Topic: Can I use larger river rock in my fish aquarium as gravel instead of the smaller stuff? It’s a lot cheaper in cost and I have multiple tanks I need to buy gravel for. I find it to be a lot cheaper in cost. Is there anything I need to watch out for when using larger river rock stones?
*Awarded Answer
Posted by Keith L: I have been keeping for a couple of decades now and I have done just what your asking. I’d like to shed a little light on this topic for you.
Using Large River Rock Stones as Aquarium Gravel
You can use larger river rock stones as gravel in tour fish aquarium but you will learn to hate it. Even some of the smaller stones known as pea gravel is just too large for fish aquariums because food and debris get caught underneath them. That debris gets hidden from you and starts to decay. I would advise using a smaller gravel size stone. Aquarium gravel is the perfect size to use.
If you can find a cheaper alternative to aquarium gravel that’s the same size, then you are onto something! If your looking for a cheap alternative, sand is usually a lot cheaper in cost than aquarium gravel.
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I’ve tried using pea gravel from home depot and after the tank was set up for over 3 months i had no choice but to rip it all out and replace it with aquarium gravel or sand. Even after rinsing, something still hung around and i had issue after issue. Everything eventually healed and all is fine still to this day so i know for a fact it was the pea gravel. Moisture builds in the bags making it a breeding ground for fungus and bacteria which is not easily rinsed away. I thought i was saving money but in the end i ended up spending more. When you figure in the total for meds, gravel and the initial cost of the pea gravel it would’ve been cheaper to use blasting sand, aquarium gravel or aquarium sand from the get go. I hope you don’t have the many issues i had. |
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As well as it’s often kept in the gardening section and could of come in contact with pesticides and other chemicals, mostly oil based and not easily rinsed away. |
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when I buy pea gravel from Home Depot I heat it up outside in a pan over a propane turkey cooker or fish fryer and slowly stir it then let it set out in the hot sun for about 2 weeks. When I started doing that I solved all my problems. Not everyone’s favorite thing to do because it takes a lot of time but it’s always worked for me. |
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I prefer to go the easy route and not purchase substrate out of a garden center, it’s less of a headache. Plus the algae, fungus and lord knows what else that can be introduced is not worth the risk. We battle enough issues with our tanks, why add to it and make it difficult |
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Very true haha,,,I get mine free, and rinse it with boiling water a few times then hot water till it’s clear, not had a problem yet fortunatly. |
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I would rather cut costs on things such as gravel, and put my cash in things such as meds, and filtration or lighting |
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I used 3 bags of home depot pea gravel exactly like he bought and rinsed in hot water and have had zero issues with it. |
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This is kinda crazy. I didn’t rinse it. Forgot lol. Tank up over a year and a half no issues. |
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I’ve noticed a certain someone on this page that has 2 cents and negative experiences in abundance lol. It’s still going to have less bacteria than the lakes and waters the fish come from. I’ve not rinsed sad and gravel before and never had an issue |
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i see many posts of people asking questions because their fish died, their fish are sick, plants dying, algae issues, water issues, lighting issues and cycling issues. You see a trend. Many individuals battle different issues with their tanks. I see it all too often. |
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Unless there’s heavy metals or an over abundance of calcium or another mineral, there should be no issues with anything in my tank. I switched from black sand because everything was fine with my water but something was killing my fish. I’m assuming I had ammonia, nitrite or nitrate pockets in the sand that the snails weren’t getting out. I wasn’t having any issues with any of my other tanks but this one. |
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As far as algae and other organisms in the gravel I bought, it’s a part of being an aquarium owner. I don’t mind algae and neither do my fish or snails. |
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Lighting? I’ll be able to afford better lighting with the money I saved on substrate and my tank is still cycled. Checked it this morning before going out to purchase new gravel. |
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Those are rookie mistakes. I’ve taught myself 90 percent of what I know about fish keeping. Anyone who actually cares about the pets they keep will research and know what they need before they get them. This page is like 50 percent betta people anyway and they disgust me. If you had issues with this gravel it was your own fault. I have 2 tanks set up with it. One african tank with only that exact gravel and one brackish with it mixed with sand. You’re experienced and opinions you throw in ever post on this page are often because of your own skill level not the reality of the situation.. |
