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i picked some rocks from the beach which i think might look nice in my tank recently.
how should i clean the rocks so that its safe for my plecos
i soaked them in boiling water for a couple of days and brush off most but not all the algae.
what should i do next???
any suggestions?

as long as they are well boiled, they should be fine. I've done that quite a bit, and used beach drift wood as well with no problems. Just boiled the heck out of them for a couple of hours. Don't worry about the salt if it was a salt water beach. It will slowly seep into your tank, and a little natural salt is good for your fishies.

It might be a good idea to make sure that the rocks you picked are not calcareous, since calcareous rocks will harden the water in your tank over time.

Hi Caril,

Here's what I did to those rocks...

1. Soak them in boiling water, yes make sure its really boiling water!

2. Use a toothbrush and scrub every angle!

3. Soak them in boiling water overnight!

4. Put it in the tank!!!

I also dunk stuff that I pick up in 5% bleach. It's also a great way to get algae off of old rocks and wood.

Rusty

Here in the U.K. taking rocks, gravel and sand from off beaches is illegal. This is not because of aquarists, but because of people wanting stuff for water gardens etc., (which is in vogue at the moment here) and arriving with pick-up trucks and wheelbarrows to try and get it for free. Still, in theory you could be prosecuted for taking just a few small rocks for a fish tank. Driftwood, as far as I know, is O.K. Does anyone out there know if this applies to any other countries?

Rusty wrote:I also dunk stuff that I pick up in 5% bleach. It's also a great way to get algae off of old rocks and wood.

Just be sure to rinse the rocks/wood very thoroughly after you bleach them. Otherwise, you could kill, maim or blind your fish!

Also note that the "5%" refers to ordinary household bleach, which is already dilute.

Dinyar

thanks for the suggestions guys
now i need to look for more rocks...