NamReefs July 1, 2014 Share July 1, 2014 Hellos everyone . I never did this before . Just start to take out some of my rock in my the tank . Need to clean it . I let it dry now but need to clean it. ? Any suggestion ? Thanks in advance Nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 July 1, 2014 Share July 1, 2014 Bleach or quick acid wash will do the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 1, 2014 Share July 1, 2014 I'd start first with a pressure washer if you have one. Knock off all of the big stuff. Then use the bleach to break down the remaining organics that may be clinging to the rock. Follow that by rinsing well, then dry it out again to get rid of all of the traces of bleach. Then, if you want, an acid wash to eat away the top layer of old rock to remove any undesirable stuff that may have bound to the surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos July 1, 2014 Share July 1, 2014 What % bleach to water? Then what percent muriatic acid to water? Thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 1, 2014 Share July 1, 2014 5-10% bleach/water should be sufficient. There's no big science to it. It's just strong enough to 1) kill stuff on the rock and 2) break down organics that may be adhering / clinging to the rock. If the rock is really clean and free of debris, a soak of a few hours should be sufficient. If you've got a lot of organic stuff clinging to the rock that wasn't removed, it may be better to seal the container and leave it for a few days so the chlorine breaks stuff down. Live Rock Acid Bath according to R2R. Exercise care in handling the acid. The stuff fumes coming out of the bottle and can burn your skin, eyes, lungs, and nasal passages if you're not careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos July 1, 2014 Share July 1, 2014 5-10% bleach/water should be sufficient. There's no big science to it. It's just strong enough to 1) kill stuff on the rock and 2) break down organics that may be adhering / clinging to the rock. If the rock is really clean and free of debris, a soak of a few hours should be sufficient. If you've got a lot of organic stuff clinging to the rock that wasn't removed, it may be better to seal the container and leave it for a few days so the chlorine breaks stuff down. Live Rock Acid Bath according to R2R. Exercise care in handling the acid. The stuff fumes coming out of the bottle and can burn your skin, eyes, lungs, and nasal passages if you're not careful. Thanks, gloves and goggles, and maybe a respirator of some sort would probably not hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NamReefs July 1, 2014 Author Share July 1, 2014 Look like bleach it better way to do it . Thanks everyone . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 July 1, 2014 Share July 1, 2014 Bleach breaks down the organics on the rock. The acid removes a layer of rock by eating it away. So kinda 2,different concepts seems like acid is more for rock that has phosphates that are realy bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RW09903 July 3, 2014 Share July 3, 2014 How long do you dry the rock after a bleach an acid bath? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 3, 2014 Share July 3, 2014 Whatever time it takes to dry out. Rock is porous and depending upon the volume and porosity, it'll take whatever time it takes. The goal of the drying is to give time for residual chlorine to evaporate. You can try using a dechlorinator rinse, too. Drying after an acid bath is not necessary. The rock actually neutralizes the acid as it is eaten away. A good, freshwater rinse gets rid of any acid that's not finished doing it's job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WheresTheReef July 3, 2014 Share July 3, 2014 What do you guys do with the acid or bleach solution once you are done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 July 3, 2014 Share July 3, 2014 What do you guys do with the acid or bleach solution once you are done?Bleach I am not to sure of. As for acid I know must use baking soda to neutralize the acid. Then its safe to go down the drain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurlyT July 3, 2014 Share July 3, 2014 (edited) Use a pool dechlorinator such as Winston Vanish to neutralize the chlorine. You may be able to find it at places like Walmart. Be sure to get rid of as much of the chlorine bleach as possible before going to the acid bath stage, especially if using something strong like muriatic acid. The combination creates chlorine gas which is deadly. This is all best done outside to be safe. You may want to use a power washer or even take the rock up to your local spray & wash to remove the final organic debris. Edited July 3, 2014 by SurlyT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RW09903 July 3, 2014 Share July 3, 2014 Heed all warnings! Rinse off and declorinate rocks as best as possible. Wear proper PPE. The gas mask saved my nose, the goggles saved my eyes and the gloves saved my skin (at least my hands). Perform task outside as well. Last thing you want is to trap all gases in your house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 July 5, 2014 Share July 5, 2014 (edited) Use a pool dechlorinator such as Winston Vanish to neutralize the chlorine. You may be able to find it at places like Walmart. Be sure to get rid of as much of the chlorine bleach as possible before going to the acid bath stage, especially if using something strong like muriatic acid. The combination creates chlorine gas which is deadly. This is all best done outside to be safe. You may want to use a power washer or even take the rock up to your local spray & wash to remove the final organic debris. wal mart near me doesn not carry any dechlorinator could i use the stuff from the pet store or should i try a pool store first?