Did not wash Live Rock...What should I do?

Salt Daddy · Feb 10, 2022

I feel like a bit of a dummy....

In my excitement to finally put something in my tank (Been waiting for payday to finally add in rock and a clown fish) I forgot one very important rule "WASH" your live rock.

My rock was in the tank for maybe 15 minutes before I took a smoke break and realized "OH FRACK!". I quickly took the rock out and washed it with TAP.

How screwed am I? Should I set the tank on fire and start over (

)??

dvgyfresh · Feb 10, 2022

Live rock or dry rock ?

dvgyfresh · Feb 10, 2022

Either way I think ye fine I put both dry and live rock in my tank and never washed it off lol

Salt Daddy · Feb 10, 2022

Live rock.

I LOVE hearing that. I feel way better.

HudsonReefer2.0 · Feb 10, 2022

try to keep some rodi water on hand for those top off rinse the rock needs.

Karen00 · Feb 10, 2022

You're supposed to wash live rock with tap water? Wouldn't the chlorine/chloramine kill stuff off (or is that the idea)? If anything I would've thought RODI or distilled.

dvgyfresh · Feb 10, 2022

Ye you good not sure why you would even need to wash anything off the point is to keep the bacteria / micro organisms

Kmst80 · Feb 10, 2022

Why would you wash live rock. Unless you need to cure it. I put mine straight in the tank from LFS coz I wanted all the critters that come with it.

homer1475 · Feb 10, 2022

Yeah why would one want to wash live rock?

Just put it in the tank if it's truly live rock. The whole purpose of buying live rock is for all the bacteria, and micro life on it. Washing it in plain water(either it be TAP, or RO/DI), would kill quite a bit of that life.

Mr. Mojo Rising · Feb 10, 2022

I wouldnt have washed live rock, just put it in the tank.

Anyways, Congrats on the new purchase

Big Smelly fish · Feb 10, 2022

Never heard of washing live rock in fresh or tap water. Really kinda defeats the purpose of getting live rock in the first place

Karen00 · Feb 10, 2022

homer1475 said:
Yeah why would one want to wash live rock?

Just put it in the tank if it's truly live rock. The whole purpose of buying live rock is for all the bacteria, and micro life on it. Washing it in plain water(either it be TAP, or RO/DI), would kill quite a bit of that life.

That's a good point about even RODI killing stuff.

Grumblez · Feb 10, 2022

Onky need to rinse dry rock because it normally has a bunch of dust/sand (pulverized rock) in it from shipping etc. Even at that probably okay without rinsing dry rock unless it got chemicals on it or something.

Intense37754 · Feb 10, 2022

Salt Daddy said:
I feel like a bit of a dummy....

In my excitement to finally put something in my tank (Been waiting for payday to finally add in rock and a clown fish) I forgot one very important rule "WASH" your live rock.

My rock was in the tank for maybe 15 minutes before I took a smoke break and realized "OH FRACK!". I quickly took the rock out and washed it with TAP.

How screwed am I? Should I set the tank on fire and start over ( )??

I think you’re more screwed using tap water unless it’s from a well. No need to rinse live rock, you could’ve simply shook it in the container
I would definitely add some water conditioner that makes water safe from chlorine

Midrats · Feb 10, 2022

What kind of smoke breaks are you taking

JGT · Feb 10, 2022

You never wash live rock with tap or RO water. Saltwater to get off the mulm and sand but not fresh water. Too late now. Hopefully, minimal impact.

aldrichg9 · Feb 10, 2022

I know I am new around here but....
Seems to me there is tons of misinformation in the replies here.

Washing off the miniscule amount of bacteria that might be remaining on the surface of your rocks is not going to bother the bacteria living inside the rock one bit.

Also whatever minute amounts of chlorine/chloramine that didn't gas off if you did rinse the rock with tap water is not going to be the least bit detectable.

OP - don't stress - you are fine whether you rinsed your rock or didn't.
Go have another smoke and smile!