off like that. A tiny bit might brush off, making a momentary cloud, but the main spot stays there and keeps on rusting. 
The fish are just fine. 
Now, this is not a lot of rust- a few nickel and dime size spots in 125 gallon tank. 

I have seen some forms of slate that do have a LOT of rust (I do landscape design and installation). A rock that is that bad will be seen to be that bad in the store: It will already have some suspicious areas and when they get wet the rust is all over the place. Whether this is actually, geologically, slate I have no idea. It is rock that is cut into thin pieces and mortared onto walls, patios and so on. Then it rusts, staining everything under it. 

I am with the other people and yourself: More likely diatoms or something.


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