What would you do?-----How to clean rock.. (1 Viewer)

[ReefMaster32787]

I have been buying up rock lately and have come to the point now where it needs to be cleaned. I have several months before I will be using it so time is of no issue.
I've got about 200lbs that I think needs a deep clean, I have noticed bristle worms, pineapple sponges, several types of algae's. While these are not all that bad there is no sense in taking a chance.


It is mostly dry rock but there is some rock that did just come out of a tank.

How should I clean it? Vinegar, acid bath, bleach/water change for several weeks... I am soaking it in vinegar and freshwater at the moment just to loosen things up and I will then pressure wash the rock to get the large junk off.

 

[inigomontoya]

If you want to totally nuke it and make it true dead rock I would bleach it for a couple of days (after rinsing vinegar off and out of bucket-don't want chlorine gas), then rinse/power wash, then do the muriatic acid wash, then rinse again/soak, then let it sit in saltwater with some powerheads and a couple of pieces of "clean" liverock from existing system that can seed the bacteria. It can then be live in the bacterial sense when you put in your tank.

 

[Reefahholic]

I you have mostly dry rock and some live rock that you have kept together and now both have some critters lurking in it that you're concerned about, I would just let it dry out in the sun for a week. Don't boil it whatever you do.

After the sun bake, give it a good vinager and bleach bath (**outside**) due to toxic vapors if you're worried about crud on the rock. Toxic vapors are not an issue outside though. Vinager + bleach will intensify the cleaning power. Soak it a day or two and check it until you're satisfied. Rinse it and then just put it in some heated saltwater and let it Level out. After that, add to the DT.

If it were me and I was putting it in my tank. I would let it dry in the sun for 1 week. Just to kill the turds because I hate pests. Then I would cure the rock in heated SW for about 3-4 weeks or until the ammonia tests zero. Then add to DT. Most of the other stuff is overkill IMO.

 

[inigomontoya]

Don't mix vinegar and bleach period, it creates chlorine gas. This was used in chemical warfare in WWI, they were outside too. Odds are you aren't going to have enough to seriously hurt yourself but why chance it.

 

[ReefMaster32787]

No I would definitely rinse after each stage. Think I will pressure wash the rock tomorrow then do bleach for 2-3 days then rinse and do the acid bath followed by 2-3 weeks soaking in freshwater w/water changes and finally move to the saltwater.

But is the acid bath really necessary after the bleach has nuked it? Or is the acid bath basically a sure fire way to know that NOTHING is coming back from the dead?

Am I correct in assuming that the equipment is still good after all of this with a good vinegar bath?

 

[inigomontoya]

Bleach will kill anything organic on the rock. Muriatic acid strips the rock and helps with phosphates. Here's a good recent thread on the process
http://www.marsh-reef.org/marine-an...w-do-i-acid-wash-rock.html?highlight=muriatic

 

[ReefMaster32787]

LOL I just re-read the posts and realized that I basically just repeated what you said.

Ohh ok I understand if that's the case then I will do the acid wash as well.

 

[dayton]

Just doing the acid wash should take care of everything.

 

[Reefahholic]

I don't understand why people feel that rock sitting in the sun for 1-2 weeks will actually resurrect from the dead with pests after its put back in the DT and infect the entire system.

Why go through all these crazy unnessessary stages?

All that's needed is to let the rock dry out in the sun. (Effortless)

Cure the rock for about 4 weeks in heated circulating saltwater. (Effortless)

Add to DT. DONE!

Everything else is a headache.

I have yet -till this day- seen any dry rock so loaded down with funky material that it actually needed an acid bath.

If it were that bad, don't buy it. Simple as that.

 

[Reefahholic]

Check out this video on YouTube:


Curing Live Rock For Saltwater Aquariums - YouTube