Cleaning rocks....but very fast, possible?

[CoralPlast]

Hi, i have to unmount my tank for a couple of months and i need to leave it since i will not be home, problem to me is rocks, i live in apartement and i dont want them to smell, i have like 4/5 days to make them "clean".

I've tought a 1 or 2 day bleach bath and then put them at 60 celsius in hoven to dry as much as possible so there is no risk os stuff keep decaying with humidity. Is any good as idea? Otherwise i tought to close them on a well sealed bucket in a water/bleach bath but 2 motnhs are long.

Any idea?

 

[MBruun]

I would use Muriatic acid / hydrochloric acid (diluted in water) as Bleach can create chlorine gas which are dangerous to inhale - as far as I know

 

[EnterName]

Whatever treatment you choose, you will have to do it outside or in a well ventilated area as it will smell either way and potentially create gases you don't want to breath in all the time.

I use hydrogen peroxide first and if that's not enough follow up with bleach to nuke rocks. Heating the rocks can cause trapped water to expand and possibly make the rocks crack or "explode". I personally would not do that.

You can neutralize the residual bleach once you are back, but I don't really know how to store those rocks if you can't get them fully dry in time.
If your current tank suffers from elevated phosphate levels you can also try a dilute acid bath to remove phosphates that are bound to the calcium carbonate. However, if time is critical I would leave that for when you return.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally I would bleach them for 2-3 days rinse them very well then lay them somewhere to air dry while you are gone.

 

[Fish Fan]

Don't use muriatic acid, it's far more dangerous than bleach to work with, also produces nasty gases that should not be inhaled, and it's not as effective at removing organics from rocks.

A bleach cure and air dry (don't put the rocks in an oven) would do it, this article can help:
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/cont...w0NuS1lTXKHWLbptBdcggsywF9XefmF1v7kOvGrd_lAqQ
However, you could put all the rock in a container like your tank or a Brute garbage pail and let it run with saltwater and a circulation pump, and it really should not smell, at least not so much that your neighbors will complain. This way, you don't lose the beneficial microbiology already growing on the rocks.

 

[jonsreef2reef]

Hopping on Fish Fan's version — bleach cure, rinse well, air dry. The one thing I'd flag is the oven: trapped water inside the rock turns to steam and they can crack or pop at that temp, so I'd skip the 60C step. Sun and a breeze does the same job without the risk — chlorine's volatile, it gasses off on its own once the rock's out drying.

The smell you're worried about comes from rock that's still damp, not from anything the bleach missed, so the whole game is getting them bone dry before you go — and 4-5 days is tight for that. If they're not fully dry by the time you leave, I'd lean toward the wet-and-running option (Brute can + a powerhead) over sealing them in a bucket. Sealed and damp for two months is exactly the setup that stinks.