Just wanted to let you know I found some gorgeous river rocks at Petco (exactly what I was looking for--size, colors, polished). I couldn't decide between the tiger patterned ones and the natural colors so I got a bag of each and will mix them!! They were a little on the pricey side but I had my 3 1/2 and 2 yr olds with me so running around checking out more stores wasn't really an option today. I wanted to get them so I can put them in tomorrow when I bag up the remainder of my current gravel.

Thank you all for the suggestions!! I really appreciate it. I will post pics once I get them in (and the bags of the old out).

Congrats! Can't wait for the pics!!!

Yay!

Yah, they do tend to be a bit more pricey, but definately look better in my opinion. I demand pics once youare set up..I want to see this combination~

Awesome!
I am hunting for some myself too

ALL RIGHT! I have seen those polished ones - (I think I bought a bag once for a friend....cannot remember) They are really pretty - I love the polished stone with the patterns - so pretty.

I look forward to pics!

I feel funny asking this, but what are river rocks?? I am very interested in them for my 55 gallon, my lionhead had 3 stones in his mouth the other day! my goodness! he did spit them out but I was like, whats happening?? do they come in the natural colors or all different colors??
thanks so much u guys
this will help me to know what I am looking for

sorry but does someone have a pic of river rocks?? I just want to make sure that I am getting something that would be safe for them, do they change the ph? I have a ph of 7 already..
thanks again

They are basicly just rocks. They come in many different colors and sizes but are no smaller then I think around an inch. You can get them polished and unpolished

River rocks are large, smooth and flat. They shouldn't change your pH or anything unsafe like that. I haven't seen any in unatural colors, but you can get them in blacks, greys, whites, any shade of brown, yellowish, reddish, tiger's eye stripy pattern, splotchy pattern, and white with black spots. Its best to get a size with the smallest diameter larger than one inch, because as goldfish grow, so do their mouths!!!

You can also get "polished" smooth rocks, or natural smooth rocks. I have multicolor natural smooth, and they look pretty. Can't wait to get my tank set up!!

am anxious to get my 55 gallon going as well, then let me ask this, what color is best to bring out the fancy goldfish, black? brown? suggestions???
oh, will it say on the bag of "rocks" if there safe? anything I need to look for along those lines?? sorry for so many questions...thanks

If its sold in a petstore they are safe, and most craftstore river rocks are safe too. What color are all your goldfish. Do you have a background? What color is it?

no backround yet, I have a red cap oranda, a white lionhead, but hes turning orange, and an orange and white lionhead..
thanks so much

All those colors would look awesome with a dark background and/or dark river stones. I think you should do both black, black background w/dark brown stones, black stones w/dark blue background, dark brown stones with dark blue back ground etc. Anything would look nice really, I'd stay away from anything red, orange, yellow or white. If you ever plan on getting a black fish, I'd wouldn't choose a black background or you might lose him!

thanks so much kissy
I am still trying to locate the rocks, I called a couple of stores here and nobody knows what I am talking about
Again this morning, it was two of them this time, were really getting into the stones..thanks again kissy

Your welcome

Do you have a petco in your area? That is like the one thing I've discovered that petco has and petsmart doesn't.

That's where I got mine and I them!! They had natural colored ones, black ones and the tiger striped ones. They might have ahd more but I don't remember. If you have a Petco nearby, I'd check it out!!

Anything is more pricey at a pet store. I rarely shop there for my pet supplies because they normally charge DOUBLE for their stuff. I get my river rocks at home improvement stores in the garden and landscaping department. When I went to petco, a bag of colored gravel for a 20 gallon fish tank was 10 bucks. At H&E a bag of river stones, enough for a 55 gallon, was only 7 bucks.

I looked at a couple of home improvement stores around here and just couldn't find what I was looking for and with a 3 and 2 yr old in tow didn't have time to check out the other home improvement places in town. So since I found what I wanted at Petco, I just went for it!! It was a little pricey--I think like $18 for a 22 lb bag of river rock--but I figure I'll keep it a loooooong time since I like it so much.

But I know a lot of people do find what they want at home improvement stores for a lot less. Wish that was me but I guess not this time!

you guys are wonderful! I do have a Petco, I also have a Loews home center, I will check them both out, I have been thinking of my aquascaping and think I would like to have or try to have everything set up as it may be in there natural enviroment, the neautral rock or black rocks maybe even those fake plants that are like some form of material, has anyone used them??
my son also informed me that you can get fake wood, my mind is racing
I don't want real wood in there, I have the book Fancy Goldfish and a lot of what he talks about you guys pretty much discuss here..its cool
thanks