How to clean rocks?

[User 28262454]

Got some rock off a guy for cheap, only issue is there is hard green algae on em aswell and dried up bristleworms among other things. Tried soaking in boiling water but didnt really help. Any suggestions ?

 

[Jedi1199]

Got some rock off a guy for cheap, only issue is there is hard green algae on em aswell and dried up bristleworms among other things. Tried soaking in boiling water but didnt really help. Any suggestions ?

A good hard bristle brush and elbow grease is the simplest. Did hear of a gal that blasted her rocks with a pressure washer to some good success.

 

[User 28262454]

Alright, did some reading and heard others do bleach baths. Might try some things. Would there be any real issues just throwing the rocks in as they are? Would it just give me further algae issues?

 

[Jedi1199]

Alright, did some reading and heard others do bleach baths. Might try some things. Would there be any real issues just throwing the rocks in as they are? Would it just give me further algae issues?

Well I guess it depends on your definition of "issues"

Bleach baths may or may not help, but you will be weeks getting the bleach back out of the rocks before they are tank safe.

Will the rocks "AS IS" cause algal bloom? I doubt it. This depends on a number of variables that we can't know from the information provided so far.

If you use the rocks "AS IS" you will likely experience decay from the old dead material which may actually help you with your cycle process, but that again is highly subjective and depends greatly on unknown variables here.

A couple hours in the sink, with a wire bristle brush, will take care of the offending dead material and then a couple days soak in rodi water and salt water and you are tank ready.

 

[redfishbluefish]

BRS has a couple videos that include acid bath and/or bleach bath. I would not do an acid bath for two reasons....it's dangerous and the only thing it does is give you less rock. I'm all for a bleach bath. Check what BRS recommends, but I think I used two gallons of bleach for approximately 40-50 gallons of water. I used a pump in the tub and let it soak for a week. A number of rinses and air drying did the trick. You'll still need to cure the rock in saltwater for a month or so.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Your other option is to cook the rock using Melev's method:

 

[Dburr1014]

Got some rock off a guy for cheap, only issue is there is hard green algae on em aswell and dried up bristleworms among other things. Tried soaking in boiling water but didnt really help. Any suggestions ?

Fot future reference, please don't boil a rock again on the stove top, it's very dangerous. It could be really really bad for your health.

 

[fishface NJ]

Fot future reference, please don't boil a rock again on the stove top, it's very dangerous. It could be really really bad for your health.

You beat me to it

 

[User 28262454]

Well I guess it depends on your definition of "issues"

Bleach baths may or may not help, but you will be weeks getting the bleach back out of the rocks before they are tank safe.

Will the rocks "AS IS" cause algal bloom? I doubt it. This depends on a number of variables that we can't know from the information provided so far.

If you use the rocks "AS IS" you will likely experience decay from the old dead material which may actually help you with your cycle process, but that again is highly subjective and depends greatly on unknown variables here.

A couple hours in the sink, with a wire bristle brush, will take care of the offending dead material and then a couple days soak in rodi water and salt water and you are tank ready.

What might these variables be? I can see if I can provide them.

The rock doesn’t bother me with the way it looks as long as it can still get some coraline on it eventually I’ll be happy.

Fot future reference, please don't boil a rock again on the stove top, it's very dangerous. It could be really really bad for your health.

Got it. I seem to be fine but won’t risk it again!

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Bleach baths may or may not help, but you will be weeks getting the bleach back out of the rocks before they are tank safe.

Totally not true. You can soak them in water with Prime (or other dechlorinator) and be just fine.

 

[Jedi1199]

Totally not true. You can soak them in water with Prime (or other dechlorinator) and be just fine.

You may be correct. I personally distrust chemicals and do not use them.

I can't say either way if that product works as I have never used it.

Still not sure what's wrong with just using a wire brush and scrubbing the dead junk off?

Is there a natural reaction to actually doing a bit of work that people in this hobby run from like the plague???

Why is the first reaction to use chemicals??

 

[Dan_P]

Got some rock off a guy for cheap, only issue is there is hard green algae on em aswell and dried up bristleworms among other things. Tried soaking in boiling water but didnt really help. Any suggestions ?

