Did I ruin my dry rock?

[Humble_Reefer]

Tried cleaning a bunch of used liverock. 1:20 bleach soak, then rinse and bath in prime, then a few weeks in the sun. It still smells like bleach though. The bottle does not say scented, nor does it list ingredients, but does say "deoderizes". The only reason I can think that it would still smell is 1) its scented, 2) because I didnt flip them when I left them out in the sun.

I've done this before without issue, but I did let the rocks culture in a vat for over 2 months with a few water changes. I was hoping to avoid that and just add the rock gradually (e.g. 1 piece per week) to my established 2.5 year old reef.

Thoughts, advice?

 

[rirun]

I had the same. I soaked mine after in a dechlorinator for a day or two and then put them back in the sun.

 

[Nathan Milender]

Tried cleaning a bunch of used liverock. 1:20 bleach soak, then rinse and bath in prime, then a few weeks in the sun. It still smells like bleach though. The bottle does not say scented, nor does it list ingredients, but does say "deoderizes". The only reason I can think that it would still smell is 1) its scented, 2) because I didnt flip them when I left them out in the sun.

I've done this before without issue, but I did let the rocks culture in a vat for over 2 months with a few water changes. I was hoping to avoid that and just add the rock gradually (e.g. 1 piece per week) to my established 2.5 year old reef.

Thoughts, advice?

I would soak them in water for a while to get that smell out. If it smells like a pool what you are smelling is chlorine, not scent. I would want that gone before adding it to the DT. The rock isn't ruined, it is still rock.

 

[rirun]

I had the same. I soaked mine after in a dechlorinator for a day or two and then put them back in the sun.

It just took 2 or three times to get them completely scent free

 

[Cell]

Take a pic of the ingredient list.

 

[Silent]

Just re-rinse, maybe let soak for a few days and let dry. They will be fine.

 

[terraincognita]

Imo the bleach is still in there somehow yeah.

Try to get them in something with moving water like a bucket with a power head or pump or something, and maybe leave the hose flowing in the bucket super slowly for 1/2 an hour, then re dry in the sun.

 

[Cell]

Normally you do a 1:10 with unconcentrated bleach. I'm guessing the concentrated bleach is more than double strength which means even at 1:20 your dilution was probably very strong. Might explain some of the excess odor etc...

 

[01xp]

When I bleached my rocks. I let them air dry then soaked in ro water with a dechlorinator. The stuff you buy to "make tap water safe" took the smell right out. Let air dry again rinsed in ro, put in tank.

 

[Biglew11]

i second the motion, resoak them in ro water with dechlorinator and a small pump for water movement for a couple days. then redry in the sun.

 

[Humble_Reefer]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am in the process of soaking and sun drying them again, before I culture them for a few months. No point in taking risks when you don't have to.

Normally you do a 1:10 with unconcentrated bleach. I'm guessing the concentrated bleach is more than double strength which means even at 1:20 your dilution was probably very strong. Might explain some of the excess odor etc...

Good point. Thanks