Why, hello! Today I thought I would talk about testing rocks to see if they will dissolve or are safe to put into your aquarium. First off, I have seen a lot of people say to boil rocks to get them clean... DO NOT DO THIS!!! SOME ROCKS HAVE AIR POCKETS INSIDE OF THEM AND WILL EXPLODE!!!! Never boil a rock unless you want to risk horrific injury.
So, all you need is vinegar (any kind), a pipette (not strictly needed, makes life easier), and a rock.
This is the vinegar that I use. Why do I use this? Because it came with a recipe and I had some extra. Too little to cook with, exactly enough for testing rocks.
Now, all you do is get a bit of vinegar out, drip it on your rock, and check for bubbles.
The bubbles can be very hard to see, I would advise having a strong light on hand.
And that is it! If it bubbles, it's bad! If it doesn't, you're good to go!
It may take a second to start bubbling. Generally I watch it for about 30 seconds, put it down and move on to the next rock, then check it again once I've done a first check on the second rock.
If you are testing fossils, I would advise putting the vinegar on a part of the rock that doesn't have the fossil in it. The vinegar shouldn't damage the fossil, but better safe than sorry.
If your rock has different colors or seams of different rock types, make sure you test a bit of all of them. The chemical composition of the mineral deposits may be different enough for one part to react, while the other doesn't. Be careful!
This also tests if the rocks will make your water more basic. The acid in the vinegar reacts with the alkaline rock. If it bubbles, there is a chance it will lower your aquarium pH.
Just to reiterate, DO NOT BOIL ROCKS! You can look up rocks exploding due to heat on YouTube. It isn't fun. (Well, fun to watch sometimes, not fun to experience)
This does not sterilize the rock or test for parasites that may harm your fish. I keep very low maintenance pets that are not sensitive to such things. Be careful, and look up proper procedures for your specific aquatic pals.
Native amphibians and invertebrates use river rocks to hide and nest in. Please be conscious of this while you are collecting, and try to avoid taking rocks with the little guys living under them, and don't over harvest the area. :)
I hope this helps, and have fun with your aquarium!!
