Sterilising/Testing Rock, Gravel and Driftwood

[BlueBolts]

There's been previous discussions on testing rocks and/or gravel (pebbles) for metals, leaching etc..., and sterilising and zapping and leaching off driftwood/branches etc (i.e. boiling / Soaking ?...).

Would be great if we can share this knowledge....i.e. testing it's hydro acid, sterilising with peroxide etc...

Thanks in Advance

[torface]

Rocks can be tested with dilute hydrochloric acid (10%), muriatic acid or vinegar if you dont have the first two.

It's a good idea to make sure you test several parts of the rock including any white lines (veins) and i would also recommend scratching the rock with a steel blade in the area you are going to test (if it doesnt scratch chances are it is safe).

If you're in any doubt, whack the rock in a bucket of water, test the ph, leave it for a while then test again.

[jayc]

In terms of sterilising drift wood or rocks, I've always believed the less chemicals the better.

So if the piece can fit into your biggest pot (I used a big stew pot), boil it to kill any bacteria or harmful parasites. A big pot of water will take a while to get to boiling point, so once it reaches boiling, leave it for at least 5 minutes at boiling point where the water is furiously bubbling away.

Boiling releases some tannins in drift wood as well. Boiling driftwood also helps it expand and soak in water to make it sink. So that helps speed up the process of preparing your driftwood.

If the piece is too big to fit into a pot, then the alternative is to place it in a bath or alternate container large enough to house it, and pour boiling water over it a couple of times.