[Socks of Christ]

I bought some aquatic gravel substrate for my tanks and stuff and I want to use some for my dart frogs but the rocks have kind of a weird pet store kind of smell (that’s the only description I can think of lol). And the smell didn’t leave even after rinsing with RO water.
here’s a picture of it

It’s going into a shallow water feature to cover some little crevices in rocks. Can I use this without it harming my frogs? I dont know why it would be harmful but I don’t want to kill my frogs so I’m trying to be very cautious. Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[fishingguy12345]

Wash it, wash it again, etc, and it'll be fine.

 

[Socks of Christ]

Wash it, wash it again, etc, and it'll be fine.

Just with water? Cuz I did it like 3 times

 

[fishingguy12345]

Just with water? Cuz I did it like 3 times

Yes. Sometimes you need to wash it/rinse it 4-5 times

 

[Socks of Christ]

Yes. Sometimes you need to wash it/rinse it 4-5 times

What if there’s still a smell?

 

[fishingguy12345]

What if there’s still a smell?

Buy a new bag...

 

[bulbophyllum]

You are smelling wet gravel. That is just what it smells like. If you go outside after a rain in an area with a lot of sand, it smells like wet sand. I don't know what it is but, it is a thing.

 

[Socks of Christ]

Buy a new bag...

Its not a bad smell but a pet store smell. Its hard to describe lol but I'm not buying a new bag

 

[Socks of Christ]

You are smelling wet gravel. That is just what it smells like. If you go outside after a rain in an area with a lot of sand, it smells like wet sand. I don't know what it is but, it is a thing.

It smelt like this when it was dry as well.

 

[fishingguy12345]

Its not a bad smell but a pet store smell. Its hard to describe lol but I'm not buying a new bag

Then what was the point of this thread?

 

[Socks of Christ]

Then what was the point of this thread?

I'm wondering if it's safe or not. Like why does it have that smell? Rocks don't have that smell. It says "allows beneficial bacteria to grow". Dart frogs are very sensitive to chemicals so that's why I'm asking.

 

[Harpspiel]

I'm wondering if it's safe or not. Like why does it have that smell? Rocks don't have that smell. It says "allows beneficial bacteria to grow". Dart frogs are very sensitive to chemicals so that's why I'm asking.

The only reason it says that is because of the surface area of the pebbles. Increased surface area with enough space for water movement = more room for beneficial bacteria to grow. I don't think anyone can tell you what that smell is or means, but you could try cleaning with bleach and/or vinegar, then rinsing very thoroughly, and see if the smell still lingers.