Scented bleach on live rock

[Dripdroppin]

So I bought a bunch of my old live rock back from my dad he had used as pond decorations. Ive has it bleaching in bleach for a few days and I just realized I used dollar general lemon scented bleach. I’ve heard using scented bleach is a bad idea but this is like 100 pounds of rock so I don’t want to scrap it. I was planning on draining and soaking in ro and prime water today. Any advice? Maybe run some carbon on it before I use it?

 

[James M]

Leave it in the sun for a few days until you can’t smell the bleach anymore

 

[Dripdroppin]

Okay I’m not worried so much about the bleach just the chemicals that might have been in there as well. Either way I’m gonna give them multiple good rinses and let them dry for a week or so before use

 

[PaulPerger]

I would put a few powerheads in your soaking container and move the water as much as possible. If there are any surfactants in the bleach, you want those pulled out of the rock, which simple soaking won't do. You want enough flow to break surfactants off of the rock, but not so much that it can't rise to the surface of the water. Skim the water daily, as you will likely have a nice film on the top of the water. As long as you have film on the water, keep soaking.

 

[Dripdroppin]

I would put a few powerheads in your soaking container and move the water as much as possible. If there are any surfactants in the bleach, you want those pulled out of the rock, which simple soaking won't do. You want enough flow to break surfactants off of the rock, but not so much that it can't rise to the surface of the water. Skim the water daily, as you will likely have a nice film on the top of the water. As long as you have film on the water, keep soaking.

Alright it’s a 32 gallon brute with probably 20 gallons of bleach/water so I have a 225gph powerheads I think will do the trick. I’ve just been giving the brute can a few good spins everyday to help mix it up. Any advice on how skim the top? Just lean it over and dump the top layer out lol?
Would you run run any carbon during the water/prime stage to remove any toxins that might have been in the bleach to give it its scent?

 

[shred5]

I made the mistake once too and threw away the rock, I was not taking a chance.

I didn't buy scented though I bought thickened, I always watch for scented. Actually it was my girlfriends mistake. I didn't look and just grabbed... I have always heard only use 100 percent pure bleach, no scents or additives.

There could be chemicals that bind with the rock and release slowly over time. may not effect anything right away but could later.

I am no expert on chemicals but no way I would risk it.

 

[Florida Sunshine]

Look at the label and see if it says what was used for the lemon scent. Everything I have heard is about the splashless bleach. There is something in that which causes a problem. I would probably give it a couple of soaks in regular unscented bleach then rinse and dry really well. I might leave it in the trashcan with RO water and a bag of carbon as a final check.

 

[Dripdroppin]

Look at the label and see if it says what was used for the lemon scent. Everything I have heard is about the splashless bleach. There is something in that which causes a problem. I would probably give it a couple of soaks in regular unscented bleach then rinse and dry really well. I might leave it in the trashcan with RO water and a bag of carbon as a final check.

Okay I’ll run by the store and check the label and try to post tonight. I had some lavender bleach too that i poured the last few glugs in as well but I don’t have the bottle anymore or know where it was from. I’m really disappointed that I rushed this step when I’ve beem trying really hard to do this build right. I just can’t throw the rock out because it is kind of sentimental as me and my dad have kind of passed it back and forth over the past ten or fifteen years. I guess I’m gonna empty tonight and run some pure bleach and just start the process over and hope I don’t release anything toxic in the tank

 

[PaulPerger]

Alright it’s a 32 gallon brute with probably 20 gallons of bleach/water so I have a 225gph powerheads I think will do the trick. I’ve just been giving the brute can a few good spins everyday to help mix it up. Any advice on how skim the top? Just lean it over and dump the top layer out lol?
Would you run run any carbon during the water/prime stage to remove any toxins that might have been in the bleach to give it its scent?

I used a slotted spatula and some filter floss to skim the top of the water. It took a few weeks, but eventually I no longer had stuff floating on the water. Soaking in pure bleach again certainly wouldn't hurt!

 

[shred5]

I think a acid bath would be better because it would dissolve the outer shell of the rock.

