Bleach cure rock time frame

[rja]

Hey all,
I recently came into some more dry live rock with dead organics. I am wondering what’s the quickest you would feel comfortable curing it in bleach. I did my other rocks for one week and everything seemed fine and my tank cycled great. I want to add a fish now but I still need to put around 30# more rock in the tank. I currently have the extra rock sitting in a container full of bleach/water solution. Do you think 24 hours in bleach/water then 24 hours in water would be enough to strip off the organics?

 

[Subsea]

Depends on how much organics are on the rock? If you can see dead organics on the surface, use a water jet and blast dead organics off.

 

[rja]

Depends on how much organics are on the rock? If you can see dead organics on the surface, use a water jet and blast dead organics off.

There wasn’t a lot on these particular rocks. Only on the upward facing surfaces and a light dusting at that. The other rocks I had bleached had what appeared to be a thick green felt-like turf over them. Those I nuked for a week.

I let these rocks sit in a bleach solution over night, air dry for hours, then prime+water over night. Now they are air drying and going straight into the tank.

I know BRS recommends a week in bleach but I feel like the bleach gasses off way before the end of the week and you just have rocks sitting in water at that point.

 

[mfinn]

When I've done the bleach soak, I usually do 2-3 cups of bleach per 5 gallons of freshwater and let soak for 24 hours.
Rinse and inspect. If any organic matter is left I do the same all over again. This second cycle has always been enough for me.

 

[rja]

When I've done the bleach soak, I usually do 2-3 cups of bleach per 5 gallons of freshwater and let soak for 24 hours.
Rinse and inspect. If any organic matter is left I do the same all over again. This second cycle has always been enough for me.

I do think the week is overkill. Maybe if the rock has sponges and such on it.

BRS probably overestimated because a week would cover all the bases in terms of amount of dead organics. Currently, I cannot smell bleach or dead organics so I think I am all set!

Bleach and acid cures/cleans of anything are always a bit scary for me.

 

[Subsea]

“Bleach and acid cures/cleans of anything are always a bit scary for me.”

While a powerful oxidizer, I no longer use bleach to clean organics from going in a reef tank, I prefer using hydrogen peroxide.