13 day total blackout not working

[MnFish1]

Sorry I was referring to chemicals like vibrant, Flux, chemiclean and things like that. I think when people use them to treat the ugly phase (if you get one) of a newer tank it upsets the natural progression of things and causes more problems than they cure. These are just my opponons based on my experiences, no science or facts to back them up. I'm not much of a science guy but have great respect for those of you that are. I'm always learning.

I agree with all of your comments - thanks for clarifying. I think people do go down the rabbit hole of chemical solutions.

 

[PharmrJohn]

I am only answering because you asked - and not criticizing - but curious about your rationale. My answer is 'no'. You should not need to do any of that with dry rock. Bleach ? why? Why would dry rock have PO4? If it did, why can't you use a method to remove any PO4?

If I was worried about the things your are - I would put the rock (very carefully, with PPE, etc) into muriatic acid (diluted obviously) - that will get rid of any phosphate thats adsorbed onto the rock (and will dissolve away a certain percentage of the 'rock' (CaCO3)). There is no rationale IME for anything with regards to rock, cycling, etc that takes 6 months.

It's cool man. My rock is dead rock, in that it is from a broken down tank and has never been cleaned. There is a ton of PO4 in the rock itself. It basically needs to leech out. But I've got to get all that detritus off just to start. That's my situation. Doing it properly takes months.

 

[MnFish1]

It's cool man. My rock is dead rock, in that it is from a broken down tank and has never been cleaned. There is a ton of PO4 in the rock itself. It basically needs to leech out. But I've got to get all that detritus off just to start. That's my situation. Doing it properly takes months.

Actually PO4 can be rapidly removed with acid. Now - of course - if you do that you're going to kill anything - but you say your rock is already 'dead'

 

[PharmrJohn]

Actually PO4 can be rapidly removed with acid. Now - of course - if you do that you're going to kill anything - but you say your rock is already 'dead'

Yeah, I don't feel comfortable with acid. I've never done it before and I don't have a working concept of how to do it safely. So that makes me unconfident. Which is the enemy of success.

 

[KrisReef]

Actually PO4 can be rapidly removed with acid. Now - of course - if you do that you're going to kill anything - but you say your rock is already 'dead'

I’m not sure that pool acid will dislodge phosphate from dirty rocks? My experience was that it vigorously dissolves aragonite and it will descale tanks rapidly, but old dirty rocks would still have phosphorus coming out after Muriatic acid.

In my rock cleaning process
I followed the acid dip with lanthanum chloride to precipitate the phosphorus and then remove it with a 100% water change in the treatment bucket where acid, water change, LC, water change was employed to clean old dirty reef rocks. LC treatment was repeated until the rock quit producing Phosphorus readings in clean seawater.

 

[KrisReef]

Yeah, I don't feel comfortable with acid. I've never done it before and I don't have a working concept of how to do it safely. So that makes me unconfident. Which is the enemy of success.

I have done acid a few times and it’s cool to watch the rocks bubble as they dissolve.

Gloves and goggles are mandatory and it is best to do it outside with plenty of fresh air to prevent lung damage.

 

[Solo McReefer]

It makes a big frothy foamy mess

Best to keep a running hose nearby

I used to have a video of when I first did it, 2010 maybe

It's up on YouTube or Photobucket somewhere forgotten to time, the email address used forgotten long ago

 

[VintageReefer]

Are we sure op isn’t just seeing periphyton? I don’t see any hair algae. Just surface coloration

Dry rock can and will binds and leach phosphates for months. A algae scrubber will help suck them up round the clock and get through this phase quicker.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Are we sure op isn’t just seeing periphyton? I don’t see any hair algae. Just surface coloration

Dry rock can and will binds and leach phosphates for months. A algae scrubber will help suck them up round the clock and get through this phase quicker.

Had that planned. May as well get all the bells and whistles at once!

 

[KrisReef]

Lots of great thread titles today!

I really don't remember the last time I was blacked out for 13 days.
I think

We partied like animals.

Thanks for listening. I will return this thread back to the sober posters without further distractions.

 

[The deepwaterhorizon reef]

Maybe try putting the rocks back in the tank. Not sure about the risk with the chemicals you put into the bucket is maybe wash the rocks first? Then add in several bacteria bottles and if you can try any get some live rock as well. Ocean live rock is in very short supply though so that might be difficult. I’m not sure if you have a refugium but that might also help. I think we mainly need a follow up post for more information.

 

[Spare time]

Scrub if it is hair algae then add a bunch of snails. Green film or encrusting algae is fine. People need to stop saying dry rock is the problem. I have set up many tanks with dry rock and the key is to add tons of various types of snails, some hermits, etc. Only once have I had a dry rock tank take down and that was because something was eating or killing my snails. Urchins are terrible imo as they prefer coralline and can eliminate it from a tank.

 

[Spare time]

Maybe it's not an issue. It wont scrub off and it wont die in darkness. Maybe it's ok and will eventually be replaced with coralline.

Green film always is the beginning of dry rock. You just need more snails.

 

[NanoNana]

If the OP had had my algae from last month he’d have tossed the tank.
Am I the only one the rocks don’t look that bad to?

 

[PharmrJohn]

Lots of great thread titles today!

I really don't remember the last time I was blacked out for 13 days.
I think

We partied like animals.

Thanks for listening. I will return this thread back to the sober posters without further distractions.

Oh.....This reminds me of my 20s and early 30s. I haven't been mashed in about 25+ years!