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Hello! I was just wondering if washing aragonite sand, and lava rock under tap water is safe. I don't know if the chemicals on the aragonite sand, and lava rock would cause issues once I place them in the water, and affect the shrimp. Thank you!

Should be ok, wouldn’t worry too much.


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Also, Am I able to add the shrimp to the tank without cycling?

odin wrote: ↑05 Nov 2023 22:22 Should be ok, wouldn’t worry too much.


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Thank you! Should I let both, the sand, and lava rock dry after being washed?

Get as much of the water off as you can but it won’t make a huge difference.


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odin wrote: ↑07 Nov 2023 14:21 Get as much of the water off as you can but it won’t make a huge difference.


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Would rinsing it off with distilled water help after rinsing with tap?

If you have RO or distilled water you can wash it all with that instead and you will be test assured you don’t have anything in you tank you don’t want. What country are you in? That can make a difference to what’s in your tap water.


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odin wrote: ↑08 Nov 2023 07:11 If you have RO or distilled water you can wash it all with that instead and you will be test assured you don’t have anything in you tank you don’t want. What country are you in? That can make a difference to what’s in your tap water.


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I'm in the US. Not sure how safe my tap water is. Might rinse in distilled. Just pour the rocks, and sand into a bowl, then mix them around?

darth1211 wrote: ↑04 Nov 2023 23:26 Hello! I was just wondering if washing aragonite sand, and lava rock under tap water is safe. I don't know if the chemicals on the aragonite sand, and lava rock would cause issues once I place them in the water, and affect the shrimp. Thank you!

Generally safe . What I'd do is, in sequence

Wash throughly with tap water. This is to get rid of all the dirt and dust, clay or whatever. This require multiple rinses. Some sand U need to really rinse
Then boil then all or use boiling water. Rinse a few times with that.
Then a final rinse with RO water.
Then make your brackish water, submerge all the hardscape and substrate with that.
Leave for a few days, then test the water e.e
If all good ie ph and kH stable drain away the water and U r good to go.

odin wrote: ↑08 Nov 2023 07:11 If you have RO or distilled water you can wash it all with that instead and you will be test assured you don’t have anything in you tank you don’t want. What country are you in? That can make a difference to what’s in your tap water.


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The problem with this is U might end up using a lot of ro water as some of the substrate from LFS is really freaking dirty..