I wanna put my fish in!!!!!!!!

[Shellie]

Just whining guys, no biggie.

[mr gerbil]

I know how you feel. Try getting some rocks to put in it...it might sound stupid but it does help sometimes.

[Shellie]

:: sigh :: Rocks require money. Can't get them any new toys till the first of the month. Sucks getting paid once a month.

[mr gerbil]

I thought you lived in the desert! Or is that mainly sand? lol

[Shellie]

Oh yeah, on the leak in the canister yesterday? You asked how bad it was. It wasn't a leak, it was a waterfall. :eek:

[Shellie]

Actually, our dirt is mostly sand. I would be afraid to put the rocks in the tank that are on the ground out here.

[mr gerbil]

Waterfall? Ouch.

[Cottontail]

If you find a rock you like and have a big enough pot, boil it for 10 minutes :D. Just make sure you let it cool before removing from the water....BOOM!

[Nell]

Cotton, there are some rocks you can just do that with, but not all. Some rocks are not inert and will leach dissolved minerals into the water.

Granite or quartz are okay to use.

Limestone, dolomite, marble, sandstone and some others are not okay.

If you don't know what kind of rock it is, you can test it.
One way is to let it sit in some water for a week or so and then test the pH of the water (like you would with sand.) If the pH is different than water thats been sitting for a day or 2 without rocks, then the rock is unsafe.
Another way is to drop a little bit of acid onto the stone. (Some people say vinegar works, but I think its too weak.) If it fizzes, its not inert and you can't use it.

[Lizerd]

Aww, there, there, Shellie they will be in their new tank soon. :D

[Cottontail]

I found vinegar to be too weak for an accurate result.

[Sorathien]

i don't understand why you can't add them now?

[mr gerbil]

It's only been running for a few hours. Although it isn't going to make any difference to the cycle, if you leave the tank running for a couple of days you can spot and sort any problems with equipment, etc, and it also gives the filter a chance to get rid of debris from the gravel.