What rocks are axolotl-safe?

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Antony Rossi

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I know a lot of rocks contain minerals harmful for axies, but specifically which ones?

I bought a couple of rocks from the pet store. I have:
- Obsidian which should be fine
- Some kind of red and white porous rock ( http://www.petco.com/product/112310...e.aspx?CoreCat=LN_Shopping_FishSupplies_Decor )
- Something similar but just red
- Some kind of marble or white onyx (I think...)

The marble/onyx(?) concerns me because its chalky. Its definitely not as smooth as the obsidian.
 
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Safe Rocks:
  • Crystalline Quartz ( also known as Rock Crystal, Amethyst, Citrine, Rose Quartz, Smokey Quartz)
  • Granite (care must be taken with granite, some forms contain high concentrations of pyrite)
  • Jade
  • Microcrystalline Quartz, also known as Quartzite and its metamorphic forms: Jasper, Agate, Chalcedony, Sard, Carnelian; Green coloration should be avoided due to presence of copper)
  • Onyx
  • Petrified Wood
  • Slate
  • Basalt
  • Porphyry
  • Schist
  • Commercially available “River Rocks”
  • Mica
  • Tapecrete or similar acrylic based concrete products, properly treated and sealed
  • Obsidian
Unsafe Rocks:
  • Coal, as a naturally occurring hydrocarbon, this rock is often contaminated with many other hydrocarbons.
  • Lava Rock, not recommended due to a multitude of sharp edges and the possibility of high sulfur and hydrocarbon concentrations
  • Coral, causes alkalinity issues
  • Dolomite, the metamorphic form of limestone
  • Fools Gold also known as pyrite (or any other rock with metallic veins--Acid Producing and even more so, often a lead hazard)
  • Any rock with a green or greenish color to it, these are most commonly contain copper)
  • Fossils, with exception to those in Slate
  • Limestone, the sedementary form of coral
  • Manufactured Quarts Crystals
  • Marble, if not sealed with a high quality aquarium safe epoxy
  • Sandstone
  • Shale as it often contains hydrocarbons that can be harmful in a captive enclosure
  • All Metamorphic and Sedimentary Rock not on the safe list
 
That was brilliant Eric.

Great list of rocks too, I will be able to use it as a referance.
 
does anyone know if brick is alright? :)
 
I have some broken terracotta half pots in mine that my axies love to hide in. I would think bricks are similar in makeup. I suppose you would just need to check if it leaches anything into the water (they're just a clay compound right??)
 
So is terracotta plant pots a good option for tem to hide in ? I would be worried about balancing rocks on each other to make a
Cave incase they fell down ??
 
What do you think about these rocks? I'm not sure what they are....so I probably won't use them...but I'd like to if they *look* to be safe and typically used in axolotl tanks. I'm guessing they're sedimentary, but I don't know much (anything) about rocks.

I cleaned them and tested them with a little vinegar. I read that if the vinegar makes them bubble, they cannot be used. I also tested the pH and hardness of the water and plan to do that regularly for about a week to see if there are any weird changes.

But if these are definite no-no's....please let me know!

Thank you! :)
 

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Shizeric said:
Other Axolotl safe rocks are:

soft rock, glam rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock and punk rock. (Just try to keep the volume down).
Click to expand...

so i legit laughed out loud :D
but good list too thanks onxy is my schools stone
 
Mortimer said:
What do you think about these rocks? I'm not sure what they are....so I probably won't use them...but I'd like to if they *look* to be safe and typically used in axolotl tanks. I'm guessing they're sedimentary, but I don't know much (anything) about rocks.

I cleaned them and tested them with a little vinegar. I read that if the vinegar makes them bubble, they cannot be used. I also tested the pH and hardness of the water and plan to do that regularly for about a week to see if there are any weird changes.

But if these are definite no-no's....please let me know!

Thank you! :)
Click to expand...

Looks like granite to me.
 
I was wondering about this the other day, since it's relatively easy to come by large-ish tumbled quartz crystals. You obviously wouldn't want anything pointy.

And actually, putting agate underwater tends to set it off far better! I have an enhydro/water agate, and you're supposed to keep them underwater (I occasionally dunk mine, but have nothing to keep it in on display permanently, and am not too bothered about it drying out) because they're porous and can dry out. Regular agate slices could look rather pretty and decorative stepping stones. So long as you made sure there were no sharp edges.

( Of course, the fact water agates can dry out and I suspect absorb more rather puts a damper on the idea of them holding "ancient water". More likely a mix, if at all. But they're pretty to look at anyway. )

Malachite is an obvious and major NO! Selenite dissolves in water, so another no.

I wonder about labradorite. If you had an aquarium light for live plants, and got it at a good angle, you could set it off just right.

The critters'll care nought for any of this. I'm just a magpie when it comes to rocks.
 
hairypumpkin said:
Can I put a large slab of flourite in the tank??

flourite in Rocks, Fossils & Minerals | eBay

I love it, it's so pretty.
Click to expand...

Without knowing the specifics of the chemistry, I can't say for sure, but I would really, really urge you not to. It's a soft halide mineral, and I'm just googling around to confirm (because my DK book is being unhelpfully unspecific on this front) and, yes, it's slightly soluble in water, so I really, REALLY wouldn't put it in your aquarium.

Does anyone more knowledgable know whether de-chlorinators also remove fluoride? Or whether ageing the water removes this in the same way as chlorine (though not chloramines!) Fluorine is related to chlorine, and both are a toxic gas.

I don't know whether that slight solubility would release fluoride into the water, but I really, really wouldn't risk it.

You're not going to get the pretty banding that fluorite has, but a safer alternative, if you like the purple colour, would be amethyst. (Tumbled so no sharp edges for axolotls to scratch on!)

You can get patterns/bands/rings in agate (blue lace agate is the one that immediately springs to mind and is rather pretty.) I'd avoid any of the bright blue, purple and pink ones, because they they tend to be dyed and I don't know how colourfast the dye is in water. (Also, dying them seems unnecessary to me.)

Both amethyst and agate are on the safe list posted above.

Hope that helps.
 
Okay, thank you very much. I love amethyst as well, so I will probably chose that.

I have handfuls of quartz from my aunts property, I wish I could make a lovely display with that..but I don't have a tumbler. I think I'll buy some tumbled stones and make a diy hide.
 
Hey, I have a small pile of Mexican beach rock that I was initially planning on using for a goldfish tank but would like to use it in a axo tank instead. I don't see them on either list. Your thoughts?
 
I've seen hand picked river rocks sold for substrate for axies... can I go pick out my own river rocks? I use sand but would like to have a rock or two in my tank.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 
You would need to sanitize them first. Here is a link that includes the above list of safe and unsafe rocks plus how to tell if your rocks are safe.

Axolotl Sanctuary
 
In my area of Sweden, there are lots and lots of rocks to be found (except slate which is a bit harder to locate) outdoors, and I've found some beautiful pieces of bright red/black granite, and also read the page about sanitizing them, but what I can't find is info on how to sanitize them safely... That is, safe for me and my other pets... :rolleyes:

I feel kind of terrified "baking" them in the oven or cooking them on the stove - it really doesn't sound very tempting with razor sharp shravels of granite exploding all over the place... :S
If anyone did this - how did you do it?
 
I was wondering if anyone has used featherock for axolotls. I have a large piece that I was going to use for my tank to make it look like a cave. I do have to sculpt, sand, boil and bake it. To make sure all sharp edges are gone and so it will not float.
 
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