# Cheap rocks that are shrimp safe?



## briscoe (Mar 29, 2013)

I'm redoing my 75 gallon shrimp tank. Money's tight, so I'm looking for cheap rocks for aquascaping that are also shrimp safe. I think I'm planning on just going to Home Depot or something and seeing if I can get something slate-like. Are there any types of rock that I should avoid? I'm just paranoid about getting anything that will have too much of an effect on water parameters.

Thanks in advance.


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## jeepguy (Jul 24, 2013)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=102990
This is a good informative thread.


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## briscoe (Mar 29, 2013)

jeepguy said:


> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=102990
> This is a good informative thread.


 
Thanks dude.


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## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

see if you have any landscaping stores around you. not overly expensive, plus normally a lot of variety


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

Yeah, that thread looks pretty good.

If you are going to a lowes/home depot, you should be able to get slate in the flooring section, but it's pretty thin ~1/2"or less, I think.

The outdoor section should have bags of lava rocks, but they are pretty small - maybe a couple inches across.

If you can find a landscape supply near you, they should have a much greater variety of rocks - maybe bigger lava rock, thicker/bigger/irregular slate, pumice (it's sharp/abrasive, and might not be great for clumsy fish, but shrimp should be fine, and I think it will grow moss pretty easy), granite, quartz, etc.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Look for landscape, masonry, soil, brick and other terms. 
These are stores that sell rock by the truckload, by the bag or by the pound, and it is a lot cheaper than buying rock already in bags, such as at a pet store. 

Take some zip lock baggies and a sharpie with you and take some samples, label them. 
Bring the samples home and test them. 
Look for rocks that do not have minerals that might show up like rust spots. 
Avoid names like Dolomite, Limestone, Marble, Calcite, Tufa, Coral, Travertine and other names that indicate high calcium carbonate. 

Put them in the same sort of water you will use in the tank. (Tap, RO, a blend...)
Test GH, KH, TDS, pH of the water when you start, and every few days for a week or two. 
If you do not see any changes then the rocks are highly likely safe.


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