Margo 20-lb Mixed Grade A Polished River Pebbles—Slightly OT

Klyde O'Scope

Chameleon Enthusiast
As some know, I'm working on a tortoise table for the Missus. The tortoise is the OT part.
The rest applies to any who may come across this company/product in setting up any kind of reptile habitat.
I was looking for some nice (large?) river pebbles for said table, and came across these at W-mart.
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https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rainforest-Mixed-Polished-Pebbles-1-to-2-20-lb-Bag-0-25-Cu-ft/48764751

They're gorgeous—and cheap—compared to same/similar at other venues.
When we got them home, we noticed they felt funny (hard to describe) so I got back online both to the seller and several outlets (Amazon, W-mart, Home Despot, Lowes, etc., etc.) to find out what—if anything—was on them.

Results were mixed. Lots of folks seemed to ask the same question, and I only paid attention to answers from the supplier, which to my surprise were mixed. Some said they weren't coated in anything; others said they were coated with some kind of "polish" but they seemed cagey about exactly what. The kicker was that when some asked whether they could be used in aquariums/ponds, the answer was always "no, use [such & such product] instead".

That was enough for me. I have no idea what these things are coated with, and I'm not going to risk it. I can tell you that water beads up on them, and scratching with a fingernail leaves a shiny mark, so I'm guessing some kind of oil is involved.

They didn't cost a lot, and like I said, they're gorgeous (subjective). So we're doing a little coating of our own—in triple thick polyurethane, sealing whatever it is.

Just wanted to pass along this info. to anyone who comes across this product or other by same supplier that may be coated with something we don't want to expose our reptiles to.
 
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