 

[mtfish]

I agree with the acid bath. I am old. Back then the saying was the solution to pollution is dilution. I would let the rock soak for a week, then dump. Add new water, repeat until you get tired of doing this. Let sun dry until completely dried throughout, then start your build. Good luck.

 

[Dripdroppin]

I agree with the acid bath. I am old. Back then the saying was the solution to pollution is dilution. I would let the rock soak for a week, then dump. Add new water, repeat until you get tired of doing this. Let sun dry until completely dried throughout, then start your build. Good luck.

okay I’ve never done the acid bath before so I have a few questions. I know I can get it at Lowe’s but what product is it? What ratio of water to acid? Should I run a powerheads with the acid?

 

[shred5]

I use vinegar, some use muriatic acid.

I usually add a little r/o water. Really depends on how much rock..
If it is a small amount of rock I may go 100 percent vinegar.

 

[PaulPerger]

I agree with the acid bath. I am old. Back then the saying was the solution to pollution is dilution. I would let the rock soak for a week, then dump. Add new water, repeat until you get tired of doing this. Let sun dry until completely dried throughout, then start your build. Good luck.

I don't think coral rock would survive a week long bath in Muriatic Acid. The acid literally disolves away layers of rock. I have read that people have lost 20% of their rock weight in 20 minutes soaking in Muriatic Acid. Most instructional videos I have seen indicate 10-15 minutes tops.

okay I’ve never done the acid bath before so I have a few questions. I know I can get it at Lowe’s but what product is it? What ratio of water to acid? Should I run a powerheads with the acid?

If you've never worked with Acid before please do a LOT of reading and planning BEFORE you buy any Acid. You have to plan for protecting yourself and your property from it. Plan for how you are going to neutralize and dispose of it. The time to do that planning is NOW, not when you have a brute can full of rock and acid in your backyard... And whatever you do, NEVER do an acid bath in your home!

 

[shred5]

I don't think coral rock would survive a week long bath in Muriatic Acid. The acid literally disolves away layers of rock. I have read that people have lost 20% of their rock weight in 20 minutes soaking in Muriatic Acid. Most instructional videos I have seen indicate 10-15 minutes tops.



If you've never worked with Acid before please do a LOT of reading and planning BEFORE you buy any Acid. You have to plan for protecting yourself and your property from it. Plan for how you are going to neutralize and dispose of it. The time to do that planning is NOW, not when you have a brute can full of rock and acid in your backyard... And whatever you do, NEVER do an acid bath in your home!

Yea there is plenty of videos out there and info and I also suggest watching them. I think even BRS has one.

Even with vinegar and how much I dilute it is based on how aggressive I want to be or how long I want to soak.

I never used Muriatic acid so no comment there.

 

[MnFish1]

So I bought a bunch of my old live rock back from my dad he had used as pond decorations. Ive has it bleaching in bleach for a few days and I just realized I used dollar general lemon scented bleach. I’ve heard using scented bleach is a bad idea but this is like 100 pounds of rock so I don’t want to scrap it. I was planning on draining and soaking in ro and prime water today. Any advice? Maybe run some carbon on it before I use it?

One problem (a couple actually) - most of the scented bleaches contain detergents as well as the 'scent'. Was it one of the 'non-splash' varieties? if so they definitely have chemicals you dont want in your tank. Muriatic acid will PROBABLY not have any effect on detergents in the water - so I'm not sure why you would want to use it. Frankly - if indeed the bleach you used contained detergents - IMHO you should not use the rock - as painful as that probably would be. Prime will have no effect on the detergent either. All you would need for the bleach part is 'chlorine neutralizer' (sodium thiosulfate) - rather than prime (its cheaper).

You need to be EXTREMELY careful using muriatic acid in the first place (its nasty stuff) FYI - and mixed with bleach it releases Chlorine gas - So this is definitely an outdoor project (if you decide to use it). in fact - just breathing in the gas from regular strength muriatic acid is toxic.

(If you use it - follow the dilution instructions carefully - if you pour it into water too quickly - it can boil and splatter - and cause burns). There are also lots of 'local laws' of how it needs to be disposed of (i.e. you cant dump in down the drain, toilet, onto the ground, etc).

