Rock for my aquarium??

i found a rock in my garden that i want to put in my aquarium... i asked a friend about it, and she said to boil the rock and then rinse it with cold water before i put it in the aquarium... is this ok? or is there another way to make this rock ok for my aquarium? it's a 10 gallon, and it's not a very big rock... any suggestions would be great, too, thanks!
Answers:
Generally you will hear that it is a bad idea to put anything like that into your tank. This is a very broad statement, however. If you follow certain rules, you can minimize the potential for problems. Firstly, you want to remove the surface dirt and bacteria. Boiling is a good way to do this, if you can fit the item into a pot. Then, you will want to use the vinegar test on it, as posted above. Finally, you should submerge it in clean water overnight and the next day check for any oily residue on the water surface or discoloration of the water. If you notice any residue floating on the water surface or discoloration (with the exception of tannins from driftwood) I advise you to not use it in the tank. Otherwise, go ahead and try it, monitoring closely your fish and water parameters for a few weeks.
I hope this helps you!
Jason C.

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Boil the rock in hot water for 10 minutes before adding it to your aquarium. This will kill any bacteria and loosen any debris that could possibly harm your fish.

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Never a good idea to boil anything that may have 'irritants' on it. This can release toxins into the air for you to breath. It's not likely to be a problem but why risk it.
Best thing to do would be clean it in a mild bleach solution. Then soak the rock in water with a declorinator (sold in all fish stores), for 24 hours. You should then be ok to use the rock in your tank.

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Before boiling or bleaching, find out what the rock is. Its mineral or elemental make up. It generally is not a good idea to put found rocks into an aquarium. Some minerals may be harmful to your fish. The disolving is slow but it doesn't take much to kill off your fish.

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Clean the rock off, let it dry. Then pour some white vinegar on it. If it foams or bubbles, you don't want to use it, because it'll alter your ph in the tank by raising it. If it doesn't, then boil it, and rinse it off good. Also, don't use it if you've used any feritlizers or chemicals in your garden. I don't recommend using bleach water mixes on rocks, I'd be worried the bleach would absorb into the rock, thus making it impossible to rinse off.