cleaning (dry) live rock?

[Dustinba]

I just purchased a used Biocube from a local seller. I still have to clean the biocube itself, but the rock i got from the seller, is in a little bad shape. The rock has been out of the biocube for a few weeks now, but looks like it was stored in a dirty garage where debris got inside the box and on the rocks. There were a few dried leaves in there and a few dust bunnies on the rock.

I was thinking about giving the rock a good cleaning in just fresh water and throw it in the tank for the cycle since it may still have some good bacteria on the rock for the cycle. Or would this not be a wise decision?

 

[ndrwater]

I'd at least give it a good scrub.
If it we're me, I'd use one of the methods outlined here. As an example, either bleach or muriatic acid.
No reason to introduce someone else's problems into your new setup.

 

[juniorrocketdad]

I used dry pukani for my tank and decided to cycle it in the tank because I was too impatient to wait and tbh this was a mistake.

The tank had algae issues for the whole first year because of it and if I were to do it again I would definantly do something to try to clean the rock before it went in the tank. Whether that be acid washing or just sitting in a brute can for a month anything would be better than what I did.

 

[Dustinba]

I'd at least give it a good scrub.
If it we're me, I'd use one of the methods outlined here. As an example, either bleach or muriatic acid.
No reason to introduce someone else's problems into your new setup.

Yeah very true. Ill just have to be a little more patient and clean it well.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Put it in a brute can with salt water and put a pump in there to circulate water and cure it.

 

[PaPaX6]

I have a 40 gallon trash can with rock soaking in saltwater, heater and pump. It’s been there for about a month. Did a water change today and wasn’t pleased. Still has algae and two rocks are what I would call brown. Got any advice? Thanks

 

[Dustinba]

Tou

I have a 40 gallon trash can with rock soaking in saltwater, heater and pump. It’s been there for about a month. Did a water change today and wasn’t pleased. Still has algae and two rocks are what I would call brown. Got any advice? Thanks

You can do what I’m currently doing. I took all my rock and gave it a good scrub in warm water. Then I bought a gallon of bleach and put it in a 18 gallon bucket and let it sit for two days. Then I took it out, rinsed it off good and put it in a different bucket with chlorine remover. It is still currently in there. Just keep it in there until the bleach smell goes away. You may need to do a water change too. 1 gallon of bleach for every 10 gallons of salt water.

 

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https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-clean-old-rock-before-put-in-the-tank.209008/#post-2392229

 

[PaPaX6]

Thanks

 

[Dustinba]

Rick has been in the freshwater with prime for the past 2 days. Still have a very weak smell of bleach so I’m letting it sit for another 24 hours. It was a little warmer out today, so I actually rinsed the rock off this time. Hopefully it will be ready by tomorrow to start this cycle.

 

[PaPaX6]

Tou

Thank you I will give it a try.
Did it turn your rock back white?
Thanks William

 

[Dustinba]

Thank you I will give it a try.
Did it turn your rock back white?
Thanks William

No, the Colored rock still kept color. I only kept mine in bleach for 24hrs. Not sure what will happen if you keep it in longer

 

[User1]

So I did the dry Pukani thing and more or less here is what I did after opening the box. Please note all water both pressure wash and soaking in bleach was normal tap. Pressure wash helped remove the garbage on the rocks. Soaking in bleach cleaned them up by removing debris. Some people will use muriatic acid to clean up the rocks and that does work just know depending on the strength and duration in the bath you will be removing surface area of the rocks. That is how it works and some say anywhere from 10 to 25% is removed.

Theme below is just soaking in bleach, pressure washing, and then lanthium chloride because it is Pukani and known to leech phosphates. I did this back in February and I have zero algae issues that are not related to maturity or normal cycle process. Best of luck.

1. Sort in bins
2. Pressure wash
3. Put back in bins, fill with tap water
4. Add cup of bleach
5. Add power head
6. Let sit 24 hours
7. Empty bin of water
8. Refill with water
9. Add another cup of bleach
10. Let sit another 24 hours
11. Dump water
12. Refill with water
13. Add lanthium chloride
14. Let sit 24 hours
15. Dump water
16. Refill with water
17. Add lanthium chloride
18. Let sit 24 hours
19. Dump water
20. Pressure wash rocks
21. Add to display
22. Aquascape
23. Add sand
24. Fill with RI/RO water
25. Add salt
26. Mix and sit once proper specific gravity
27. Turn on heater
28. Add dechlorinator to be safe
29. Let sit 24 hours
30. Start fishless cycle using Dr. Tim's by dosing ammonia, etc.

 

[User1]

No, the Colored rock still kept color. I only kept mine in bleach for 24hrs. Not sure what will happen if you keep it in longer

I don't believe bleach will hurt anything. It is muriatic acid that will eat through the various layers of rock. Both percentage of acid mix and duration - BRS has a video on bleach and acid - it was helpful.

My rocks spent 2 days in bleach then another 2 in lanthium chloride. Shy of using the acid trick bleach helps but won't get them moon base rock nine white color but it does help get the loose stuff off and pretty them up.

