rockstarta78 November 14, 2015 Share November 14, 2015 Hello All, So I am in the process of setting up my tank. I got 10 lbs of tonga shelf rock. I think I need to cure this rock (maybe?). Should I just give a bleach bath to the rock after cleaning it? Or do I need to soak it in ro/di water for weeks? If you have any experience with this rock or any suggestion/comments to help me cure this rock, I'd appreciate if you could help me out please. Thank you Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef November 14, 2015 Share November 14, 2015 Just rinse it well with rodi and then start your cycling process... No need to bleach or anything else if you rinse well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstarta78 November 14, 2015 Author Share November 14, 2015 Ok thank you. There are so many conflicting information out there it was getting confusing. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami November 14, 2015 Share November 14, 2015 Was the rock dry and dead to start with? The only reason I could see that anybody would suggest bleach would be to kill off any pests on the rock or to break down other organics that might be present on the rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstarta78 November 14, 2015 Author Share November 14, 2015 Tonga shelf rock are usually dead dry rocks. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstarta78 November 14, 2015 Author Share November 14, 2015 My biggest concern is PO4 leaching Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami November 14, 2015 Share November 14, 2015 Bleach won't do anything if the rock is leaching phosphates. Remember, the operating theory here is that phosphates have adsorbed into the outer layer of the calcium carbonate matrix of the rock and that it's being released back into your water. The treatment in this case has been to etch (dissolve) the surface of the rock using an acid to remove this outer layer. Bleach is not an acid so it won't remove this layer if there is one. Before etching rock for this purpose you 1) have to subscribe to the phosphate-leaching rock principle and 2) should confirm that the rock is, in fact, leaching phosphates. On the other hand, if the pores of the rock are clogged with organic material, then bleaching will help to open the pores in the rock as bleach is a strong oxidizer and will break down organic material. Just soak your rock for a few days and check for elevated phosphates. Then go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstarta78 November 17, 2015 Author Share November 17, 2015 Thank you so much. So my plan was to bleach it than give it a vinegar bath. I guess for now I will just sock it for few days and see what happens. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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