Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Limestone from landscape supply?

0 views
Skip to first unread message

Eric Thomas Brown

unread,
Oct 10, 1996, 3:00:00 AM10/10/96
to

Hi everyone,

I'm planning on converting my 135 gallon tank into an African tank, and
subsequently moving the Africans from the 55G in my bedroom to the 135G.
But I would like to get a nice amount of "honeycomb" limestone to
decorate the tank with and provide the fish a nice place to hide. One
thing that's always irked me is the high price the local aquarium stores
want for limestone. So I went to a local landscape supply store, hoping
to get some nice large rocks at a cheaper price. They informed me that
taking limestone right out of the ground and putting it into the tank
would kill the fish, and that the limestone found in aquarium stores is
treated (he thought it was with boric acid???). Can anyone comment on
this?


Thanks,

Eric Brown
dar...@bga.com


Crom

unread,
Oct 11, 1996, 3:00:00 AM10/11/96
to

dar...@bga.com (Eric Thomas Brown) wrote:

>want for limestone. So I went to a local landscape supply store, hoping
>to get some nice large rocks at a cheaper price. They informed me that
>taking limestone right out of the ground and putting it into the tank
>would kill the fish, and that the limestone found in aquarium stores is
>treated (he thought it was with boric acid???). Can anyone comment on
>this?

Hasn't hurt mine any. :) I don't think I have a piece or rock,
gravel, or sand (or topsoil *chuckle*) that I've bought in an aquarium
store. What exactly is in there that's supposed to kill your fish?
His saying that probably comes from the fact that the rock will harden
the water, which, of course, some fish wouldn't like...

Gary Kratochvil

unread,
Oct 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM10/12/96
to

Eric,

> They informed me that taking limestone right out of the ground and
> putting it into the tank would kill the fish, and that the limestone
> found in aquarium stores is treated (he thought it was with boric
> acid???).

Wrong, I do it all the time. Some of the rock you see in aquarium
stores has been wash with a diluted solution of muriatic acid. Putting
the limestone (high ph) in acid (low ph) will just eat away at the
surface exposing fresh material and will remove any discoloration. It's
really just cosmetic.

BTW, I see you address is at bga.com. Are you in Austin?

Gary Kratochvil Mailto:e...@fishhead.com
Exotic Tropicals
San Antonio, TX

0 new messages