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there's a river that runs next to a place we have in the country and i was wondering if i could use those flat river stones instead of the gravel i actually use? what do i do before putting them in the tank, just wash them? could they be harmful? thanks

martin

they'd be perfect for your tank. I'd not make them too large though. You want them big enough that your turtle can NOT swallow them but small enough for them to be able to move around.. they just love moving rocks I'd say golf ball type size is rather good

Yes, you need to scrub them very good to make sure all dirt and any thing that can contaiminate your tank is removed. Some boil the rocks, I just scrubbed mine with hot water and a brush.[/b]

cam722 wrote:they'd be perfect for your tank. I'd not make them too large though. You want them big enough that your turtle can swallow them but small enough for them to be able to move around.. they just love moving rocks I'd say golf ball type size is rather good

Yes, you need to scrub them very good to make sure all dirt and any thing that can contaiminate your tank is removed. Some boil the rocks, I just scrubbed mine with hot water and a brush.

, I think Carol (Cam722) meant that you should find river rocks that are small enough for your turtles to move around but big enough for them NOT to swallow it. Many turtles find it entertaining to move the rocks around so you don't want to use a boulder size river rock (size compare to them) for them to try to push around. That will only discourage your turtles. I don't use any rocks in my tanks as I believe it's hard to clean after having years of experience with goldfish. What I do to keep them active is put rosy red minnows or guppies for them to chase around and I will be heading to a Modell's to get some ping-pong balls (table tennis in other countries). I heard that it keeps them enterntained as well. I leave a bare bottom or I glue down a lizard liner to the tank. I have heard it is best to scrub off any dirt from the rocks and then boil it in a pot to ensure that all the bacteria and germs are dead like Carol mentioned. However, don't try to use any detergent, soap, or something extreme like Clorox to kill the bacterias/germ. That's a big no-no as detergent and soap always leave some amount of residue left and Clorox will most likely erode the rock and it needs to be carefully washed over and over and over and over again etc... (you get the point). Just pure hot water/pot and a brush will do the job just fine.

Opps.. forgot the n't on that "can" didn't I?? In my defense it was 4;42 AM when I posted that.. I'll have to make a note to myself not to post during an insomnia attack