# Shrimp safe rocks



## Krayz5183 (Nov 30, 2010)

What types of rocks are safe to out in a crystal shrimp tank? Only other thing is something that doesnt alter the water parameters.


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## Krayz5183 (Nov 30, 2010)

Slate????


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

Lava.


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## Krayz5183 (Nov 30, 2010)

lava rock alter params?


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

Nope. And they provide loads of area for bacteria to grow and mosses love to attach to it because it's so porous.


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

Ya, I use BBQ lava rock and attach moss to it for my shrimp tanks, used it in my planted tank as a "rock pile" in the corner of the tank for fry to hide safely in and fish and shrimp to play in, and use it in my filters as biomedia when I buy a used filter and my roomie filled his filters and decorated his tank, all with 1 $3 bag and I still have about 9 or 10 pieces left.


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## Krayz5183 (Nov 30, 2010)

thats awesome i never realised that..you just made by day...cheap and very resourceful for a shrimp tank


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## dunehole (Sep 13, 2011)

Is petrified wood okay to use???


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## Jeromeit (Sep 30, 2011)

I think that'll raise ur ph


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

That's what I heard too. 

On the BBQ lava rock deal...I just picked up 7 pounds of it at Lowes for 5 or 6 bucks. I have about 2/3 in a tank now seeding and will break it into smaller bits to use as part of an UGF in my upcoming shrimp tank. The rest will go either in the canister or be used to attach moss to. I'm looking for larger chunks to do some scaping with but they seem hard to come by...at a reasonable price anyways.


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## Krayz5183 (Nov 30, 2010)

anything special i need to do to the lava rock before i put it in the tank?


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

Krayz5183 said:


> anything special i need to do to the lava rock before i put it in the tank?


Wash the rocks in a bucket until the water is clear. It'll be really really red water at first.


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## james1542 (Sep 8, 2011)

Will the vinegar test tell you if the rocks are safe(wont raise KH)?


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## big_trucks_1985 (Jan 16, 2012)

is granite ok?


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## DesmondTheMoonBear (Dec 19, 2011)

I have pertified wood and have soon no change in parameters? I was told it was neutral too...


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## KaylNeko (Dec 20, 2011)

@ Big Truck's 1985: Granite's inert, so yes.


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## mmccarthy781 (Jul 7, 2011)

Has anyone ever used zebra stone? I saw it at the lfs and didn't know if it was shrimp safe.


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

I know this thread is old but as opposed to starting a new one asking the same questions I wanted to know if folks knew of other types of rocks that won't alter the pH.


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## Kunsthure (Aug 2, 2010)

ravensgate said:


> I know this thread is old but as opposed to starting a new one asking the same questions I wanted to know if folks knew of other types of rocks that won't alter the pH.


Any rock that passes the vinegar test is safe once you've boiled or baked it to sterilize it. The vinegar test consists of pouring some vinegar on a rock. If it fizzes, even a little, it's got calcite in it and will alter water params. 

-Lisa


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

Kunsthure said:


> Any rock that passes the vinegar test is safe once you've boiled or baked it to sterilize it. The vinegar test consists of pouring some vinegar on a rock. If it fizzes, even a little, it's got calcite in it and will alter water params.
> 
> -Lisa



Pretty sure it's not a sure fire test. Someone had some problems with seiryu stones on here I believe and they passed the vinegar test just fine. I could be wrong but I've heard that's just not 100% method.


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## nosebleed (Apr 2, 2012)

Not to high jack this the forum but is there any rocks that will lower the ph?


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## etane (May 14, 2012)

Yamaya seems to be safe.

Link

I got a bunch in my shrimp tank.


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## Kunsthure (Aug 2, 2010)

ravensgate said:


> Pretty sure it's not a sure fire test. Someone had some problems with seiryu stones on here I believe and they passed the vinegar test just fine. I could be wrong but I've heard that's just not 100% method.


Muriatic acid is more accurate since it's a stronger acid but how many of us actually have that? I don't know much about seiryu stones except that they will up your GH and KH, but haven't read about them enough to have come across vinegar test results. But you might be right. 

-Lisa


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

ravensgate said:


> Pretty sure it's not a sure fire test. Someone had some problems with seiryu stones on here I believe and they passed the vinegar test just fine. I could be wrong but I've heard that's just not 100% method.


What was wrong with the seiryu stones? They are meant to raise gH and kH.


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

diwu13 said:


> What was wrong with the seiryu stones? They are meant to raise gH and kH.


Like I said, I could be wrong on the vinegar test, but I know the poster was having problems in his tank from the stones, removed the stones and the problems went away. The thread came up last week I believe. The stones can also raise pH but I believe there was no vinegar reaction with them.

Muriatic acid isn't that hard to come by. Should be anywhere concrete products are sold (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc). I mean, folks might not have it but it's easy to locate I'd rather do something that's accurate than have to tear crap out of my tank down the road.


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

etane said:


> Yamaya seems to be safe.
> 
> Link
> 
> I got a bunch in my shrimp tank.



Thanks for that link! I just need a checklist of stuff so I can start hunting it down in the next few weeks


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

ravensgate said:


> Like I said, I could be wrong on the vinegar test, but I know the poster was having problems in his tank from the stones, removed the stones and the problems went away. The thread came up last week I believe. The stones can also raise pH but I believe there was no vinegar reaction with them.
> 
> Muriatic acid isn't that hard to come by. Should be anywhere concrete products are sold (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc). I mean, folks might not have it but it's easy to locate I'd rather do something that's accurate than have to tear crap out of my tank down the road.


No No I'm not questioning that the vinegar test is fail-proof. Just wanted to know what was "wrong" with the seriyu stones haha.


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

diwu13 said:


> No No I'm not questioning that the vinegar test is fail-proof. Just wanted to know what was "wrong" with the seriyu stones haha.



OH good grief, change that from 'thread was sometime last week to 'I found it sometime last week'. DOH! It's an olllddd thread but here ya go

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/s...-seiryu-stones-causing-troubles-crs-tank.html


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

HAHAH wow! Yea... dang that's a pretty old thread. You should look for the ones where people "first" found out about rili's. So many people thought the dude photoshopped his picture


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

diwu13 said:


> HAHAH wow! Yea... dang that's a pretty old thread. You should look for the ones where people "first" found out about rili's. So many people thought the dude photoshopped his picture



Oh, I will totally go look for it now! I have a habit of just searching through the threads trying to absorb information and sometimes I get a little confused on what was a new thread or a new thread TO ME. LOL! Woopsie! But see, someone had some problems with those rocks 3 years ago:flick:


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