Cleaning Old Rock
- Thread starter Shep
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Stephanie11
Fragaholic
Very good stuff here. Also have a couple boxes of bakeing soda handy. After a muriatic acid bath. You can neutralize with the bakeing soda. You'll know when it's time. It's a fun process. It's hard to grab the concept until you do it once then you look back and say it was so easy.
robert
Valuable Member
I've never used muratic acid on rocks, Although I'm certain it would get them clean, my initial concern would be how much phosphate might be made available by such a treatment... If I did use muratic acid I'd probably follow with a good soak in lanthium chloride before my final RODI soak...
I generally use H2O2 for boiling off rock - a couple of cups of 30% will generally take care of a brute can full of rock - it will bubble for days breaking down organics - nothing will live through the treatment - but some organics will stubbornly cling to some rock work...after the soak a good rinse and its tank ready with no phospahte bloom...
I generally use H2O2 for boiling off rock - a couple of cups of 30% will generally take care of a brute can full of rock - it will bubble for days breaking down organics - nothing will live through the treatment - but some organics will stubbornly cling to some rock work...after the soak a good rinse and its tank ready with no phospahte bloom...
robert
Valuable Member
I've used muratic acid for power heads and other equiment...faster than vinegar..great at removing coraline and calcium...
For rock - gravel etc - I use H2O2...and stay clear of bleach...although I have used it, its a hassle compared to H2O2 which effectively does the same thing...
A couple of years ago I set up a 45 gal tank with old everything...rocks, pumps, filters etc. After set-up I added H2O2 straight to the tank and let it cook for a couple of days - with filters running - after the sizzle died down from the peroxide, I changed the water cleaned the filters and few days later started stocking....
Can't do that with muratic acid or bleach...
For rock - gravel etc - I use H2O2...and stay clear of bleach...although I have used it, its a hassle compared to H2O2 which effectively does the same thing...
A couple of years ago I set up a 45 gal tank with old everything...rocks, pumps, filters etc. After set-up I added H2O2 straight to the tank and let it cook for a couple of days - with filters running - after the sizzle died down from the peroxide, I changed the water cleaned the filters and few days later started stocking....
Can't do that with muratic acid or bleach...
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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They may. Depends on the pesticide. Probably not enough to be a concern, however.
They don't smell like pesticides, do they?
They don't smell like pesticides, do they?
Sacohen
Valuable Member
That's what I did will rock that came out of my ground (in South Florida) when I was digging a hole for a pond and doing some other landscaping.
I have also let it sit in an empty tank (no water) for several months, because I haven't had the time or money to finish setting up the tank, but I'm getting close now.
scardall
2500 Club Member
No they don't. I keep them in a closed tote. I wanted to be sure. The pesticides that I have their are for home type bugs (liquids) and yard pesticides in granular form. I can smell them occasionally so I wasn't sure if I should be concerned.
Volpone
Active Member
Hi ,good write ,im trying to restart my tank .
I have point now ,we dont have acid here ,any suggestion how to dry my rock without using acid ??
I was thinking to dry it then soak it with water and vinegar then brush it and final stage washing by RO/di
I have point now ,we dont have acid here ,any suggestion how to dry my rock without using acid ??
I was thinking to dry it then soak it with water and vinegar then brush it and final stage washing by RO/di
OP
OP
Well vinegar is an acid but in the concentration you can buy, its fairly weak. So I personally do not think that the it would be strong enough from what I have read. Do you not have a Lowes or a Home depot near by?
Niall_Jones
New Member
Quick question, I had about 60KG of rock in my tank that I had purchased second hand, Big mistake, As the rock start leaching copper and possibly something else. I have no stripped the whole tank and am starting again with new rock, If I purge the old rock, will it remove every trace of .............................well basically everything from it or could I still be left with the copper and what ever else is in the rock?
Sacohen
Valuable Member
From what I understand about copper is that once it's in the system there is no way to get it out.
I think it gets adsorbed into the silicone and is in the tank forever.
I'm not 100% sure though.
I think it gets adsorbed into the silicone and is in the tank forever.
I'm not 100% sure though.
scardall
2500 Club Member
I heard that there is a product call Cupasorb for removing copper. I also heard that copper is absorbed in silicon. Now if you are not going to have inverts, then no worries. GOOD LUCK
