cooking live rock hydrochloric acid

[Reefcrazed417]

What is a suitable container to use to do this◆ I know it's some kind of plastic

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

A salt bucket is fine. Polyethylene and polypropylene are good choices.

Don't use full strength muriatic acid. Dilute one part of the the acid into 10 parts of fresh water, and be careful to not spill or splash the acid onto yourself and especially not get it into your eyes.

 

[Reefcrazed417]

Thanks what about a live rock tub?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks what about a live rock tub?

Depends on what it is made of, but it is likely OK.

 

[Reefcrazed417]

OK thanks for the advice

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[wangspeed]

I used a polyethylene container that is now my saltwater container. Do it outside on concrete. Not sure what it would do to asphalt. Randy?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Probably smell bad on asphalt. I'm not sure how damaging it would be.

 

[glb]

So what do you do after the acid bath?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I usually order a pizza and crank up some Hendrix! Lol.

To answer your question:

I rinsed my rock with a hose. I then inspected all rock and removed anything that was still on it with needle nose pliers. I soaked mine in ro/di water for a day then changed all water. I then added salt water, a heater and a raw shrimp (placed in a net). I also placed a power head. I removed the shrimp after 48 hours. I'll do a 100% water change at three weeks. Then I'll test for po4. I won't use the rock until po4 is gone. The acid bath should make this a much quicker process.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If there is any acid present in the solution remaining, you can neutralize it with baking soda, washing soda, or calcium carbonate.

Rinse the rock well. I'd personally not use a hose due to potential for copper, but it may be OK.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

If there is any acid present in the solution remaining, you can neutralize it with baking soda, washing soda, or calcium carbonate.

Rinse the rock well. I'd personally not use a hose due to potential for copper, but it may be OK.

I never thought of residual copper. My city water is pretty clean here, but I'm going to test it!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I never thought of residual copper. My city water is pretty clean here, but I'm going to test it!

The copper comes from your own pipes and hose fittings, not the water supply reservoir.

 

[Reefcrazed417]

Right because copper leaches

 

[Reefcrazed417]

Will cooking live rock remove leaching medications from rock?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Dissolving the outer surface should remove almost everything, but it is possible some may rebind to the newly created surfaces.

Is there a particular med you are concerned with?