# Cleaning Polished Rocks From the Dollar Store



## Beasty_Artemis (Dec 19, 2016)

So i noticed that there are nice sized bags of polished river rocks at the Dollar Store neer me, and I have been thinking about getting some for a while. Finally got a couple bags now that my table is coming into fruition. I thought I would soak them in water for a while, just in case...
Well the water was full of debris this morning! And more appears with every water change!!!
What could it be?
How do you clean polished river rocks before you can use them?
Are there some kinda that might be bad for a tortoise health?


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## Beasty_Artemis (Dec 19, 2016)

So I can't get a good pic of the stuff. It looks like alot of little off white flakes of gritty stuff floating in the water..


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## Beasty_Artemis (Dec 19, 2016)

Here is what it looks like after adding warm water instead of cold....


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## Yvonne G (Dec 19, 2016)

Put both hands into the water and agitate it briskly. The rocks bumping into each other should help to dislodge whatever that is. Just keep doing it until the water runs clear.

And as long as I have you here . . . do you use that bulb for the tortoise? The reflection shows a compact fluorescent bulb. Those have been known to harm the eyes. But if you mount that kind horizontally, it's ok. (but they don't provide very good UVB)


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## Beasty_Artemis (Dec 19, 2016)

Yvonne G said:


> Put both hands into the water and agitate it briskly. The rocks bumping into each other should help to dislodge whatever that is. Just keep doing it until the water runs clear.
> 
> And as long as I have you here . . . do you use that bulb for the tortoise? The reflection shows a compact fluorescent bulb. Those have been known to harm the eyes. But if you mount that kind horizontally, it's ok. (but they don't provide very good UVB)



Nope. That's my kitchen ceiling light, messing up my pics.


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## dmmj (Dec 19, 2016)

my concern is whether their actual rocks or artificial and whether they are toxic or not.


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## Maro2Bear (Dec 19, 2016)

Im sure after a rinse or two ur stones are perfectly fine. We all have to remember that our torts and turtles are out there in the real world, with dirt, bugs, parasites, heat, cold, wind...etc.


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## dmmj (Dec 19, 2016)

my main concern is whether or not they are real River Rocks and whether they are toxic or not.


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## Yvonne G (Dec 19, 2016)

dmmj said:


> my main concern is whether or not they are real River Rocks and whether they are toxic or not.



It's good to be concerned and wary. Afterall, they were sold at the dollar store. Maybe they're not real rocks.


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## ZEROPILOT (Dec 19, 2016)

Maybe they have been treated with lacquer or something.
You can get big bags of river rock at a home supply store.
They're not expensive.
I just added some to my smaller fish pond.


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## RosemaryDW (Dec 20, 2016)

Could it be wax? "Real" polished rock costs too much for the dollar store; cheap ones are sometimes waxed to enhance the appearance.


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## Beasty_Artemis (Dec 20, 2016)

RosemaryDW said:


> Could it be wax? "Real" polished rock costs too much for the dollar store; cheap ones are sometimes waxed to enhance the appearance.



Perhaps. It seems to come off more effectively with warm/hot water...


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## Oogway the russian tort (Dec 20, 2016)

Maybe boil the rocks i think that should kill bactria and clean it


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## TerrapinStation (Dec 21, 2016)

To be safe, I would not use them in a tortoise enclosure. No doubt those are imported (China, Philippines, Malaysia?) and were probably lacquered or coated with some type of substance that is definitely not regulated by the FDA or EPA.

Even after washing, once they are exposed to high heat and humidity, it may release more "substance" in the form of vapor or leeching into the ground of your enclosure.

For our enclosure, we just got some good old natural rocks from the beach and rinsed them and added them in.


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