Using Bleach to oxidize zoanthids

epicentyr

New member
I have 3 rocks that I have removed from my main display tank. They had evasive zoanthids that I have killed in a FW bath for the last 3 days. I dont wanto to hear the NewBs saying why cant you just frag them and sell them. You dont know until you have experienced it! anyway, I now need to dissolve the zoa's and I would prefer to get the rocks back into the tank as they have been specifically cut and formed to fit in their exact areas. How can I dissolve the dead zoas? Gotta run Baby crying.
 
I don't think bleach would be such a good idea cuz u said these rocks are going back in the DT. Just leave them in a bucket of NSW for a week or 2 with a ph to move the water around and just cook em off like that. If they're already dead they will just dissolve naturally anyway.
 
No bleach. They would probably still be alive after 2 weeks in NSW. The resilient zoas are freaken resilient! I say just cook the rocks if you want to for sure get rid of them.
 
No bleach. They would probably still be alive after 2 weeks in NSW. The resilient zoas are freaken resilient! I say just cook the rocks if you want to for sure get rid of them.

These would be alive for years in NSW. I am still afraid that after 4 days in FW that they will come back to haunt me. :uzi: The issue that I have now is that they stink! I was thinking that the bleach bath would dissolve and sterilize any living matter in the rocks. The main issue is that I know the bleach would soak in and take a long time to clear out. I even put them in a 20% vinegar solution because I hate these so much. They are a nice metallic green paly and a crowd pleaser but I need them gone.
 
bleach is very unstable and will dissipate within 24 hours typically when exposed to the air. If you bleach them and air dry for a day or two, you will be fine.
 
I would be leary of putting it back in my display, but sodium thiosulfate will neutralize bleach. We use bleach to disinfect our live foods culture system, and run thiosulfate through it with the new seawater with no problems for new batches. Or just put your rocks in the freezer for 24 hrs. if you have the room. Nothing lives through that.
 
I have bleached rocks many times and have never had an issue. Let soak in fresh water for a few days then put out in the sun.

Also, muriatic acid works great. Just DO NOT mix bleach and muriatic, as the resulting chlorine gas could kill you quickly.
 
+1 to the freezer treatment. Nothing lives through that.

If you're just looking to get rid of dead tissue, a stainless-steel bristled brush and frequent rinsing are your friends.
 
Just remember freezing, boiling or other wise nuking your rock will kill everything inside and could result in contaminates getting into your system (i.e. ammonia).
 
here's a question: what is bleach made of?

once you understand that, you will realize that even though active bleach is a powerful oxidizer, it breaks down into basically the components of salt and water, ergo = non-toxic once done being caustic.

that being said, i would have no problems bleaching out parts of a piece of rock.

nothing personal, but i would NEVER microwave a piece of LR. that strikes me as insane.
and as mentioned immediately above..killing the whole rock is asking for more trouble from te dead stuff rotting.
 
FWIW, bleach is your best choice for killing everything on the rock and most spores. Bleach will also oxidize the organic matter on the rock (brake it down). After soaking the rock in a 50/50 bleach solution for 24 hrs., I would clean all the debris off the rock and repeat the procedure until the rock is free of any organic matter. After that you can soak the rock in fresh water and add a dechlorination agent like Amquel to make sure there is no residue left behind. ;)

Baking, boiling, so called "cooking rock", scrubbing and placing rock in the dark or fresh water are not as effective as bleach in killing organisms and spores. If you have an autoclave handy, this would be more effective then bleach at killing some of the tough bacteria, viruses and other assorted organisms which are not normally a concern in reef tanks. :)
 
What about 7% hydrogen peroxide? I get mine at the local Absopure water treatment shop. Once it has reacted, you won't have any dangerous by-products. Remember though, this stuff is strong, so if you don't have goggles and gloves, don't use it!

Jay
 
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