| Putting freshwater aquarium rocks can be of great | | | | have high calcium deposits because it can be harmful |
| help in your tank. Apart from just being an ornament | | | | for your water, most especially to your fish. Calcium |
| to beautify or add a view to your tank, rocks also | | | | greatly affects the chemistry of water in your tank. |
| provide hiding and breeding places for your fish. | | | | Your pH and hardness will ultimately be changed. |
| Rocks can also be used to help anchor plants and | | | | There is another simple way of testing whether the |
| other ornaments in your tank. The surface of the | | | | rocks you have can be good for your tank. You can |
| rocks also provide a good surface for good bacteria | | | | fill a container with water that is the same as the |
| to grow. In choosing rocks, you should make sure | | | | water that you will use in your tank. Test your |
| that you use the solid kind, not the type that will | | | | water's pH level, hardness, ammonium, nitrates, and |
| crumble or dissolve in the water. Make sure that they | | | | phosphates. Record the results for future comparison. |
| are well anchored or are neatly tucked on your tank | | | | Testing kits for this can be bought at local fish shops |
| to be sure that the rocks would not endanger your | | | | and pet stores. After testing the water, place the |
| fish. | | | | rock in the container and then leave it for a week. |
| The rocks that you use should not be composed of | | | | Test again the water's chemistry and compare the |
| calcium. Rocks that give off calcium are called | | | | results to your primary test. A significant change |
| calcareous rocks. To test a rock for this, you can put | | | | would mean that what you have is not a suitable |
| drops of ordinary white vinegar on the rock. If it | | | | therefore, you should avoid using it. |
| forms a foam or bubbles then it means that the rock | | | | You can check examples of freshwater aquarium |
| is calcareous. Freshwater aquarium rocks should not | | | | rocks here. |