making rock ready

[rayn]

I am about ready to put rock in two different setups. I have plenty of dead rock sitting in tubs. Question is, is it ready toput in tank like is? Or do I need to do something to it first? I can rinse it, but with a high of 8 degrees it will be inside in tap water. It has been covered in tubs for at least a year now as well.

 

[mfinn]

Is it nice and clean?
Like really white?

 

[rayn]

No not even close. I just peeked at it and it is covered from when I pulled it out of a tank.

I have thought of bleach or muratic acid. But how long would I ha e to wait after to put it in the tank?

 

[mfinn]

Here is what you could do.
Do a bleach soak.
2 cups of bleach per 5 gallons of water. Let it sit overnight.
Dump the bleach water, rinse the rock as well as possible, then do another 24 hour soak using a dechlorinator at 4 to 5 times the regular dose.
Let it dry for a couple days.

 

[rayn]

That is doable. But, tap water okay or should I go RO/DI?

 

[mfinn]

I've always used tap water when I do it.

Then there is one more step I like to do.
I do a muratic acid bath.
I use 2 cups per 5 gallons of ro/di water.
I do this for about a hour or so. Usually the bubbling stops fairly soon.
This is suppose to help remove phosphates in the surface layers of the rock.
Rinse again and let it dry for a couple days.

The muratic acid is nasty so you really need to use precautions.
Safety glasses or goggles, rubber gloves.
Do it outside, the fumes are nasty.
Plus you need to add the acid to the water, not the other way around

 

[rayn]

Then it comes down to which is better. I have bleach on hand, but would have to go get the acid and baking soda to nuetrilize it.

 

[mfinn]

Then it comes down to which is better. I have bleach on hand, but would have to go get the acid and baking soda to nuetrilize it.

The bleach is going to make the rock pretty darn clean. Everytime I have done it, 95% of the rock comes out bright white and new.
The acid bath is more of a way to eliminate a possible source of phosphate leaching into the water from old rock.

 

[rayn]

I would like to eliminate any possibilities of phosphate. I usually end up fighting GHA in my tanks. Since I am wanting one of these to be a reef, hopefully with sps, I may go the acid route.

 

[rayn]

I am slow, but finally started to bleach the rock today. Three buckets full of rock are sitting with bleach and water. Already looking cleaner then before, but will change it out tomorrow.

 

[mfinn]

rayn
checkout this thread here.

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/threads/66047-How-do-live-rock-and-susbtrate-bind-phosphates

 

[rayn]

Thanks, did!

 

[mfinn]

What Boomer said changes what I have always thought that would happen with the muriatic acid bath.
If I read it right.

 

[rayn]

That was the way i read it too. I thought along the same lines as you though. If it just reveals a new layer full of phosphate, then I don't see the point of eating away at the rock.

 

[rayn]

After a 25 hour soak in 5 gallons of water with 2 cups of bleach they are better. Not completely white, but better. No more green, very little pink if any, but I still have all the little growths on there that are sharp.

 

[mfinn]

It will be interesting to see what Boomer has to say.
I went on Reef Central and doing a acid bath still has a lot of support.
So I'm not totally convinced it does nothing.

 

[rayn]

It may. I may try it yet as I have a lot of rock to go through yet.

Honest opinion is RC is to big for itself. I have already gotten more I go here then I seem to be able to pull out of there lately.

 

[rayn]

Another 24 hours in ro water. Do they need to dry out before putting in the tank to cycle? Is this to dry out any residual bleach left behind?

 

[mfinn]

I would use dechlorinator in the RO water

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[mfinn]

I would use dechlorinator in the RO water

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That will remove all the bleach