Live Rock w/ algea question

[JIvePhotography]

I have some good pieces of LR from my old tank. Only problem with them is that they had a lot of hair algea on them . I put them into a bucket and stored them in my garage, they've been there for nearly a month now.

My question is what's the best way to just get rid of all the aglea so that I can use the rock again? Do I need to cook the rocks or put bleach in the water and then clean really really well before using again?

I really have no idea and am looking for suggestions.

 

[JIvePhotography]

maybe a pressure washer?

 

[Slate]

Definitely don't use bleach or any other chemical treatments. I would suggest using a hand scrub brush, just make sure it isn't one that has any type of cleaning agent in it. This wont be fun but is the best solution without killing all the life in the rock. You could boil them but then it wouldn't be "live" rock anymore.

 

[JIvePhotography]

Yeah you're probably right. I wouldn't want to kill the rock so it wasn't live anymore. If I did it in my bath tub so it was easiers, it tap water ok or should I try to fill up the tub with RO/DI to scrub it? I find its easier to see where the algea is when the rock is underwater, out of the water the algea blends into the rock.

 

[Slate]

Using RO/DI would be better, when using tap water you are likely to get silicates which will help develop diatoms in your tank. Which in turn just takes you to another algae type problem....god I hate algae..lol

 

[returnofsid]

I would also suggest NOT using any chemicals at all. I'd also suggest NOT using tap water or RO/DI water. Both of these methods would totally kill the rock, including beneficial life. Afterwards, all the dead material would need to be scrubbed and totally removed. Any decaying material left on or inside the rock, would contribute to an ammonia spike and a complete cycle.

Keep it in clean, circulating saltwater. It would help if you could keep it in some type of tote, with a skimmer. No lights at all. A lid would help keep it nice and dark. All the algae will die off, in time. Do regular water changes, to remove nitrates that accumulate as algae dies off. After this, scrub it all and rinse in clean saltwater.

How long this will take will really depend on how much algae is on it, how often you do water changes, if you skim or not and the rate of die off. It's going to be difficult to give a specific time frame.

Another option would be to let it all die, by drying the rock out. This will kill off anything beneficial as well, and require the rock to be cured, before being added to an existing reef tank.

 

[Saltyfish]

I used a brush in a saltwater bath and then placed in a trash can full of water in the garage. I added a pump to move the water around. Every week I do a water change in my tank I change part of the water in the trash can too.

7 weeks no alage has come back and the rocks are cured for sure by now.

 

[busdriver]

i agree w/ the last two about keeping it in salt.
deepening on your DIY skills you could put it in a light less bin (w/ circulating SW) and have a header tank w/ cheato and maybe a SSB since this won't last long... that way you wouldn't need a skimmer and might not have to do many wc's...