Help! Sterilized reef rock

[wjm6449]

About two weeks ago I pulled live rock out of my old tank and sterilized it with bleach and let it remain in a heavy bleach solution for 7 days (infested with aptasia and vermitid snails).

Everything is dead and gone. However I was to recolonize and reuse the rock but it still smells like bleach two weeks later. I’ve given it a fresh water rinse and bath and it didn’t seem to help. Is it safe to use in my display or does it now need more work?

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

Add Seachem prime to the water it’s soaking in at a 3-5x overdose, however I find the rock will often hold a bleach smell until it’s fully dried. After using prime and rinsing it well, I put it up somewhere to dry for a week or two and then put in the tank with no issues so far

 

[wjm6449]

Hm. Even two weeks later still holds the bleach smell and isn’t dry? Kinda crazy.

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

Hm. Even two weeks later still holds the bleach smell and isn’t dry? Kinda crazy.

Yeah, I would try fully drying it and then sniff test, but dechlorinator will help as well