# Real rocks from a river? and plants...



## E554551N (Feb 21, 2011)

I got a new 55 gallon aquarium, I want to make it a planted tank, so I was wondering if the rocks and gravel that are from the river behind my house would suffice? It is a mountain stream, very healthy fast moving no algae trout and whitefish. My tank, is going to have (would like to have) 
phantom tetras
Maybe obo cats
Hillstream loaches 
bristlenose catfish/placos 
... I just want to know if any natural rocks and gravel might be exuding a chem or such?
also would nateral plants be ok as long as there not downstream from a factory or somthing? And if i wash them and the rocks?

p.s. if there is anything really wrong with my fish selection let me know, 
I am kinda new. 
p.s2 I want to have a strong current but lots of eddies and places to hide.

thanks...


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Rocks need to be bolied to ensure you kill anything that could be attached. Some are not good for your tank because they can change the ph. An easy way to test to see is put them in a bucket of your tap water. Test the ph of your water before you fill the bucket and then test the water in the bucket every 2-3 days until you're satisfied it hasn't changed.


----------



## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

a fast moving outdoor stream is a very different place than in your indoor tank. Some plants you find there will be fine in a tank, but others may never be satisfied with light levels and the amount of water flow you can produce. The best way to find out is to try it. If something just refuses to live, don't beat yourself up about it. Plants are hard to sterilize, though. You would probably introduce snails and other inverts, some (like leeches) can be dangerous to your fish. I'd think about doing a dip with a sanitizing solution (maybe a tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water) and then a bucket of regular tap water with a strong dose of dechlorinator in it, dip the plant for about 15 seconds in the sanitizing solution, then pull it out and allow to drain, then put it in the tap water and allow to just soak before putting it in your tank, and proceed like that with each plant, with the understanding that organic material will use up the "oomph" in the bleach, so after x number of plants you should probably refresh both solutions. I can't tell you exactly, I have no math to base any of this on, consequently no guarantees either, so even after sanitizing the plants you should still keep an eye out for stow-aways in your tank. I personally love snails, and believe that certain plants love snails, too. 

I have a theory that bolbitis loves water flowing around it, and the best way to grow it (that works for me) is an under gravel filter with over-powered powerheads on it, and snails in the gravel. This amounts to a gravel bed with water flowing through it, as well as a lot of flow up above. This might replicate your stream somewhat, with the flow through the substrate and the flow through the water, on the other hand, not all fish are going to enjoy this kind of movement. Fish who like fast currents tend to be shaped for it, but keep an eye on the fish's behavior in your tank, and invest in power heads that can be turned up and down, so you can adjust things properly. 

And light - talk to somebody about light and co2 - I haven't the expertise.


----------



## E554551N (Feb 21, 2011)

Thank you very much for all the information, I was just wondering one more thing, If you know any plants that like fast flowing water, in addition to Bolbitis?
Oh and if you guys know a place to buy fish online, PetSmart is the only place around here and they don't have 2 of the fish I want. So two...


----------



## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

Well, you want to start slow anyway, either a fishless cycle or cycling the tank with only one or maybe two fish in it to start, but Aquabid is a great place to look for fish.


----------

