# Is Flagstone safe for my fish?



## Desert_Damsel (Jun 18, 2007)

i'm thinking of setting up a 2.5 gallon nano for my grandfather, if they'll let him have one in the nursing home. Anyway, theres a rock quarry only a mile from my house and i thought i could get some smaller chunks of flagstone really cheap, and stack them to make 3-4 inch waterfall and hide the whisper filter. would the stone be safe for a betta and some cherry shrimp?

:hug: i just want to share the beauty of aquascaping!


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## klintman (Mar 22, 2007)

flagstone is kinda a generic term. i have seen limestone termed flagstone in illinois for landscaping. if it is real flagstone it is a sandstone type and should not effect ph. if it is a limestone type though it will raise ph value.

some will tell you you can use vinegar to test if it is calcerous, but this is unreliable unless you powderize a portion then use a stronger muratic(10%hydorcloric acid) to see if it effervesces (foams up).

if you boil some water for awhile then test the ph values and such to get a base reading you can get a general idea what the rock will do to the water. after you get the base values for your water boil a good portion of the rock at a slow boil for like 8hrs or so. take readings of the water after it cools down. if things are different from the base readings you can assume the rock will do the same to the tank water after time.


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## Desert_Damsel (Jun 18, 2007)

wow, didn't expect such a long process but it makes sense and i'll give it a shot.

Thanks!


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## mhoy (Jun 12, 2007)

Ask the quary what kind of rock it is and look it up on Wikipedia.


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## strange_screams (Apr 10, 2005)

i have used a flagstone...deemed to be of a mostly sandstone type, it probably does have some limestone in it, but i use it in a 1 gal soil planted tank and a 10 gal cichlid tank. i have seen no adverse effects so far, and my ph is stable, my water is pretty soft so it may have a slight buffering capacity.
the only problem that i have found, is that when algea or plants attach to it, it tends to desintigrate faster.either limestone or sandstone is already going to melt faster then other rocks, so dont plan on them keeping there shape foreverbut in eight months only several layers have come off in the planted tank

no change has happened in my other tanks...

your far better testing it and gleening what information you can though....Im more of lazy person....i washed it well and put it in the tanks....

trial by fire so to speak


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## Desert_Damsel (Jun 18, 2007)

strange_screams said:


> i have used a flagstone...deemed to be of a mostly sandstone type, it probably does have some limestone in it, but i use it in a 1 gal soil planted tank and a 10 gal cichlid tank. i have seen no adverse effects so far, and my ph is stable, my water is pretty soft so it may have a slight buffering capacity.
> the only problem that i have found, is that when algea or plants attach to it, it tends to desintigrate faster.either limestone or sandstone is already going to melt faster then other rocks, so dont plan on them keeping there shape foreverbut in eight months only several layers have come off in the planted tank
> 
> no change has happened in my other tanks...
> ...


hummm... what about slate then? i've seen it for sale in multiple pet shops and that quarry does sell multiple types of decorative rocks. My mother is into rocks and claims slate would rust... is that true?


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## mhoy (Jun 12, 2007)

Rust=iron for the plants!


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## Desert_Damsel (Jun 18, 2007)

oh :doh: that makes total sense... i was planning to add some red plants. i feel so silly now!


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