Anyone here ever scape with sandstone?

[Avatar]

Have some, read that you should boil it first to leach impurities and I suppose perhaps as a way to test solubility/integrity.

It's generally lacking sharp edges (though such could be easily removed), just wondering if anyone has ever used it and whether it had any significant effect on your water chemistry.

 

[Nathan]

I'm not a fan of heating rocks, if im worried about something i just bleach it. Sandstone should not affect your ph.

 

[Avatar]

Thanks, but unlike other rocks, sandstone is pretty porous so...

...I don't think I'll be bleaching it, which while useful for sterilizing/killing pathogens would in this instance be a bad idea and would also probably change the color of the stone. Mainly interested in its potential effects on pH and hardness.

 

[dogofwar]

You could test it with some vinegar - fizz = calcium carbonate = increased hardness

I've generally stayed away from sandstone as it is porous and could leach stuff. But I am FAR from an aquascaping expert

Matt

 

[Avatar]

Aha! The doubtless much vaunted Fizz Test

Whoo-whee do I love science. Especially in the kitchen...

I'll try that directly, thanks, or at least as soon as i find some vinegar that isn't balsamic. Because of its origin I'm working on the assumption that this particular stone was never exposed to anything toxic, etc. and as such is merely what it appears to be, that is to say, sand in the form of very young rock presumably laid down by freshwater activity. Thus do I imagine...

 

[dogofwar]

mmmm....balsamic....

 

[AndyNarwhal]

I have used sandstone in the past. Generally it is silica based so it should be fairly neutral in pH. I would suggest boiling to leach out any chemicals it may have been exposed to. It also kills potentially harmful bacteria or nuisance algae.
I have used the red sandstone and rainbow sandstone and both worked fine. They are also soft enough that you can carve them by scraping with a piece of rebar.
Andy