> Edited July 5, 2014 by jacobB89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkcirca July 5, 2014 Share July 5, 2014 I'm actually in the process of this. I used stuff from the pet store as it was all I could find. I actually did the bleach for 24 hours, then sprayed it off with my hose, dechlorinated water for a few hours, and then an acid wash.. I probably should have waited but my readings were saying that the acid would get rid of the bleach... probably toxicly but it is outside. We are sitting in the acid wash now. I'm probably going to have to take a pressure washer to it next, pending I can coax my husband to get it out and get it started (the one we have is finicky and belongs in the trash). It took me over 2 years to get him to get the rock out of the tank, so I may be pressing my luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newms118 July 5, 2014 Share July 5, 2014 I just used a vinegar bath to help remove some of the leftover gunk from my Pukani rock from BRS. I think my dilution was 50:50 vinegar to RO/DI water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurlyT July 7, 2014 Share July 7, 2014 wal mart near me doesn not carry any dechlorinator could i use the stuff from the pet store or should i try a pool store first?> They don't stock it in the stores but you can order it from their website and pick it up in the store. I know PetSolutions also carries it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 July 7, 2014 Share July 7, 2014 They don't stock it in the stores but you can order it from their website and pick it up in the store. I know PetSolutions also carries it.I found some api brand at the pet store treats 8000 gallons think that will work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b July 7, 2014 Share July 7, 2014 If you cook rock with any zoas on it you could get very sick and possibly die. I've heard of more than one story about people cooking rock, fumes in the air and then getting sick. On Reef Central: "I learned about Zoanthid toxin the hard way...... " and "Almost killed myself, wife and dogs. Novices, Please read!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos July 7, 2014 Share July 7, 2014 Here is another incident that was not one of our famous members. http://reefbuilders.com/2012/03/04/palytoxin/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkcirca July 8, 2014 Share July 8, 2014 If you cook rock with any zoas on it you could get very sick and possibly die. I've heard of more than one story about people cooking rock, fumes in the air and then getting sick. On Reef Central: "I learned about Zoanthid toxin the hard way...... " and "Almost killed myself, wife and dogs. Novices, Please read!" Here is another incident that was not one of our famous members. http://reefbuilders.com/2012/03/04/palytoxin/ Exactly what they said. Do not cook rock with anything that could carry palytoxin. I went with bleach and acid (at separate times), and did it all outside. I used gloves (separate ones for bleach and acid) and would recommend a mask and goggles as well. I debated not even bothering with the rock but mine is probably a 30lb rock and I didn't want to lose it. My rock is now sitting out on the patio drying. It had a bleach bath for 24 hours, a freshwater bath for a few hours, then an acid bath for about 30mins. The acid bath removed the remaining GSP and polyps. I followed up with a freshwater bath for about 12 hours and It's sat in the sun for 2 days now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite July 8, 2014 Share July 8, 2014 "Cooking" rock doesn't necessarily mean literally cooking it by application of heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 8, 2014 Share July 8, 2014 "Cooking" rock doesn't necessarily mean literally cooking it by application of heat. Yeah, that's what Steve did. He boiled the rock with the Palys on it leading to a real problem when he inhaled airborne palytoxin. "Cooking" is a term that we use to describe ridding a rock of dead and dying organic matter and seeding it with new bacteria to make it "live." It does not refer to baking, boiling, stir-frying or sauteing your rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos July 8, 2014 Share July 8, 2014 Yeah, that's what Steve did. He boiled the rock with the Palys on it leading to a real problem when he inhaled airborne palytoxin. "Cooking" is a term that we use to describe ridding a rock of dead and dying organic matter and seeding it with new bacteria to make it "live." It does not refer to baking, boiling, stir-frying or sauteing your rock. So I guess I don't need the olive oil? Maybe we should change the "cooking" term to a process- "sterilizing the rock from unwanted organisms, removing organic debris, and reducing the potential for phosphates while not poisoning yourself before you start a new tank". Doesn't really flow, but that seems to be the goal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now