Cleaning rock after bleach cure

[TylerR]

I’m restarting my tank and bleached my live rock. Did 10:1 bleach for a week. Quick dip in RO water. Let dry for a two weeks now it’s cycling in salt water in a brute trash can.

I don’t smell bleach anymore but what concerns me is if I lift my power head to the surface of the water to aerate it then there are what looks like suds from soap! I’ve rinsed the rocks twice and it still forms suds!

If I lower the power head or even turn it off then after a few minutes the foam dissipates. But I’m sure if I aerate it like a skimmer it would just foam like crazy

I only used chlorox and Walmart brand bleach. Did I **** up my rock permanently? Should I try to use the rock still and run a skimmer a while before adding sand?

 

[bsn_rn_cen]

Test the water for chlorine. If it is present still use a binder like seachem prime.

 

[TylerR]

Test the water for chlorine. If it is present still use a binder like seachem prime.

Thanks but I'm not worried about the chlorine, I'm worried about the chemicals causing the foam. I feel like the walmart brand bleach must have scented crap in it. That can't be safe for fish.

 

[bsn_rn_cen]

Ah I see. I didn't realize you used scented bleach. Sorry no experience with that.

 

[TylerR]

Ah I see. I didn't realize you used scented bleach. Sorry no experience with that.

Thanks. I didn't intentionally use scented. And I still don't know if it is. But I feel like the generic one listed as unscented still has scented chemicals in it.

This rock is worthless now.

 

[bsn_rn_cen]

I wouldn't throw it out yet. There are a ton of experts here I'm sure someone has some insight. #reefsquad

 

[Anthonyl]

I used splashless bleach. I'm hoping to save it. It may take a little longer but I feel its possibly to save it. Maybe having carbon cycling too for a while?

 

[PatW]

I would think that sticking the rock into water with a powerhead for a few weeks would clear it. You can change the water once per week. If you want to go more nuts, you can cap it off with a week of RODI. And to really be zealous, a week in saltwater. Any residue should come off in water. Saltwater may dissolve a bit more which is why I suggest that final step.

Whatever you do, you want to remove whatever is causing suds.

 

[Adam Macleod]

i'd put it back out in the sun and bake it a good long time, getting it super dry before you start getting it wet again i think is important. I did something similar, and and no issues,
I also ran it in regular water for a month, changing it every week, then let it dry again before i started cycling it in salt water

 

[AZMSGT]

I would say try Doing an acid cure to clear the surfaces of your rock of any chemicals.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Scented bleach? NO !!!!
Use regular bleach and cold water rinse to neutralize it after 48 hrs. You can sun dry- I do not recommend Oven baking

 

[DHill6]

I bleached Tonga branch for a week. Clorox splasless, no scent. While in the brute can without flow, some foam was on the surface which we thought was all the stuff in the branch, it was also recent cemented. Rinsed with the hose and set out to dry for a week in the sun. Put it back in DT, it was fine. Now gaining color and coralline.

 

[t blackwell]

you should be fine...use seachem prime for peace of mind...

 

[Florida Sunshine]

I have hear really bad things about the splashless bleach, but have no personal experience.

 

[bblumberg]

Thanks but I'm not worried about the chlorine, I'm worried about the chemicals causing the foam. I feel like the walmart brand bleach must have scented crap in it. That can't be safe for fish.

I'd be concerned about the possibility of detergent in your rock. If it were my rock, I'd repeat the bleach process using chlorox or some other simple bleach known not to contain additives.

In addition, after you do the bleach step, I 'd wash MANY times with fresh water (not RODI). After the rock is clean of debris and there are no bubbles in the water now is the time to add a dechlorinator. Forget about something so expensive as Seakem Prime and simply use sodium thiosulfate that you can buy on Amazon cheaply.

After an overnight soak in dechlorinator, give the rock a soak in RODI for a few hours to overnight. Or you can simply air dry the rock in the sun to get rid of bleach (I prefer dechlorinating it).

Finally, put the rock into some sea water to equilibrate for a few days or longer.

To learn how much thiosulfate you need to neutralize a specific amount of bleach, I'd look here http://www.edspumps.com/water-treatment/documents/Antichlorination.pdf

or you can use the attached spreadsheet I made to calculate the amount you need.

Bruce

 

[t blackwell]

I’m restarting my tank and bleached my live rock. Did 10:1 bleach for a week. Quick dip in RO water. Let dry for a two weeks now it’s cycling in salt water in a brute trash can.

I don’t smell bleach anymore but what concerns me is if I lift my power head to the surface of the water to aerate it then there are what looks like suds from soap! I’ve rinsed the rocks twice and it still forms suds!

If I lower the power head or even turn it off then after a few minutes the foam dissipates. But I’m sure if I aerate it like a skimmer it would just foam like crazy

I only used chlorox and Walmart brand bleach. Did I **** up my rock permanently? Should I try to use the rock still and run a skimmer a while before adding sand?

Unless it says scented bleach you should be ok...seachem prime is cheap and useful...just order a small bottle. Soak the rock a few days in rodi..add prime. What you are calling suds is normal when you bleach rock then soak and run powerhead...unless you used actual scented bleach like lemon..u r fine..bleach has other Chen's..but the soak and the seachem prime will take care of it....you should keep some prime on hand anyhow for misc emergencies

 

[Prinz55]

I just put my rock in bin. About 200 pounds pored “splashless” bleach in didn’t realize it was splash less. Thought that can’t be good. Half of it is THICK nice Tonga branch. I have a single piece that weights 20 pounds .... BLEEEPP BLEEEPPPP BLEEEEPPP. It was circulating with a pump for about 15 minutes. I dumped it and rinsed with tap water. Now I’m at Walmart and wanted to acid soak it, after neutralizing the chlorine. But. Question is Do I need to let it dry out completely or can I use muriatic Acid right away? I have a new Red Sea Max s-500 that doesn’t have anything in it except saltwater. Someone have advice? Please any input greatly appreciated.

 

[DHill6]

I don’t know if this will help you but I used splashless, unscented bleach soaked Tonga branch for approximately one week, rinsed and set in sun for 5 days. It was fine.

 

[bblumberg]

I just put my rock in bin. About 200 pounds pored “splashless” bleach in didn’t realize it was splash less. Thought that can’t be good. Half of it is THICK nice Tonga branch. I have a single piece that weights 20 pounds .... BLEEEPP BLEEEPPPP BLEEEEPPP. It was circulating with a pump for about 15 minutes. I dumped it and rinsed with tap water. Now I’m at Walmart and wanted to acid soak it, after neutralizing the chlorine. But. Question is Do I need to let it dry out completely or can I use muriatic Acid right away? I have a new Red Sea Max s-500 that doesn’t have anything in it except saltwater. Someone have advice? Please any input greatly appreciated.

So-called "spashless bleach" is about 1/5 as concentrated as normal bleach plus it has some thickening agents. I doubt that it will hurt your rock, but it is not going to give the full clean that you would get from a soak in regular bleach. I'd first soak this in regular bleach overnight, then rinse well in tap water until you see no more foam. After that, either dechlorinate or sun dry to get rid of residual bleach ( I prefer to dechlorinate). Acid washing gets rid of some surface rock which you may, or may not want to do.

 

[Prinz55]

I bought pool chlorine. It’s 10%. Stuff in stores now is 6 or even lower chloride. I didn’t get the calcium on. I got same one that’s ingredients bleach. Just more pure without any other agents or scents or splashless. Just good old chlorine.