Acid and LC bath or what?

[jmann124]

I'm about to upgrade and I'm getting 150lbs of rock with the set up from the guy. It was in a system for a year but has been removed for probably a week so I know it is dead. What would you guys recommend I do to this rock before starting up the new system? I considered the Acid and LC bath but that may not be necessary since it was used for awhile. I do know I'll have to do something since it has all the die off on it.

 

[jeffrey holloway]

Pre cleaning it would be my way of doing it. You could use it to cycle your tank while the rock is curing. 150lbs of dead matter is a lot to dump into a tank.

 

[cale0721]

I would most definitely do an acid bath and LC. You'll thank yourself later for it.

 

[Reefrookie220]

I've never used the acid bath myself Joey, but after reading through some threads and blowing up @Bluedevil with texts, I'm gonna jump the band wagon next go around.

 

[Eddie Rogers]

Careful with the acid bath, the acid can really dissolve the rock

If you had time, this would be a great option

 

[Chriscrna]

There is no question here. Acid bath and LC, hands down. Caleb is absolutely right in that you will thank yourself later.

 

[jmann124]

I would most definitely do an acid bath and LC. You'll thank yourself later for it.

There is no question here. Acid bath and LC, hands down. Caleb is absolutely right in that you will thank yourself later.

I'm researching it a little tonight. How long should the rocks sit in the acid bath?

 

[cale0721]

I'm researching it a little tonight. How long should the rocks sit in the acid bath?

Depends how dirty it is. My last go with acid I did two 1 hr baths. Basically until it stops making the bubbles. Then I added a cup of baking soda to neutralize the acid. Just remember add the acid to water and wear gloves!

 

[jmann124]

Depends how dirty it is. My last go with acid I did two 1 hr baths. Basically until it stops making the bubbles. Then I added a cup of baking soda to neutralize the acid. Just remember add the acid to water and wear gloves!

Clean RODI water, right, or does it even matter since acid is going in? I've also yet to find what a good water to acid ratio is.

 

[cale0721]

i just used water from the hose outside. easiest to do it outside anyway. I used 10 gallons of water to 1 gallon acid

 

[cale0721]

Clean RODI water, right, or does it even matter since acid is going in? I've also yet to find what a good water to acid ratio is.

I have some LC of you want it too. I got it from @BlueDevil , no one would ever use an entire bottle lol

 

[jmann124]

I have some LC of you want it too. I got it from @BlueDevil , no one would ever use an entire bottle lol

Thanks man. I'll shoot you a PM with my number.

 

[KJAG]

Dude. Would advise extreme caution with the muriatic acid dip. Ill try to find a video but I went pretty light on the mixture and ended up with a volcano of foam spewage out of my 70g Rubbermaid stock tank that showed no signs of slowing down even after a half hour when I finally donned some elbow length gloves and pulled my Pukani out. There was(is) definitely some noticeable dissolved surface area. If I had to do it over Id prob just stick with a potent vinegar dip.

 

[BlueDevil]

Without a doubt, if I am starting a new system, or resetting an existing one, I will do an Acid + LC treatment for all rock every single time. It might set the process back by a week or two, but like Caleb said, you will be forever grateful you did it.

In your particular situation, since the rocks have been out of the water, there is going to be tons of die off on them. If not treated, it will lead to ongoing phosphate and other issues in your tank. A muriatic acid bath will peel off the top layer of the rock, which will contain all the dead stuff on the surface. The LC bath will aid in removing any phosphates that are bound to the rock. The acid batch first seemed like a daunting task, but after I did it once, the second time (for some additional rock that I purchased) was a breeze! I detailed all the steps and any issues I might have encountered during the process in a thread. Check it out here:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/curing-dry-rock-process-review.241614/

Regarding the acid bath, make sure to remember the golden rule: ALWAYS ADD ACID TO THE WATER. Never the other way around if you value your life

If you have any questions regarding the process, let me know.

 

[BlueDevil]

Dude. Would advise extreme caution with the muriatic acid dip. Ill try to find a video but I went pretty light on the mixture and ended up with a volcano of foam spewage out of my 70g Rubbermaid stock tank that showed no signs of slowing down even after a half hour when I finally donned some elbow length gloves and pulled my Pukani out. There was(is) definitely some noticeable dissolved surface area. If I had to do it over Id prob just stick with a potent vinegar dip.

