Additional rock questions...

[truckpoetry]

OK, so now I have a massive pile of Texas Holey Rock - wooha!

But I still needed MORE rock. So I went to a local supplier and got some Colorado river rock. Most of it is either Sedimentary rock - you can see the layers - like Sandstone or granite - and some is quartz based rock. The question is - is quartz/any of this - safe for my fishies? Wondering because I got 15 rocks for $1.00 (it was $200/ton) so it isn't too much down the drain if it isn't safe, but I don't want to spend all of the effort cleaning/boiling/polishing these rocks before i put them in if they are gonna hurt the fish anyway and I won't put them in.

My guess - quartz is OK, and so are sparkley sand particles stuck in the rock - but metal/ores/etc. are bad. Already had to chunk a rock because it looked like it had some type of nickel/silver/something in a grain of the sediment. But the rest are OK, except for some quartz/sand.

Let me know - it's time to get cleaning!!!

Thanks in advance,
Cameron

[aharris]

The sandstone, granite, and quartz should all be OK AFAIK. At least, I've used all of the above over the years and never had any problems. It's the metals you don't want leaching into your water.

[StructureGuy]

I would agree that there is nothing wrong with these rocks as long as there are no sharp edges for them to cut them when the scrap against the rocks (flashing). Quartz and granite are pretty hard rocks and can have some sharp edges.

Kevin

[truckpoetry]

Yeah - the quartz -based rocks should be fine because they are smoothed out river rock. Ended up not using any slate or granite and stayed with mostly Texas Holey Rock, sandstone, and some river rock.

Here's a pic:

http://www.truckpoetry.net/fishies/125day4_1.jpg

Sorry for the glare there...

Thanks again!
Cameron