"Rocky" issues

[jojowhisky]

Hello everyone!

So recently i got down to scape my 2nd tank. This time for hardscape i decided i was going to use rocks instead of driftwood.

As i had already a small inventory of rocks of different kinds from too many trips to the fish store(hands up people), i could not decide which ones to use! 

I learnt a lesson in the end to just stick with what you know to be safe and inert. Especially if the intended livestock for the tank are soft water lovers. 

Because the local fish stores that i patronize do not have correct labels of the rocks they sell, i had to experiment and research on them as much as i could. 

Most of the rocks look so similar and matching them to pictures on the internet proved to be more frustrating. 

So to use or not to use? Rule of thumb, if you are not too sure, dunk the rocks intended to use in a pail of water and test its ph, if it changes, dont use that. The vinegar test is a hit or miss.

I got too carried away looking at the beautiful scapes from ADA and went out to buy the same light grey coloured rocks only to find out that they can alter the ph by a ton. A fish store owner told me to ask for an exchange of those seiryu rocks i purchased from another store as he said his friend had the ph climbed to 9.4 in his 10gallon, just half a day with just one of that rock. 

Got my exchange thankfully but store ower was very displeased to do that:(

Sign...

 

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[jojowhisky]

Some of the rocks i had.
Light grey being either seiryu or sekyri rock, till now i cant be sure.
Reddish coloured rock is dragon stone. (Safer option)

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