There are varying proportions of the mixture that you can use. I used a 10:1 ratio for dry BRS Reef Saver rock and the process was pretty much complete within 20 mins. Just a heads up - if you want to stop the chemical reaction at any point, just dump some baking soda in it. It will neutralize the acid and bring the reaction to an end, at which time you can safely empty out the Brute and rinse the rocks.

One thing to keep in mind is that the more dead stuff you have on the rock, the more the mixture will foam, and the nastier color it will get. Make sure to use a large enough container to leave enough room for the foam to rise. For large quantities of rock, you will likely have to do it in batches.

 

[Chriscrna]

Completely agree with Caleb and Yash.

You probably don't need to add baking soda once the reaction stops, the acid is neutralized. I've never added baking soda, but I've always had a large amount immediately available in case I wanted or NEEDED to stop the reaction.

I've done acid baths multiple times. The last go around was with 300 lbs of brand new, bone dry, Marco Rock. It was already very clean and VERY porous. In order to control the reaction and not dissolve too much of the rock, I used a 20:1 ratio. The reaction ran its course in about 10 minutes. I repeated this cycle 2 or 3 times until I got the "porousness" that I liked.

Since I was still mid-build on my setup, I had time to play with. So I pressure washed the rock after the acid bath, let it dry outside in the sun for about a week, then put it all in RO/DI water. I left it in the RO/DI water (changing the water every week) until the end of my build......which was several months later.

Did I get any benefit from putting the Marco Rock through that process? Who knows. My "new" system has only been up since about February, but I have no trouble with "problem" algae. I'm even having a hard time growing green stuff on my ATS.

I say you do it! It's a quick and effective way to clean the rock. Just be careful:

1) Do it outside
2) ADD ACID TO THE WATER (can't be said enough)
3) Wear long sleeves and pants
4) Wear safety glasses
5) Wear chemical resistant gloves
6) Stay away from the fumes/wear a mask
7) Keep plenty of baking soda on hand
8) And join the dang club already dude......$20 you cheapskate!

 

[jmann124]

Completely agree with Caleb and Yash.

You probably don't need to add baking soda once the reaction stops, the acid is neutralized. I've never added baking soda, but I've always had a large amount immediately available in case I wanted or NEEDED to stop the reaction.

I've done acid baths multiple times. The last go around was with 300 lbs of brand new, bone dry, Marco Rock. It was already very clean and VERY porous. In order to control the reaction and not dissolve too much of the rock, I used a 20:1 ratio. The reaction ran its course in about 10 minutes. I repeated this cycle 2 or 3 times until I got the "porousness" that I liked.

Since I was still mid-build on my setup, I had time to play with. So I pressure washed the rock after the acid bath, let it dry outside in the sun for about a week, then put it all in RO/DI water. I left it in the RO/DI water (changing the water every week) until the end of my build......which was several months later.

Did I get any benefit from putting the Marco Rock through that process? Who knows. My "new" system has only been up since about February, but I have no trouble with "problem" algae. I'm even having a hard time growing green stuff on my ATS.

I say you do it! It's a quick and effective way to clean the rock. Just be careful:

1) Do it outside
2) ADD ACID TO THE WATER (can't be said enough)
3) Wear long sleeves and pants
4) Wear safety glasses
5) Wear chemical resistant gloves
6) Stay away from the fumes/wear a mask
7) Keep plenty of baking soda on hand
8) And join the dang club already dude......$20 you cheapskate!

Did you have any flow on them while soaking in the RODI? Did you skip the LC bath?

Yes, I do need to join. I've been holding off because I didn't know until this week that I wouldn't be moving north anytime soon.

 

[BlueDevil]

Did you have any flow on them while soaking in the RODI? Did you skip the LC bath?

Yes, I do need to join. I've been holding off because I didn't know until this week that I wouldn't be moving north anytime soon.

Definitely have some flow in there. You're don't want stagnant water. Just a small powerhead to keep to water swirling around will suffice.

 

[Chriscrna]

I skipped the LC on the marco rock.

Yes, a small power head.

 

[jmann124]

I skipped the LC on the marco rock.

Yes, a small power head.

Definitely have some flow in there. You're don't want stagnant water. Just a small powerhead to keep to water swirling around will suffice.

Well, I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend. I just haven't d codes for sure on the LC.