Here is a good summary: Mixing bleach, or sodium hypochlorite with muriatic acid will liberate chlorine gas, which is definitely toxic, and a severe irritant to eyes and nasal passages and the lungs even in small amounts. ... The acid is strong if breathed in but is deadly if mixed with chlorine.

 

[GThompson]

Find the BRS video for sure. I think the ratio is like 50 parts water to 1 part muratic acid. Soak for 20 to 30 minutes then neutralize with bicarbonate of soda ( baking soda) and rinse and repeat. Wear gloves and protective eyewear. Muratic acid can be dangerous. It’s available in the pool section of most stores. Research is the key. Good luck with your rocks

 

[GThompson]

One problem (a couple actually) - most of the scented bleaches contain detergents as well as the 'scent'. Was it one of the 'non-splash' varieties? if so they definitely have chemicals you dont want in your tank. Muriatic acid will PROBABLY not have any effect on detergents in the water - so I'm not sure why you would want to use it. Frankly - if indeed the bleach you used contained detergents - IMHO you should not use the rock - as painful as that probably would be. Prime will have no effect on the detergent either. All you would need for the bleach part is 'chlorine neutralizer' (sodium thiosulfate) - rather than prime (its cheaper).

You need to be EXTREMELY careful using muriatic acid in the first place (its nasty stuff) FYI - and mixed with bleach it releases Chlorine gas - So this is definitely an outdoor project (if you decide to use it). in fact - just breathing in the gas from regular strength muriatic acid is toxic.

(If you use it - follow the dilution instructions carefully - if you pour it into water too quickly - it can boil and splatter - and cause burns). There are also lots of 'local laws' of how it needs to be disposed of (i.e. you cant dump in down the drain, toilet, onto the ground, etc).

Here is a good summary: Mixing bleach, or sodium hypochlorite with muriatic acid will liberate chlorine gas, which is definitely toxic, and a severe irritant to eyes and nasal passages and the lungs even in small amounts. ... The acid is strong if breathed in but is deadly if mixed with chlorine.

Been there , done that. It ain’t no joke. Took a week to recuperate from it And that was after I had flushed the acid before I added bleach

 

[MnFish1]

Sorry I clicked post too quickly. FYI - after googling it - it looks like the scented bleaches are the 'splashless' variety. First - they are a lower concentration of bleach (i.e. they are not rated as 'disinfectants') so depending on why you soaked the rock in bleach in the first place it may not have worked.

Also - these do contain 'soap' as well as the scent. If you are going to try to use the rock (which I think is a mistake) - if it is sentimental - use it for something else - perhaps a sculpture?? (Note I'm not trying to be mean - I'm serious). Anyway if you are going to use the rock and you wanted to 'disinfect it' I would re-treat it with bleach for a couple hours (I assume you diluted the bleach 1:10 with water). Then I would use many rinses (even with tap water) like outside - fill up the bucket and immediately dump it - and repeat this like 30 times - or take pieces and hose them off with a high pressure for a fair length of time - then rinse several times. IMO just letting it sit in water for days even with a power head will not take care of this.

The way to tell if the soap is gone is put an airstone or something in the tub - if it 'bubbles' (i.e. the bubbles stay) you have more rinsing to do.

Also - IMHO - I'm not sure the purpose of leaving the rock in the sun for several days. This will not help with soap removal. It will help with chlorine removal - but rinsing - and adding chlorine neutralizer will do the same thing. Its just an extra week of 'waiting' that is probably not needed.

The source of this information is my experience in a lab where we needed to use detergents to clean glassware which would then be used for 'living cultures'. multiple small rinses are much more efficient than larger longer ones. Its not completely easy to do with glass - its may be quite difficult depending on how porous your rock is. Good luck no matter what you decide.

PS - vinegar mixed with bleach also releases chlorine bleach. If for some reason you want to use vinegar - make sure all the bleach is gone from the rock first.

 

[shred5]

Frankly - if indeed the bleach you used contained detergents - IMHO you should not use the rock - as painful as that probably would be.

I agree...

Getting a tank up and running and a few weeks or months later you can not keep anything and having to start completely over is going to be more painful..

Worse yet if you contaminate your aquarium and is is not usable and having to buy a new aquarium..