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  • Results 1 to 5 of 5

    Thread: Any truth to feather rocks chipping fine particles and causing skin irritation?

    1. #1
      Primitive is offline Senior Member
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      Any truth to feather rocks chipping fine particles and causing skin irritation?

      I know many people on here use feather rocks for their shower and filters. I have heard from another koi keeper in person that when they first introduced feather rocks into their filter their fish would jump and splash for a few days due to itchiness.

      When I break feather rocks into small pieces for testing I noticed very fine silica particles.

      I guess in time it slowly wears away and no longer becomes a concern?

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    2. #2
      icu2's Avatar
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      I think common sense tells us that it's a good idea to rinse the feather rock really good before putting into operation.
      Breaking/cutting the pieces creates dust and fragments everywhere. I did a standard rinse and never noticed any fish
      irritated by the media. And I've not seen any erosion of the rock itself.

      --Steve



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    3. #3
      koiman1950's Avatar
      koiman1950 is offline Supporting Member
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      It does need to be rinsed thoroughly before installing it. I would speculate that the "itchiness" observed by the other koi keeper had more to do with changes in water conditions unless they didn't bother to rinse the rock before putting it in the shower.
      Mike

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    4. #4
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      Yep, mine didn't "itch" either. But wear gloves when you bust it up because it will eat your skin up.
      Sandy
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    5. #5
      catfish whiskers's Avatar
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      I've never had a problem with it either, just rinse the dust off well before using it. Do use gloves when handling it as it will cut Your hands if Your not careful. If You were concerned about its dust possibly entering the pond when first installed , You could place some filter pads under the outlet for a few days.
      And since Your in So Cal , no need to cut t up anymore , just get a bag of small pieces made for patio fire pits from the supplier in Chatsworth.
      https://www.koiphen.com/forums/showth...utor-in-So-Cal

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