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it’s already begun and I can battle the problems that may arise as they come. Nobody is going to change my mind. Lack of research is what kills most fish and I don’t have an issue asking for help or looking it up myself. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, likes and dislikes. |
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shes one of the people on here that you honestly shouldnt listen to. I have 2 tanks with that exact gravel in it and have never had a single problem with it. Literally the only issue you could ever have with it would be it could make your water harder or if you didnt rinse it with hot water it may have bacteria issues. |
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You dont need to boil it anyway. I didnt. Your city tap water has so many things in it that will kill anything that may be in it. She just didnt clean it enough and that was the only issue. Its literally 100% non degradable non porous rock nothing bad can happen unless you dont rinse it enough. |
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There is some porous rock in there but it shouldn’t present an issue unless I fail to maintain the tank, which isn’t an option. |
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We used walmarts pea gravel… no issues!. Also walmart sells a bag of lava rock for 5 bucks. Its smaller peices but make great decor. |
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I used this in my African tank and its awesome. I’ll do a little rinsing to save 80 bucks lol. It looks really nice too |
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I mean, I’d love to line my tank with blood diamonds and filter it using cocaine and caviar but I have other things to pay for too. 🤣 |
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My son done this with his tank, rinsed it all clean first. He never lost a single fish and also saved a lot of money. |
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Yes! This gravel is perfect. Most hardware store offer much cheaper DIY versions of things we buy for our tanks. That is great savings! |
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blasting sand = algae due to high silicates.. the pea gravel works fine tho… but not for planted tanks.. so many options but spending the money on something thats made for it is often a better choice with no side effects. IMO.. im bias lol. |
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I have jungle val down in my gravel, it’s about 2 months old & spreading fairly well. This is my first tank in a few years, so I’m no expert 😂 This particular plant seems to grow like a weed. I love the look of sand, but I’ve heard it can damage the filter. I love the plants almost as much as my fish 😂 |
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I’ve never had an issue growing plants in gravel or stone substrate, with the exception of cichlids digging them out, but that would happen in any fine substrate. |
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if you dose ferts or add root tabs theres no reason they shouldnt ~ if you dont add anything then the plants are lacking trace elements.. |
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I didn’t use any of that stuff except in my sand tank. The fish will naturally fertilize the simple plants. It’s when you get into the harder to grow plants you need extra fert and co2. |
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I’ve only really been playing with anacharis, hornwort, El’ Nino fern, Java fern, anubias nana and a few other cheap petsmart buys. Nothing crazy yet, but hopefully soon. |
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My girlfriend does mollys, platies, guppy’s and just ventured into bettas this afternoon. I’m not into the cichlid side of the hobby since Kentucky has strict laws against predatory fish like I kept before I moved here. |
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I bought a 50lb bag of pool filter sand for $8 lol and a 50lb bag of diamond blasting sand for about the same price lol Im never buying sand/gravel from fish stores again |
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I bake rocks in my oven at like 400 degrees after I boil them. I boil all of my mopani wood for 5 or 6 rounds. Never had an issue. |
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There’s WAY to much for me to bake this substrate lol. The decorative rocks I find I bake though. 400 degrees for 30 minutes unless they start to pop or crack. |
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I buy mine at walmart for less than $2 for 50 lbs bags. It is perfect and I love it. Lol. They wanted $10 a pound at my local fish store for it…..smh….. |
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Well to be perfectly honest, in my humble opinion, of course without offending anyone who thinks differently from my point of view, but also by looking into this matter in a different perspective and without being condemning of one’s view’s and by trying to make it objective, and by considering each and every one’s valid opinion, I honestly believe that I completely forgot what I was going to say. |
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Still has some clearing up to do, I have to order some new plants for it and I apparently i only needed 3 bags to do this 125 and a 20 long, but here it is. |
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That receipt looks crazy. It looks like she entered each dollar amount into the register as it was handed to her. $20.00, then $.25, then $1.00, then $.25. I’ve never seen that before. Lmao |
