Was this a mistake?

[gizzo12]

I wasn’t sure if this fit under any of the forum categories so I figured it could go here

So I got this live rock and it was covered in pests and bad algae. It even had palythoas on it (which I already removed) but I read that you can bleach the rock for 4-7 days and it will kill and dissolve any organics. I know you can use that acid but I wasn’t comfortable So I figured this would also work. But the one thing I did which I don’t know if it was right was that I didn’t let the rock dry out first. I just put it right in the bucket from my tank. Where I live right now there’s basically no sun and it’s cold out so I can’t really let them bake outside so I didn’t see a point. Was this a bad idea?

 

[vetteguy53081]

{Please post a pic or two of the rock so we know what you're referring to. If there is No life on the rock, simply soak it in bleach and cold water rinse until the smell of the bleach is faint then let it dry a couple of days in the sun.

 

[gizzo12]

{Please post a pic or two of the rock so we know what you're referring to. If there is No life on the rock, simply soak it in bleach and cold water rinse until the smell of the bleach is faint then let it dry a couple of days in the sun.

I already soaked it in a bleach/water solution for 5 days and then rinsed it with water. Now it is sitting outside but it rained so it’s not drying.

 

[gizzo12]

The rocks after rinsing

 

[Brad Waddell Wrath's Reef]

The rocks after rinsing

They will dry at some point. If needed bring them inside and lay them out and let them dry.

 

[gizzo12]

They will dry at some point. If needed bring them inside and lay them out and let them dry.

They just smell kind of weird but it doesn’t smell like bleach smells more organic

 

[Crustaceon]

I’d soak them until they don’t smell like the ocean.

 

[Brad Waddell Wrath's Reef]

I honestly used acid for about 15 mins, bleach for a day and dry for 2 days never had an issue. Strips everything off and good to go.

 

[jerrod]

There could still be organics within some of the nooks and crannies if you still smell stuff other than bleach. Let it dry out for a few days then soak the rock again if it smells bad again you know there is still stuff decaying in there.

 

[gizzo12]

There could still be organics within some of the nooks and crannies if you still smell stuff other than bleach. Let it dry out for a few days then soak the rock again if it smells bad again you know there is still stuff decaying in there.

How long should I bleach this time? And how many parts per water parts?

 

[cvrle1]

When I bleached a bunch of rocks I used higher ratio of bleach to water. I think I used about a gallon of bleach to like 35 gallons of water. I soaked it for full week, and I added a bit more bleach every 3-4 days as I saw fit. I also had some powerheads and pumps in there moving water around. Looking at your rock, I would do it again as there is still a lot of different colors on there, and looks like not everything is gone.

It killed everything and came out white and only smelling of bleach. If there is no sun, not an issue, just air dry it. Chlorine will evaporate naturally with time. Or you can use dechlorinator and soak rocks for like a week or so.

 

[gizzo12]

When I bleached a bunch of rocks I used higher ratio of bleach to water. I think I used about a gallon of bleach to like 35 gallons of water. I soaked it for full week, and I added a bit more bleach every 3-4 days as I saw fit. I also had some powerheads and pumps in there moving water around. Looking at your rock, I would do it again as there is still a lot of different colors on there, and looks like not everything is gone.

It killed everything and came out white and only smelling of bleach. If there is no sun, not an issue, just air dry it. Chlorine will evaporate naturally with time. Or you can use dechlorinator and soak rocks for like a week or so.

If I do it in a 5 gallon bucket how much bleach should I add?

 

[cvrle1]

If I do it in a 5 gallon bucket how much bleach should I add?

In all honesty I dont think there are any side effects for using too much bleach, other than maybe how much time it will take for chlorine to evaporate. I would just go 1 gallon in 5 gallon bucket and call it a day. Use dechlorinator after if you need rocks sooner rather than later.

 

[gizzo12]

In all honesty I dont think there are any side effects for using too much bleach, other than maybe how much time it will take for chlorine to evaporate. I would just go 1 gallon in 5 gallon bucket and call it a day. Use dechlorinator after if you need rocks sooner rather than later.

How long should I wait this time? I only needed to fill up the bucket half way so I just poured a 1/3 gallon of bleach in.

 

[shred5]

I just use a dechlorinator on my rock when I bleach it..

Also make sure it was pure bleach not scented or thickened.

 

[cvrle1]

How long should I wait this time? I only needed to fill up the bucket half way so I just poured a 1/3 gallon of bleach in.

I would put a powerhead to move water around, and wait a week. It may be done sooner, so keep an eye out on it every few days and see how things go. There is no real science here, so it comes down to trial and error in the end.