Bleach Fumes

[Instigate]

I'm soaking some dry rock in bleach, I'm assuming it's a bad idea to leave the buckets in the garage where my rodi and SW mixing operation is. Right?

 

[cracker]

" I would think"as long as your other containers have a lids? Your OK. Once you are satisfied with the time the rock has been in the bleach get it outside, give it a real good rinse & in the sun for a couple of days.
What is your overall plan for said rock?

 

[azbigjohn]

@Randy Holmes-Farley has a great article on ReefCentral about using sodium triphosphate as a dechlorinating solution, which I used with my build when I "reincarnated" my rock due to an Aptasia outbreak beyond belief (in my build thread below). It is fairly inexpensive online, and can be mixed in water and remove / deactivate the bleach after soaking the rock and rinsing it well.

I agree, I would not worry too much about the fumes, unless you do not have tight covers on your water storage.

 

[Instigate]

" I would think"as long as your other containers have a lids? Your OK. Once you are satisfied with the time the rock has been in the bleach get it outside, give it a real good rinse & in the sun for a couple of days.
What is your overall plan for said rock?

My containers do have lids. The lid on the RODI container is always on tight but the SW container's lid is ajar due to the mixing pump and heater cords. And I use regular IO salt so I keep some SW always heated and mixing. I like to have a supply for emergency WC for QT systems. So my fear is that the SW container could uptake something from the bleach fumes since it's always mixing, getting aerated. I went ahead and stuck them on the side yard. Being in San Diego I've got no chance of it freezing or anything so I figured better safe than sorry.

I leave the rock in bleach/tap water for 3 or so days, whenever I get to it. Then I give them in soak in prime/tap water for a few days. Then I dry in the sun for a few days, again, whenever I get to it. Then they get the muriatic acid wash. After that I will give a thorough rinse and soak with RODI, then I can get the cycle in SW started. That will take as long as it takes to get any po4 out. Then I consider it done and ready for a tank.

@Randy Holmes-Farley has a great article on ReefCentral about using sodium triphosphate as a dechlorinating solution, which I used with my build when I "reincarnated" my rock due to an Aptasia outbreak beyond belief (in my build thread below). It is fairly inexpensive online, and can be mixed in water and remove / deactivate the bleach after soaking the rock and rinsing it well.

I agree, I would not worry too much about the fumes, unless you do not have tight covers on your water storage.

Prime and sunlight works fine for me. Not sure why I would go with anything else.

 

[cracker]

Tri sodium phosphate for dechlorination didn't know that.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley has a great article on ReefCentral about using sodium triphosphate as a dechlorinating solution, which I used with my build when I "reincarnated" my rock due to an Aptasia outbreak beyond belief (in my build thread below). It is fairly inexpensive online, and can be mixed in water and remove / deactivate the bleach after soaking the rock and rinsing it well.

I agree, I would not worry too much about the fumes, unless you do not have tight covers on your water storage.

I don't recall such an article. I'm also not sure what the effect might be. ???

 

[azbigjohn]

I don't recall such an article. I'm also not sure what the effect might be. ???

My apologies, @Randy Holmes-Farley, it appears I mis-attributed it to you; in fact, I went back to the "Rock Reincarnation" thread I got most of my information from, and the use of Sodium Triphosphate did not come from that thread.

I do not know where I got that information (although I did use it on rock I had soaked in a bleach solution, and it appeared to work well, removing the bleach odor after the soak (and I still air dried it, just to be extra safe).

I respect your contributions to our hobby greatly, and apologize for wrongly attributing something to you that now I can't even find where I got the information from.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My apologies, @Randy Holmes-Farley, it appears I mis-attributed it to you; in fact, I went back to the "Rock Reincarnation" thread I got most of my information from, and the use of Sodium Triphosphate did not come from that thread.

I do not know where I got that information (although I did use it on rock I had soaked in a bleach solution, and it appeared to work well, removing the bleach odor after the soak (and I still air dried it, just to be extra safe).

I respect your contributions to our hobby greatly, and apologize for wrongly attributing something to you that now I can't even find where I got the information from.

No problem. My family would expect that I just didn't remember it, since I'm apparently so forgetful that I can barely find my way around the house without getting lost.

 

[User1]

I just received 150 LBS of dry Pukani this past Friday. I was originally going to avoid bleach but after power washing the rocks some still had a lot of baked in dirt - or some form of dirt. I figured a bath in bleach over night wouldn't hurt. Grabbed 4 containers, put outside, loaded rock up, pump or power head, tap water from the hose, 2 cups of bleach, and then covered loosely to run over night. Just checked, turned some rocks around, and smelled a little bleach.

Since I wasn't sure I would get a good seal on the lid(s) to play it safe I just had everything outside on the dog run. I figured it would be safer. Only thing is I am not 100% sure if there is a die off / bleach dissipation over time. I was going to drain it later today, refill, and run it another day before the next power wash and final move into the tank for aquascape and start of cycle. Or, leave it in another day has is, power wash, refill with tap/hose water, then maybe do a day or two of lanthanum chloride dosing. Most seem to be doing at least one bath in this I guess to help with phosphates which run(?) high in Pukani. Last cycle I did was in 2000 with live rock from Fiji...first time with dry.

Not the greatest picture but an idea never the less.

But to the OP - I am doing mine now outside.

 

[Instigate]

I just received 150 LBS of dry Pukani this past Friday. I was originally going to avoid bleach but after power washing the rocks some still had a lot of baked in dirt - or some form of dirt. I figured a bath in bleach over night wouldn't hurt. Grabbed 4 containers, put outside, loaded rock up, pump or power head, tap water from the hose, 2 cups of bleach, and then covered loosely to run over night. Just checked, turned some rocks around, and smelled a little bleach.

Since I wasn't sure I would get a good seal on the lid(s) to play it safe I just had everything outside on the dog run. I figured it would be safer. Only thing is I am not 100% sure if there is a die off / bleach dissipation over time. I was going to drain it later today, refill, and run it another day before the next power wash and final move into the tank for aquascape and start of cycle. Or, leave it in another day has is, power wash, refill with tap/hose water, then maybe do a day or two of lanthanum chloride dosing. Most seem to be doing at least one bath in this I guess to help with phosphates which run(?) high in Pukani. Last cycle I did was in 2000 with live rock from Fiji...first time with dry.

Not the greatest picture but an idea never the less.

But to the OP - I am doing mine now outside.

I could be misinformed but my understanding is that the bleach and acid baths help break down the organics and allow the nutrients created from the breakdown to be removed via water changes, and of course in the bleach or acid solution itself. I don't believe the bleach dissipates in any kind of a meaningful way for our purposes. I know there is some dissipation but not enough to mater for what we're using it for. Also 2 cups seems like a pretty low amount of bleach. I'm using a 5:1 ratio. Water:Bleach

 

[User1]

@Instigate - thanks for the information. I very well could be on the low side. I was not sure what a proper ratio should be. The containers are 17 gallon, that I do know. And as you can see they are full so I doubt there is 17 gallons of water. Maybe 5 - 8 gallons at best although Pukani is pretty porous(?). So I just sort of added 2 cups and called it good. Sounds like I could probably add another cup or two per container. Thanks again - I'll go check and see how it is doing.