Bleaching old rock strictly to kill possible spores?

musicsmaker

musicsmaker

Premium Member
I have some old, dry rock that I purchased used. It looks really clean, but I'm worried about it possibly having dormant, pest algae or things of the like.

Would there be any benefit to bleaching it for a day in 20/80 bleach/water?
 
Won't hurt, I always do it. 1/2 cup regular bleach per 5 gallons is sufficient. Just make sure it is regular bleach.
 
I would sooner recommend doing an acid bath and then a solid rinsing out.

Check out google Live Rock Cooking (which does NOT involve heat, only acid).

The reason I recommend this vs. simple bleaching is that it will burn off the outermost layer of the rock, which will remove phosphates, copper, spores, algae, etc. Then you just rinse rinse rinse with water and neutralize the acid with baking soda (same as you would use for alkalinity supplementation anyway).

I did this in home depot tubs for dry rock that I bought, and it was a very simple process. As the tank was established, the only green algae that grew was on the sand, and coraline populated the rock very quickly.
 
tkeracer619, that's quite a low concentration compared to the 20% I've seen repeated so often. Are you sure that would be enough for a 24 hour soak? When you do it, do you use tap water, or ro?

ReefWreak, this rock is remarkably clean looking. My only concern is dormant algal spores, or any other nondesirable dormant life. After the bleach and subsequent rinsing, it will get dried back out, then used in a brand new system. Im starting this one out sterile.
 
on the spot said:
I second the acid wash. Looks and is are miles apart.

Otherwise, with next to no visible organics, a little bleach will go a long way. More won't hurt anything though.

GL
Click to expand...

Most of the rock looks completely void of any organic matter at all, but some of it is stained by either green surface-algae, or from having been under sand. It's all currently in an old Rubbermaid Trashcan with RO water and bleach. I'll let it soak for at least 48 hours, then rinse and dry it.

Once it's thoroughly dry, my plan is to dry-scape it in the new tank, using JB's "water-weld" putty to stabilize it in key spots, so there won't be any shifting down the road. I'll let that cure, then fill the tank with saltwater and use ammonium chloride to cycle it. Once the nitrogen cycle is finished, the first inhabitants will be clownish and a nem. If it takes another 6 weeks for phosphates to drop low enough for sticks and stonies, then so be it.

Hopefully tkeracer was right about the dosage.
 
I think you will have trouble adding an anemone so soon.
Anemones do much better in an established tank, not one that is freshly cycled. I sell anemones and will not sell one to a new tank in most cases, especially one started from dry rock.
 
With a properly cycled tank, and and an experienced reefer taking care of things, what exactly is it that happens to a tank over time that makes it more suitable for a nem?
 
When you start a tank your starting every aspect of your tanks ecology from scratch you have no bacteria no pod life no established stratified sandbed your tank will hit the nuisance algae phase anemones need water qualities that don't fluctuate at all water quality will make a bubble tip split if it changes too much or too fast.
 
bigfoot610, true there will be no bacteria at first, but after I cycle it with ammonium chloride there will plenty. I won't have a sandbed at all. This tank is going to be bare bottom with a piece of black starboard on bottom. I'm going to have minimal rockwork in the display, and run a 8x8x4 marine pure block in the sump. I'll seed the fuge with pods and chaeto the moment algae starts to show up, and maybe add some snails and hemits around that time, depending on what's happening with my ammonia, 'trates 'trites, phosphates, etc.

Once the tank can clear a dose of ammonia in under 24 hours, it is ready for fish. Is it not? I'm thinking this should take 6 weeks or more. The pod life should be established and reproducing in the fuge pretty well by then, also.
 
As a side note: the rock looks super clean and white right now. I can now see some places that had corals encrusted over them, and tell that underneath it, the rock is more porous. I might try to chip some of that off. It definitely looks cleaner now than when I put it in there. Some of it is a little orange looking?
 
White I'm usually an all in guy with muriatic acid baths, I have noticed that aiptasia isn't actually killed with a soak, I mean it looks upset and shriveled up but knowing the regenerative qualities of aiptasia I wouldn't leave it as actually dead.

Bleach on the other hand...
 
sfsuphysics, there is no chance of any aiptasia being on this rock. It can't survive being totally dried out for weeks on end. IDK about acid, but bleach will kill everything for sure. I've opted to let it go one more night. Can't hurt.
 
I just finished taking the rock out of the bleach water, and setting it out so it can dry. I've read that people use dechlorinator when rinsing bleached rock.

Does anyone have any input on that? What EXACTLY is in dechlorinator?
 
After a 2 year break do too a house fire I just started a 50 cube. I acid washed all my new to me rock with 5 gallons acic in a 20 gallon brute for 1 hour. Rinsed thoroughly. 2nd day 4 gallons bleach for 24 hours. Rinsed throughly and let dry 5 days. After the 5 days I gave it a soak with two three gallons 20% clear activator in the brute can for 2 hours. Drained and air dried for 24 hours. Rinsed it in rodi water and put in the main display.
Sixweeks later I just compleated my cycle. And added my first two fish.
Phosphates not detected. All parameters normal. The only odd thing I am observing is even with the lights on for the past six weeks I have no algae and or dino.
 
ReefWreak said:
I would sooner recommend doing an acid bath and then a solid rinsing out.

Check out google Live Rock Cooking (which does NOT involve heat, only acid).

The reason I recommend this vs. simple bleaching is that it will burn off the outermost layer of the rock, which will remove phosphates, copper, spores, algae, etc. Then you just rinse rinse rinse with water and neutralize the acid with baking soda (same as you would use for alkalinity supplementation anyway).

I did this in home depot tubs for dry rock that I bought, and it was a very simple process. As the tank was established, the only green algae that grew was on the sand, and coraline populated the rock very quickly.
Click to expand...
Acid wash and cooking are not the same thing...acid wash is exactly as you describe...cooking is the term given when the rocks are placed in a closed container with saltwater, heat and circulation and left to "cook" for about 2-3 months... doing this will allow the natural bacteria to completely remove any spores and residual algae dead snails clams etc... leaving you with perfectly clean white and fully cycled rocks.
 
NanoReefWanabe said:
Acid wash and cooking are not the same thing...acid wash is exactly as you describe...cooking is the term given when the rocks are placed in a closed container with saltwater, heat and circulation and left to "cook" for about 2-3 months... doing this will allow the natural bacteria to completely remove any spores and residual algae dead snails clams etc... leaving you with perfectly clean white and fully cycled rocks.
Click to expand...

Good point, I forgot about that.

Remember that if there is excessive phosphate, or sponges or aiptasia, those will not be helped by "cooking". It's been a while since I've thought about cooking LR. I can't recommend acid washing enough though.
 
Many thanks for the input, everyone.

I let the rock get thoroughly dried out, then I soaked it in RO water for a few days with a pump running intermittently. I just took it out today, and have a fan blowing on it to help it dry out faster.

I can't wait to get this thing up and running. I'll start a build thread and link this one to it for anyone interested.
 
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