i’m assuming this is a no but i bought this from petco and ended up smashing it, it’s sold as “aquatic red crystal rock”
Posted by Upbeat_Hat4525
24 Comments
rebecc-a on
I would try to find out exactly what type of rock it is
FNzevic on
Im going to go with no
Without_My_Halo on
Nooooope
w6lrus on
it looks very soluble like a salt rock so i don’t imagine it would be safe
glowingouija on
i only ever put untreated quartz into my tanks, just plain clear quartz, looks beautiful, completely harmless
Sea-Bat on
Hit up somewhere like r/whatsthisrock to get a more confident ID, that’ll let u know it’s properties and what’ll happen when it’s immersed in water long term 🙂
I’m thinking it’s calcite
Electronic-Plan2736 on
Aside from the issue of unknown composition I’ll add that I know from experience that this texture will end up with algae in every nook and cranny. It might look cool. It probably won’t. And it will be near impossible to remove entirely.
WloveW on
I have no advice for you.
It looks like rock salt. When I was a kid I apparently was briefly the type of kid who would lick stuff to gain information.
Also when I was a kid my step dad collected all sorts of weird minerals and fossils and he had this weird, smooth, shiny green rock that looked like jade. I don’t know what jade tastes like but that rock tasted fucking horrid and bitter. My 8 year old brain immediately assumed it was a chunk of whatever falls out of the latrines of airplanes and I profoundedly disgusted myself with my actions.
I don’t lick random things anymore. Yay me.
Anyway, clearly you should not take my advice, and like I said, not giving it, but if I were giving advice, I’d advise don’t lick it even though it clearly looks tasty and salty.
AnneeDroid on
It looks like either calcite or halite (rock salt).
Calcite will eventually effect your pH, making your water harder, but the effects will be slow/more mild. Halite will dissolve and add salinity to your water.
If you’re brave, lick a piece and see if it’s salty. If you’re smart, don’t use it and find some pretty quartz instead.
Good luck!
HDH2506 on
No.
Idc what it is, one look and the geologist deep in my subconscious says no.
Unless it turns out to be quartz (it’s not, right?), then it’s good
KingAuberon on
Feel like this should be more upvoted since it’s good that you asked instead of throwing it in.
Other people have already chimed in re: suitability, I just wanted to say you could put them behind the tank so you could still see them – might look cool in the background if you do a super minimal thing.
FrapFrapuccino on
Bought three of them from Petco like 2 years ago, and they’re still in my 20g — never had any issues with water quality or fishy health!
saracha6272 on
no 🙅 that looks like a salt rock, i have a lamp that looks just like it. i wouldnt put any gems or crystal looking rocks in your aquarium honestly because a lot of them have reactions with water in which over time they will disintegrate and contaminate your water. i believe pure quartz (clear, smoky, rose) is probably the best aquarium safe crystal if youre adamant on going for that look !
Criss_Crossx on
Aquarium hobbyist and rockhound here. No calcite in the aquarium!
vital-cog on
It looks a lot like quartz to me. Which would be fine as it’s inert. Also, most people on here tend to really over react about rocks in aquariums. You should do your best to find out what it is, but honestly, the vast majority of rocks you’ll come across (depending where you live of course, that’s another factor, but this came from a store) are fine to put in aquariums. Rocks that are bad for water chemistry are the exception, not the norm.
Now I’m just praying that I don’t get downvoted into the negatives just because I said most rocks are fine…
Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the world and is pretty hard. If you can’t really scratch it with a knife it’s probably quartz. Also, as others have said you can do a vinegar test.
Drink_Covfefe on
Almost certain its calcite. Apply a drop of vinegar to see if it fizzes, which would indicate its calcite.
It will react with acid in your aquarium to verrry slowly dissolve. It will neutralize any acid in the tank and bring it to more neutral pH which can be good for some animals. It will also raise the hardness of the water which might be better for crustaceans and invertebrates.
Roscoe_8 on
I think it is quartz in which case it is fine for your tank.
Mayflame15 on
Calcite can be ok for some aquariums but it can dissolve in more acidic water which is what a lot of tropical fish want
seanho00 on
Definitely not quartz. I’m leaning toward calcite rather than halite, due to rhombohedral (skewed) cleavage, but it’s hard to tell from photos.
luisadn3 on
It will release a lot of minerals some hard to be diluted.
luisadn3 on
In other words bad for an enclosed bio
Grouchy_Penalty8923 on
Do you have a college of any kind nearby? A geology professor would love to help you!
