Where to get Basalt and Granite rocks?

[JDA70]

Hi, I've been looking around town and
on the Web for some Basalt and Granite
rocks and haven't found anything.

I found a site that has Slate and I
can get Quartz here in town but no
Granite or Basalt.

If you know of any place that has these
types of rocks let me know please.

Thank you for reading my message.

[CassieLEO]

Do you have any woods out by where you live? Any rivers or streams? Quarries? I went to a Quarry with my daughter and found some amazing rocks. All the rocks in my tank are from rocks me and my daughter found on little excursions. It means more. Just make sure you test them with some vinegar and make sure they dont fizz, as that means they will corrode and get bad for your tank.

[dbosman]

Michigan was really scoured by the ice age. We have sand and lots of gravel. We have veins, some of them quite large, of what ever the glaciers left as they receded. What we don't have in the mitten part of the state is mountain upthrusts.

JDA70
In state, check the better landscaping places. They are trucking in their stock for spring sales. If you go at midday and ask, they may let you fill a 5 gallon bucket for a couple of dollars. If not, they'll sell by the ton and your bill may come to as much as $10.00.

[genocidex]

if you are looking for granite you might also try a counter place. around where i live there is a place that cuts and breaks its own granite slabs for contracting. if u ask politely, and correctly they might give u free "rubbish" cuts or chips. as for the basalt ive never even heard of it :P sry

[JDA70]

Thank you for your replies.
Where I'm at it's all pretty much Ice and snow right
now. There are 2 rivers but I have no idea where
any rocks would be. It's pretty much just trees and
sandy dirt.

I've read good rocks for fish tanks are,

Basalt
Lava Rock
Granite
Quartz
Slate
Sandstone

These are said to not contain anything that would harm fish
and or change pH levels.

[mommy1]

when i was setting up my 75g for africans i went to a landscaping supply rock yard. they had all those rocks you listed and the one i went to only charged .09 a pound.

[MCools]

Have you tried Lowe's or Home Depot? Some of the smaller independent landscapers should have some, too. I just pulled a ton of granite, quartz and other stones out of my backyard from old landscape work, so someone is selling it.

Some areas in MI are more rocky than others, but this time of year your out of luck anyway you look at it.

[genocidex]

start digging in the snow to get the rock XD ..... or you can always call around your local businesses they are great info. look online to see if there is a fish care expert in your area who gives free advise. there is a person around my area named fish mike who cares for fish for companies, and people who go out alot. also he does emergency "my fish are dieing and im completely clueless" visits. he gave me hints on where to find fish shops that will special order for me.

[Trillianne]

Well this time of year its a bit cold... but you can find some incredibly amazing and even unique to Michigan rocks on the shores of the Great Lakes that will be fine in your aquarium.

The benefit of picking from the shore... you get worn stones without sharp edges and you get to see what they look like wet.

(I say this as someone that mailed my Michigan summer rocks I picked up with my mother this past summer to my house near Seattle. - Best use of a Flat Rate box imo!)

However... if you are set on specific types, googling "Michigan Quarries" will get your loads of results with phone numbers.

[genocidex]

arent the great lakes salty? or am i thinking of another place? im not sure any more lol. if so is there a way to get the salt off them ? (or if like me i live near the alantic ocean)

[JDA70]

Lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior are all freshwater lakes.
Credit to http://wiki.answers.com

[Trillianne]

Perhaps you are thinking of Salt Lake?

All of the Great Lakes are Freshwater... though with Lake Erie... the freshness the last time I was there was... well let's just say its the only natural body of water I don't want to swim in again.

Lake Superior is actually the largest Freshwater Lake in the entire world. (Its surface is so big you could cover 5 of those little New England States with it! [Or about 1 South Carolina]) In the summer the sunset at one end of the lake is about a half hour later than at the other end of the lake :ssuprised: ) It is also VERY cold, with an average temperature in the summer of just 40ºF !

Sorry... I tend to go on a bit about the Great Lakes... :help:

[dbosman]

though with Lake Erie... the freshness the last time I was there was... well let's just say its the only natural body of water I don't want to swim in again.


The zebra mussles have really cleaned up Lake Erie. You can see the bottom in a lot of areas now. Now we need to teach the perch and walleye to eat mussles.

[CassieLEO]

Zebra mussels are the wicked invasive species right? They have been a HUGE problem in our local lakes and streams as they are ruining so much stuff in the water. Crazy!!!

[Trillianne]

I dunno the issue I had was more the slime on the bottom... that's just too gross. :X

And yes... there are lots and lots of zebra mussels there, and yes they are invasive species.