[knuggs]

Ok so I work construction and in the driveway in the dirt before they poured it was a bunch of various broken pieces of granite like you would find for a counter top that were mixed in with the dirt. They obviously werent from that particular job due to variations and non matching what they had inside. My question is if I clean and soak them do you think they would b safe to put in a tank?

 

[TactusMortus]

I had white granite in a tank of mine for quite some time with no ill effects. So I would imagine you would be fine.

 

[DogFish]

Yes.

If you want them looking smooth & polished, don't use an acid/acidic cleaner it will etch the surface.

 

[knuggs]

Cool, good to hear, thanks guys. I have alot of pieces I picked up. My gf will like them she is more into the "prettier rocks".

Nice goby Tactus , who says FW fish cant be colorful. I have a pair myself. One of these days I will put them by themselves or finally collect theyre eggs.

 

[RoyalFizbin]

I had always thought granite was totaly innert but I put a scrap of black granite floor tile into a container of water and checked the ph after 2 days. The ph went up. I don't recall the values that i measured. Perhaps it was something that was used in the polishing process that was absorbed into the granite, I can't say for sure.

 

[DogFish]

... I put a scrap of black granite floor tile into a container of water and checked the ph after 2 days. The ph went up.... Perhaps it was something that was used in the polishing process that was absorbed into the granite...

Absolutely possible, my last job we offered that service. The MSDS sheets had some compound names on them that were well above my HS chem "B". :icon_eek:

And who knows what they cleaned the floor with?

Soaking is always a good idea.

 

[Sharkfood]

Most granite is inert, but if it contains marble veins or other minerals, it may affect water chemistry. Keep in mind that floor tile manufacturers and contractors are not geologists. Just because something is labelled granite doesn't mean that is what it is.

 

[DogFish]

You can apply the basic, "granite has grains & marble has veins" and be correct 95+% of the time. Some of my customers were stone cutters....with the money invested they do know what products they are selling.

Retail clerks and installers...NOT so much. Cleaning people even less. We used to make a lot of money fixing other cleaning company's mistakes when business owner's took the lowball bid 1st.

 

[redfishsc]

I've used a lot of granite pieces from a tombstone mill where my brother worked. The rock was cut with, I think, a water pick. This left a very, very cool looking stalagtite formation on the side of the rock where it was cut. I had some 10X10 (roughly) size pieces I'd put together and use in 10g tanks as backgrounds, looked awesome.