Cleaning older rock

mseepman · #1 02-09-2017, 05:18 PM

So I am starting a new Nano tank with my daughter as she really wants to try helping me with a tank and my big tank has more problems than I want to tackle with her. I will do a tank thread on it shortly.

I have some rock that I took out of my refugium on the big tank that I think had some green turf algae and a little bit of bryopsis. This rock sat outside in a bucket in the sun and the cold for the last year. I took it out in frustration and I guess I was "punishing it" lol. Anyways, I've been soaking it in RODI water for the last week and I notice it has a lot of dead algae on it still. I know this crap can come roaring back unless I prepare the rock but I'm undecided as to how to do this.

Can you give me some ideas that you have done yourself in the past. I know that acid is an option but I'm not super excited to do that in the winter and snow.

Myka · #2 02-09-2017, 06:14 PM

That's great to get your daughter involved!!! Check out a Randall's Goby and Pistol Shrimp for a cool nano pair!

Bleach will cut through the organics for you. Use about 1 cup per gallons. Let it circulate for 8-12 hours and check to see if it's done the trick. If not, leave it awhile longer. Once you're done, empty, rinse the rocks in your laundry tub, then refill with RO and circulate again. The remaining chlorine will off-gas. If you're concerned, add some Prime or AmQuel. Once you're satisfied salt it up, add some bacteria, and start "ghost feeding" a few fish pellets a day to kick off a cycle.

mseepman · #3 02-09-2017, 06:23 PM

Wow, I'm surprised that bleach is an option. So returning algae won't be an issue after bleach...ok, thanks.

Myka · #4 02-10-2017, 04:50 AM

Bleach is actually quite reef-friendly because it doesn't leave behind any residue and off-gases all on its own. As long as what ever you're cleaning fully dries (such as filter socks) it will be chlorine free. Or in your case, it will off-gases eventually if still wet.

When I was culturing fish, I'd sterilize the larvae tanks including the water with bleach before hatching the eggs. The water was bleached with 1 mL per gallon and then dehlorinated with Sodium thiosulphate. The eggs would get a peroxide dip too so they were born into quite a sterile environment. Ammonia was dealt with by detoxifiers.