Is it OK to use landscaping “pea gravel” in an aquarium?
by Aquaboy on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 | 8 Comments
I know I will need to wash it thoroughly but I guess gravel is gravel…right?
Other articles you might like;
- Is These Pellets Healthy + More Qs-?
- Would This Hurt The Guppy Fry?
- 90g Reef Aquarium Setup Day 5
- Ideas On Fish For Freshwater Community Aquarium?
- Work Experience Melbourne 2011?
Eh…generally I wouldn’t do that. It’s hard to know what chemicals might be contaminating it and if washing would remove it. I had some rocks from outside that I used in my tanks, but I always boiled them in water on the stove before using them.
Not really sure what you mean..but if its stuff NOT designed to use in aquariums then i wouldnt use it.
I guess if they are just stones then they would be ok…if you really wanna use them just make sure they have no chemicals in and boil them before u put them into the aquarium
yeah it would be fine, just make sure as with any gravel it’s as clean as you can get.
There are loads of things used as a substrate, I’ve heard of using metal filings, which are used for sandblasting.
As long as it’s clean and smooth edges it’s fine.
Wrong! You need to use caution when adding just any gravel to a fish tank. Some landscaping gravel is treated with herbacides and/or pesticides that will be harmful if not lethal to your fish. Some stone/rock will also alter your water chemistry (limestone for example is commonly used for landscaping). Sandstone deteriorates and other rocks are porous which could harbour bacteria and/or parasites. While you could boil landscaping gravel to eradicate parasites, bacteria and/or chemicals, you still run the risk of introducing potentially chemistry changing elements into your tank. Don’t risk it. Even if you have to pay a bit more for aquarium-safe gravel, the investment is worthwhile.
Most of the pea gravel sold at lowes & home depot is fine to use if sterelized by boiling or bleach / heavy rinse / full dry. It has problems though.
The stuff they sell for aqaurium use is rounded and graded for size. The loose pea gravel that you’re looking at for around $3 per 50lb bag has not been tumbled to remove the sharp edges from fractured peices…. its only been graded for size… nothing more / nothing less.
If you have any digging fish, or fish that suck / spit gravel… they can be cut by the stuff.
If you dig your hands through the gravel while cleaning / re-arranging… you can cut your hands.
Also, you really really don’t want the dirt that comes in the bottom of the bags of pea gravel. Its full of bad bacteria and organic compounds that will bring on disease and algae. You have to rinse this stuff very well. Either that or you have to be lucky.
PH wise… most of its just river rock. Not much of an affect on the ph at all. They actually sell large graded river rock for decorative pond landscaping.
Mineral wise.. you do run a risk of contaminating minerals being in the rock. Its a low one though.
If you want to check for these things… put water in a bucket… test the water. Put the rock in it & let it sit for a week. check how the levels of everything has changed.
A safer alternative from the bio-chemical perspective available at lowes / home depot for the same price is the red lava rock chips. Mold is about the only conataminant in those things. They are still very sharp.
A good rule of thumb when looking for landscaping material to make the transition over to aquarium use is the cheaper the better. Cheaper products are generally less likely to have been treated with any additional chemicals. Any product that goes in & out with high volume & little attention to detail at the packing plant is best. That way they have less of a chance of screwing up. Its the same deal with DIY filter materials & flame retardants.
If you have a rock or brass tumbler at your disposal, the decision is a pretty easy one.
Seriously bad idea, it was made for cheapness and can contain anything from barium to coal.
The only non specific to fish tank gravel that is safe to use is marbel chips as used on grave stones and as above have said it might well have been treated with fungicide so you have to check the source.
HI, In addition to regular ‘builders’ mix gravel altering your pH, It’s rough & irregular shape poses a very real danger to getting stuck in a fishes mouth & choking them to death.
The best ways to go:
1. Round 3mm gravel often called smooth or Roman gravel. This is easily grubbed through & spat out by even the smallest fish.
2. Sand-excellent filtration potential but vacuuming it is an aquired skill!
3. Large river rocks or pebbles available from garden centres-make sure they are labelled as safe for water features/ponds.
4. Nothing-looks a bit spartan but a bare glass base to the tank is the most hygienic as every piece of debris is immediately spottable when vacuuming & the fish will get every crumb of food.
Yes it works just fine so long as you clean it well first. Make sure your getting the natural stone with out any dye’s.
BTW folks Pea gravel is rounded and completely harmless to fish. You will find it in with the concrete mix and is used for polished concrete where you are looking to have a gravel top to your walkway or patio.