LordAlrik on
I personally wouldn’t add it if I don’t know what it is exactly.
It does look like calcite, but it could also be fluoride. I would go hunt down who ever sold it to you what it is rather than gamble
str33t_c4rp on
Put it in a separate bucket of water and start testing parameters over time.
24 Comments
I would try to find out exactly what type of rock it is
Im going to go with no
Nooooope
it looks very soluble like a salt rock so i don’t imagine it would be safe
i only ever put untreated quartz into my tanks, just plain clear quartz, looks beautiful, completely harmless
Hit up somewhere like r/whatsthisrock to get a more confident ID, that’ll let u know it’s properties and what’ll happen when it’s immersed in water long term 🙂
I’m thinking it’s calcite
Aside from the issue of unknown composition I’ll add that I know from experience that this texture will end up with algae in every nook and cranny. It might look cool. It probably won’t. And it will be near impossible to remove entirely.
I have no advice for you.
It looks like rock salt. When I was a kid I apparently was briefly the type of kid who would lick stuff to gain information.
Also when I was a kid my step dad collected all sorts of weird minerals and fossils and he had this weird, smooth, shiny green rock that looked like jade. I don’t know what jade tastes like but that rock tasted fucking horrid and bitter. My 8 year old brain immediately assumed it was a chunk of whatever falls out of the latrines of airplanes and I profoundedly disgusted myself with my actions.
I don’t lick random things anymore. Yay me.
Anyway, clearly you should not take my advice, and like I said, not giving it, but if I were giving advice, I’d advise don’t lick it even though it clearly looks tasty and salty.
It looks like either calcite or halite (rock salt).
Calcite will eventually effect your pH, making your water harder, but the effects will be slow/more mild. Halite will dissolve and add salinity to your water.
If you’re brave, lick a piece and see if it’s salty. If you’re smart, don’t use it and find some pretty quartz instead.
Good luck!
No.
Idc what it is, one look and the geologist deep in my subconscious says no.
Unless it turns out to be quartz (it’s not, right?), then it’s good
Feel like this should be more upvoted since it’s good that you asked instead of throwing it in.
Other people have already chimed in re: suitability, I just wanted to say you could put them behind the tank so you could still see them – might look cool in the background if you do a super minimal thing.
Bought three of them from Petco like 2 years ago, and they’re still in my 20g — never had any issues with water quality or fishy health!
no 🙅 that looks like a salt rock, i have a lamp that looks just like it. i wouldnt put any gems or crystal looking rocks in your aquarium honestly because a lot of them have reactions with water in which over time they will disintegrate and contaminate your water. i believe pure quartz (clear, smoky, rose) is probably the best aquarium safe crystal if youre adamant on going for that look !
Aquarium hobbyist and rockhound here. No calcite in the aquarium!
It looks a lot like quartz to me. Which would be fine as it’s inert. Also, most people on here tend to really over react about rocks in aquariums. You should do your best to find out what it is, but honestly, the vast majority of rocks you’ll come across (depending where you live of course, that’s another factor, but this came from a store) are fine to put in aquariums. Rocks that are bad for water chemistry are the exception, not the norm.
Now I’m just praying that I don’t get downvoted into the negatives just because I said most rocks are fine…
Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the world and is pretty hard. If you can’t really scratch it with a knife it’s probably quartz. Also, as others have said you can do a vinegar test.
Almost certain its calcite. Apply a drop of vinegar to see if it fizzes, which would indicate its calcite.
It will react with acid in your aquarium to verrry slowly dissolve. It will neutralize any acid in the tank and bring it to more neutral pH which can be good for some animals. It will also raise the hardness of the water which might be better for crustaceans and invertebrates.
I think it is quartz in which case it is fine for your tank.
Calcite can be ok for some aquariums but it can dissolve in more acidic water which is what a lot of tropical fish want
Definitely not quartz. I’m leaning toward calcite rather than halite, due to rhombohedral (skewed) cleavage, but it’s hard to tell from photos.
It will release a lot of minerals some hard to be diluted.
In other words bad for an enclosed bio
Do you have a college of any kind nearby? A geology professor would love to help you!
I personally wouldn’t add it if I don’t know what it is exactly.
It does look like calcite, but it could also be fluoride. I would go hunt down who ever sold it to you what it is rather than gamble
Put it in a separate bucket of water and start testing parameters over time.