Rock with bleach

[Cymonous]

I started to clean a few pieces of rock and I bleached them. They have been rinsed many times and dried for a couple days. They still have a hint of bleach smell. I am going to cycle my tank of course. Can I use this rock now? Or do I have to wait?

 

[BlueCoast]

If they still have a bleach smell to them, I would wait a little longer. You can place them out in the sun to bake a little, add more airflow to get in those hard to reach spots, or use some tap water conditioner like amqel to neutralize the remaining bleach.

 

[jahmic]

No matter how much dechlor and soaking I do with RO, I can never get the smell out until I sit them in the sun for about a week.

I'd just put them outside and wait it out a few more days.

 

[thegrun]

I would place them in a container of AmQuel or similar ammonia neutralizing product overnight, then let it dry out before use. Since you are just starting a cycle you could get away with placing the rock in the tank as is, but i would neutralize it myself.

 

[Cymonous]

I got Amquel Plus. How much should I add to a bucket 3/4 filled with water and about 4lbs of rock?

 

[Cymonous]

I ended up using 3 tsp per bucket last night. I checked the rocks this morning. Most of the rock except 2 large pieces did not smell like bleach. I emptied out the buckets, rinsed, put the two large rocks in their own buckets and another 3 tsp of Amquel Plus in each. The other rocks are sitting outside in the sun now.

Any further advice?

 

[thegrun]

You will be fine. Any trace amounts of ammonia will be processed during the cycle.