Aquarium "cave" and unknown rocks

[xshadowx]

Hiya, I'm a newbie to the forum and a newbie betta keeper

I currently have one male crowntail (called Casper), who'm I love. He has a heap of personality and always swims over when he see's someone move (I know, he just wants food.. but lets ignore that fact! lol)

My question is in regard to his tank; He's housed in a 2.7gallon tank by himself (no other fish), the tank is not filtered (for a small volume I think the filter would create too much current, and I do water changes every 2 days), contains one plant and a small ornament which is a scuba diving helmet type shape, with two holes so he can swim in/through. He loves this "hidey spot" so I'd like to get him a bigger place to hide/swim through and to make his tank a bit more interesting.


When I went to the beach yesterday I found a heap of black rocks along the high-tide line; the rocks are unusual in that they are pitch black (no other pigments) and very light for their size. I was wondering if they were some kind of volcanic rock, or something like black shale or slate or something. Do you think these would be safe in Caspers tank? The reason I ask is because I'd like to make a kind of "Cave" for him; I've attached some pictures below of what I'd like to do, and so you can see the type of rocks i'm talking about.

EDIT: A few members on another forum have said the rocks may be coal or some type of oil shale. if it is this, would it be safe to use?
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Just as a note, I'd be using aquarium silicone to stick the rocks together to make sure it doesn't fall down and hurt my boy, and to make cleaning easier

[Celox]

I have no idea if those rocks are safe, they probably need some to extensive treatment since they have been in the sea and could contain all kinds.

However in regard of the cave, I would use an aquarium silicone to make sure its safe, I wouldn't want to hear that your betta got crushed onder a pile of rocks

[Emenon]

Changing water every 2 days is quite stressful to your fish because it has to adapt to new water conditions quite often. Your fish should do well with 2 water changes per week.

[FishMomma]

Sounds like a nice tank you've made for your fella! As for the rocks, I would use extreme caution in putting them in the tank. Since they are "wild," you don't know what kind of little things could be living on them. I think it would be much safer to use false rocks that you purchase online or at your local pet shop.

As to the water changes. . . . If you have a tank that is NOT filtered, you should do a 75%-80% water change once or twice a week. Doing it more frequently is too stressful for your fish which can make him more vulnerable to disease. I have one of my Bettas in a 2.5 gallon tank with a filter on low and he is one of my most healthy and happy Bettas. The filter is an AquaClear 20 and since it has an adjustable flow rate on it it works quite nicely for the tank. All of my tanks have this brand of filter and I have found this to be the best. I personally think it's better than the Bio-Wheel but that's just my opinion. If you have a filtered tank, then a 25%-50% weekly water change is fine. NEVER do a 100% water change. You're only dumping the beneficial bacteria down the drain and stressing out your fish! Try adding some Java Moss to your tank. Since it lives off of your fish's pee and poo, it helps keep ammonia and nitrItes spikes from happening which makes it a bit like a natural filter. It also provides a nice "blanket" for your Betta to rest on. Since most local pet shops don't stock it, you can purchase it from an online store called Aquarium Garden.

Hope this helps answer your questions! Good luck!

[xshadowx]

Thanks for the replies guys I didn't and won't use those rocks, and I'll do the watr changes less frequently, thanks

[BettaLu&Meg]

I would definitly SOAK THOSE ROCKS IN SCAULDING HOT WATER. Just in case, i wouldn't use soap or any type of degerents. Use the hot water then try to wipe off the surface area as much as possible and then run under the scaulding hot water again. this might make the silcone seperate, being that i used it in my construction business,(i'm a Glazier, i work with glass and everything included in that) but i would rather reglue something in make sure my fish are safe!