Can I put rocks from the beach into my saltwater fish tank???

[shadowdude321]

My friend got some rocks and gave em to me and said they were from the newport tide pools of corona del mar and so i wanted to see how or if they would be safe to put into my tank....and also if there were any tests i could do on them before putting them in to make sure it wont harm anything????

 

[whodakind]

the besting you could do is cure the rock first before you put it in your tank..

 

[mps9506]

I'm always wary of adding local rock/sand when dealing with tropical species. I've had no issue using local rock and sand when housing local sub tropicla species though...
Chances are it won't do anything, but it still leaves you open for the possibility of leaching chemicals or anything absorbed while it was out on the beach. I don't know how pristine the beaches in that area are...

 

[Octoman]

Depending on your location, there may be legal issues with removing rock from your beach. It is protected in Florida, for example...

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

You might be able to get away with it, but the consequences could well out weight the gain. If you want some cheap rock, might I suggest following GARF's article on Aragocrete?

 

[Dentoid]

I have done this in the past with small rubble and shells for my jawfish. I collected a couple of handfuls of beach rubble from Nags Head beaches. I boiled them in RO/DI water for 20 mins, poured out the water, filled with fresh RO/DI and boiled again. I did this three times then allowed to cool before placing in the tank.

I would not do this for large pieces or for LR filtration.