Use them as is. The boiling probably did a decent sterilization job and they are going to become covered with all sorts of growth in a few months.

 

[Chortanator]

When I had a green hair algae outbreak on my rocks, I took them all out and pressure washed them, it worked great. Otherwise I'd scrub with warm water + vinegar if you're just trying to clean them

 

[User 28262454]

You may be correct. I personally distrust chemicals and do not use them.

I can't say either way if that product works as I have never used it.

Still not sure what's wrong with just using a wire brush and scrubbing the dead junk off?

Is there a natural reaction to actually doing a bit of work that people in this hobby run from like the plague???

Why is the first reaction to use chemicals??

I do not have a real issue with scrubbing if it comes down to it.

Will the rocks "AS IS" cause algal bloom? I doubt it. This depends on a number of variables that we can't know from the information provided so far.

If you use the rocks "AS IS" you will likely experience decay from the old dead material which may actually help you with your cycle process, but that again is highly subjective and depends greatly on unknown variables here.

As stated above you said there may be some benefits depending on some variables, if I could identify these before scrubbing it off I might save myself some time while helping my cycle.

 

[Jedi1199]

What might these variables be? I can see if I can provide them.

The rock doesn’t bother me with the way it looks as long as it can still get some coraline on it eventually I’ll be happy.

Got it. I seem to be fine but won’t risk it again!

Do some research on what causes "Algal bloom".

Generally it's from a combination of an elevated level of nutrients that the algae consume faster than other tank inhabitants can absorb, and intense lighting that the algae uses for photosynthesis.

For example a new tank, which is lightly stocked, but has heavy lighting, will allow algae to gain a foothold as algae is mostly photosynthetic. This is why my own 180g tank, which is a FOWLR system has never had an algal outbreak. The lights on that tank are far too weak to provide the spectrum that most algae needs to thrive.

A tank that is moderately stocked, but heavily fed, can also cause this. The reality is that you are looking for a balance. Provide enough nutrition for the desired stock, but not enough for the algae.

This can be very difficult, especially for a newbie as experience is the best teacher. We all want to be sure that our stock gets what it needs, and we don't want to starve anything in our tanks. The natural instinct is to overfeed. Until your tank reaches a level that can balance the input, algal outbreaks are a natural outcome.

As I said above, I dislike chemicals, and use them ONLY as a last resort. I have had success with FluxRx for GHA and Bryopsis, but that is the only thing I have used a chemical treatment for. Bubble algae I have emerald crabs for and they seem to do a good job of keeping that in check.

Also, my own tank is VERY heavily stocked. I have 16 fish and over 115 corals in that 55g tank. My nutrient export is quite high compared to a tank with 2 or 3 fish and a dozen corals. Follow me here?

I can give you a blanket statement that you need to feed x amount of this and no more, but without seeing this system on a daily basis, this advise would be "Best guess" and your results may or may not be completely different than intended.

 

[User 28262454]

Thanks for the long response. I foubd it very helpful and definitely see what you are saying. I’ll do some scrubbing to get rid of some pests but probably wont worry about getting all the algae off. I’ve also got a month of cycling ahead to clean off any more debris that may appear. Probably going to keep the lights very low or off for most of it aswell.

 

[Jedi1199]

What might these variables be? I can see if I can provide them.

The rock doesn’t bother me with the way it looks as long as it can still get some coraline on it eventually I’ll be happy.

Corailne will come once the tank is established. It will grow when it does.

As stated above you said there may be some benefits depending on some variables, if I could identify these before scrubbing it off I might save myself some time while helping my cycle.

OK, I am assuming that you have a basic understanding of the "Nitrogen cycle". If I am mistaken, then start your research with that. The most important thing any new aquarist needs to know is how that cycle works.

Given the fact that you have already boiled the rocks, I feel safe in assuming that the rocks are virtually sterile now. Basically you are starting off fresh with a brand new tank and rock. The remaining organic matter will NOT speed up your cycle. It WILL, however, provide material that will feed the bacterial colonies that you need to develop to cycle your tank. As the dead material rots, it will produce ammonia which will feed an ammonia consuming bacteria that will produce Nitrites as a waste product. This will feed another bacterial colony that will consume these Nitrites and produce Nitrates as a waste product.