 

[PaPaX6]

Thank you for the information. I bought about 200 pounds used from a guy. Some he had in a tank but about 2/3 was out on the floor.
Odd enough after soaking in saltwater for a month and covered up I went to do a water change and found one rock with what I thought was worms growing out of it and red smooth stuff on the top.
I put a picture on my build post and learned that it was corals trying to grow. So they are now in a ten gallon tank that I threw together in a hurry. They are starting to bloom back out.
Some of the rock seem to clean up but some turned brown so I was curious as to what to do. I have looked the rest of the rock over and have not seen anything else trying to grow so I am going to bleach them and soak them again as my tank is not ready to fill up yet anyway.
Thanks to all of you.
William

 

[RtomKinMad]

I have a similar problem. We bought a 300gal, 8’ tank a two weeks ago and needed to do a tank switch from our 180gal 6’ tank and we wanted to use the same sump, skimmer, lights etc. so we set up new tank, added new sand did the plumbing, moved the live rock from our 180 gal moved all the water from 180 gal and added the rest 120 gal new RODI salt water. Added two large bottles of Dr. Tim’s bacteria to help since it was like a 50% new water. Also we used the old sump and bioballs. Most of this was done in one day. Except for the plumbing. My husband custom built a sump. We added the fish about three hours after the sand settled. Fish did really well. Only problem is the guy we bought the tank from had some dry live rock that had been cleaned and out of tank well over a year. We cleaned that rock rinsed in Ro water and scrubbed the rock. It was all white. I told my husband that we should cycle the rock out of the tank and then add in a month but he wanted to make the tank scape right away so the fish could settle in. We have four large angels, three triggers, two puffers, now three tangs, a foxface and harlequin tusk. The day after we did this I wondered about that dry rock we added and decided to check the ammonia and sure enough we had .25 ammonia. No problems with the fish and this is a fishonly tank. So we did a 25% water change, added stability. Then the next day checked ammonia still present, another water change and added ammonia remover. Then next day water change and stability. Then next day added more bacteria. Ammonia is still present but very little. Not really even 0.25 the first color above 0 in the test. So we have repeated this cycle everyday now for over a week. Fish all still good and no nitrite. Wish we would have done this the right way. We have added dry rock and artificial rock to our very stable and steady 300gal reef in the past but was established and had lots of other rocks already in the tank. I suspect this will take a month to cycle and I have been do an ammonia and nitrite test twice daily. Here’s a picture of the new dry dead rock we added which is a third of the rock in the tank. Also a picture of my water test. One test on the left is my 300 gal reef to compare the color and the right 2 are the same tank just double checking for mistakes. Do agree looks like we had ammonia????
Wish I had read this thread two weeks ago! Thank you everyone.

 

[PaPaX6]

I have a similar problem. We bought a 300gal, 8’ tank a two weeks ago and needed to do a tank switch from our 180gal 6’ tank and we wanted to use the same sump, skimmer, lights etc. so we set up new tank, added new sand did the plumbing, moved the live rock from our 180 gal moved all the water from 180 gal and added the rest 120 gal new RODI salt water. Added two large bottles of Dr. Tim’s bacteria to help since it was like a 50% new water. Also we used the old sump and bioballs. Most of this was done in one day. Except for the plumbing. My husband custom built a sump. We added the fish about three hours after the sand settled. Fish did really well. Only problem is the guy we bought the tank from had some dry live rock that had been cleaned and out of tank well over a year. We cleaned that rock rinsed in Ro water and scrubbed the rock. It was all white. I told my husband that we should cycle the rock out of the tank and then add in a month but he wanted to make the tank scape right away so the fish could settle in. We have four large angels, three triggers, two puffers, now three tangs, a foxface and harlequin tusk. The day after we did this I wondered about that dry rock we added and decided to check the ammonia and sure enough we had .25 ammonia. No problems with the fish and this is a fishonly tank. So we did a 25% water change, added stability. Then the next day checked ammonia still present, another water change and added ammonia remover. Then next day water change and stability. Then next day added more bacteria. Ammonia is still present but very little. Not really even 0.25 the first color above 0 in the test. So we have repeated this cycle everyday now for over a week. Fish all still good and no nitrite. Wish we would have done this the right way. We have added dry rock and artificial rock to our very stable and steady 300gal reef in the past but was established and had lots of other rocks already in the tank. I suspect this will take a month to cycle and I have been do an ammonia and nitrite test twice daily. Here’s a picture of the new dry dead rock we added which is a third of the rock in the tank. Also a picture of my water test. One test on the left is my 300 gal reef to compare the color and the right 2 are the same tank just double checking for mistakes. Do agree looks like we had ammonia????
Wish I had read this thread two weeks ago! Thank you everyone.

You have a very pretty tank. I am new to this but I bet you are on the right track.

 

[RtomKinMad]

You have a very pretty tank. I am new to this but I bet you are on the right track.

Thank you just wish we had cycled the new dry rock first. But we were in a hurry to get the transfer done. It was really a huge project and only moved the fish across the living room to new tank. Catching 11 fish and 3 that barely fit in 5gal buckets was fun! I wish I had taken pictures of us trying to catch a 10” Sohal!

 

[RtomKinMad]

Thank you for the information. I bought about 200 pounds used from a guy. Some he had in a tank but about 2/3 was out on the floor.
Odd enough after soaking in saltwater for a month and covered up I went to do a water change and found one rock with what I thought was worms growing out of it and red smooth stuff on the top.
I put a picture on my build post and learned that it was corals trying to grow. So they are now in a ten gallon tank that I threw together in a hurry. They are starting to bloom back out.
Some of the rock seem to clean up but some turned brown so I was curious as to what to do. I have looked the rest of the rock over and have not seen anything else trying to grow so I am going to bleach them and soak them again as my tank is not ready to fill up yet anyway.
Thanks to all of you.
William

I wish you luck also. This forum is very helpful!

 

[PaPaX6]

I wish you luck also. This forum is very helpful!

This form and the people on it are awesome.