This is the Nitrogen cycle in a nutshell.

@Dan_P is absolutely correct that using them "AS IS" should be fine.

The variables that I stated are things such as, but NOT limited to: tank size, level of experience, lighting as referred to above, tank stock, and your personal commitment to husbandry of the system.

 

[User 28262454]

I’ve reserched the nitrogen cycle and feel pretty good about it. Tank is 91 gallons total volume, aiming for a 5 gallon change 3-4 times weekly. I have some experience due to my smaller salt that I’ve had up and running for around 3 months.

 

[Jedi1199]

Thanks for the long response. I foubd it very helpful and definitely see what you are saying. I’ll do some scrubbing to get rid of some pests but probably wont worry about getting all the algae off. I’ve also got a month of cycling ahead to clean off any more debris that may appear. Probably going to keep the lights very low or off for most of it aswell.

I’ve reserched the nitrogen cycle and feel pretty good about it. Tank is 91 gallons total volume, aiming for a 5 gallon change 3-4 times weekly. I have some experience due to my smaller salt that I’ve had up and running for around 3 months.

Ok, so I have a couple questions here. The new tank you intend to use these rocks in. Is this an upgrade or a brand new tank? Meaning, are you going to use rocks and water and other materials from the "small salt tank" you currently have? Or, do you plan to start brand new?

This is a variable that comes into play here. If you are going to put all the stuff from your existing tank into the new one, first of all, your tank will skip-cycle and be ready from day 1. By introducing the new rocks as they are, will spike ammonia quickly and likely be harmful to your stock. Also, as the decaying matter from the new rocks rots away, you will be elevating nutrient levels that will cause algal outbreaks as we discussed above.

So, if you are going to use your old tank media in the new build, I would recommend cleaning the new rock of as much dead material as possible.

Now, since you have an existing tank currently running. Let's discuss options. Take your fully cleaned new rocks and put them into the small tank you have for a couple weeks. This will allow for ALL of the nitrifying bacterial colonies to inhabit the rocks for the new tank. Once you get the new tank up and running, transfer the rocks to the new tank and again, you will skip-cycle.

The reason I emphasize "fully clean" is to avoid the ammonia spike in your current tank that I stated above will occur in the new tank in the scenario I described.

In case you are wondering, This is how I have skip-cycled every tank I have had for the last 30 years. Either a sponge from a filter or rocks aged in a running tank.

 

[User 28262454]

Ok, so I have a couple questions here. The new tank you intend to use these rocks in. Is this an upgrade or a brand new tank? Meaning, are you going to use rocks and water and other materials from the "small salt tank" you currently have? Or, do you plan to start brand new?

This is a variable that comes into play here. If you are going to put all the stuff from your existing tank into the new one, first of all, your tank will skip-cycle and be ready from day 1. By introducing the new rocks as they are, will spike ammonia quickly and likely be harmful to your stock. Also, as the decaying matter from the new rocks rots away, you will be elevating nutrient levels that will cause algal outbreaks as we discussed above.

So, if you are going to use your old tank media in the new build, I would recommend cleaning the new rock of as much dead material as possible.

Now, since you have an existing tank currently running. Let's discuss options. Take your fully cleaned new rocks and put them into the small tank you have for a couple weeks. This will allow for ALL of the nitrifying bacterial colonies to inhabit the rocks for the new tank. Once you get the new tank up and running, transfer the rocks to the new tank and again, you will skip-cycle.

The reason I emphasize "fully clean" is to avoid the ammonia spike in your current tank that I stated above will occur in the new tank in the scenario I described.

In case you are wondering, This is how I have skip-cycled every tank I have had for the last 30 years. Either a sponge from a filter or rocks aged in a running tank.

Ok, so my currently running tank is just 18 gallons with 2 live rocks (gonna add a few more lol) I was planning on moving 1 of the rocks, some of the filer media, a bit of sand, and my water from water changes over to the new tank. With this approach what would you recommend to do with the new rocks?