Paly removal fast but dangerous?

[Gavin Noy]

As per title. I have a piece of rock in my 13.5g evo that is plastered in palys. I want to keep the piece of rock as the last time i added a new piece it sucked all the alk out of my tank and killed most of my corals. Im thinking, get a big bucket of ro water, and extremely stiff scrubbing brush, scrub the palys off, then add the rock to a new bucket with some salt water with a small pump and cycle it for a week in the cold, then get it to temp in fresh tank temp salt water and add back to the tank? Its my first marine tank and i was over the moon at first i could grow life but now they are wasting the small space i have. Thank you for any advice. Have looked at the aptasia x ect but concerned that it will kill what live stock i have when it circulates.

 

[John Neuzil]

Wait, you think new rock sucked all the alk out of your water?

 

[Tahoe61]

Get ride of the rock and find a new piece of live rock or dry rock, a piece that size is not very expensive. Adding rock should not adversely effect your alk level in such a small tank, something else occurred. Test routinely, and either do a water change or use an additive.

 

[Gavin Noy]

Wait, you think new rock sucked all the alk out of your water?

It did. It was a piece of german ceramic rock. It leached phosphate and sucked alk for 6 weeks.

 

[Gavin Noy]

 

[Gavin Noy]

Wait, you think new rock sucked all the alk out of your water?

Attached a photo. I use hanna dkh checker. Reagent in the fridge ect. So yes.

 

[John Neuzil]

Attached a photo. I use hanna dkh checker. Reagent in the fridge ect. So yes.

Well thats a first. I'd like someone to explain the science behind that.

 

[Doctorgori]

If it does not have anything on it you need, just reset it in the freezer…

 

[exnisstech]

I would pitch the rock or clean it in bleach or acid. Those palys are tough. I have rocks with them and they survive months in a dark cold brute container with no flow.
I've never had rock suck the alk out of a tank :thinking-face:

 

[Gavin Noy]

Well thats a first. I'd like someone to explain the science behind that.

Im not saying iv not made a mistake but i added it 9 months into maturing my tank and it ruined everything. Alk tested at 5.8 after sitting at 8.2 -8.8 for months. Huge algae issues, cyano, Hence why i dont want to put a new piece in. Had to run phosphate removal pads for week and weeks. Absolute nightmare.

 

[Gavin Noy]

I would pitch the rock or clean it in bleach or acid. Those palys are tough. I have rocks with them and they survive months in a dark cold brute container with no flow.
I've never had rock suck the alk out of a tank :thinking-face:

It was a ceramic german rock off the internet.

 

[Gavin Noy]

If it does not have anything on it you need, just reset it in the freezer…

I removed my candy cane last week so its ready for a reset. Just dont want it to mess with my parameters as my hammer and sps frags are doing well.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well thats a first. I'd like someone to explain the science behind that.

I suspect the sentence is hyperbole, but artificial rocks can do various things, most often of which is add alk and/or raise pH, and some folks have had tank problems from the rise.

It is not likely to be correct that it "removed all alk". Meaning down to 0 dKH, unless it somehow was acid washed and not actually rinsed so it had residual liquid acids in it.

 

[Gavin Noy]

I suspect the sentence is hyperbole, but artificial rocks can do various things, most often of which is add alk and/or raise pH, and some folks have had tank problems from the rise.

It is not likely to be correct that it "removed all alk". Meaning down to 0 dKH, unless it somehow was acid washed and not actually rinsed so it had residual liquid acids in it.

Hi Randy. I have heard your name mentioned weekly on the forum. Im mostly an observer. I have removed the rock and its now in the freezer. What would you do to make it safe to add to the tank again and in what time frame. All the palys are now out. 2 had spread to an attached rock, iv ripped them off and added some carbon to the filter intake to try and remove palytoxins.

 

[Gavin Noy]

I suspect the sentence is hyperbole, but artificial rocks can do various things, most often of which is add alk and/or raise pH, and some folks have had tank problems from the rise.

It is not likely to be correct that it "removed all alk". Meaning down to 0 dKH, unless it somehow was acid washed and not actually rinsed so it had residual liquid acids in it.

Also yes all the alk was an exaggeration.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy. I have heard your name mentioned weekly on the forum. Im mostly an observer. I have removed the rock and its now in the freezer. What would you do to make it safe to add to the tank again and in what time frame. All the palys are now out. 2 had spread to an attached rock, iv ripped them off and added some carbon to the filter intake to try and remove palytoxins.

Why is it in the freezer?

If I had concern of it soaking up alk, I'd soak it in some new salt water and monitor the alk.

 

[Gavin Noy]

Why is it in the freezer?

If I had concern of it soaking up alk, I'd soak it in some new salt water and monitor the alk.

I think you are missing the topic. Im removing palys off a piece of rock.

 

[Gavin Noy]

Why is it in the freezer?

If I had concern of it soaking up alk, I'd soak it in some new salt water and monitor the alk.

i bet that was a mind blown moment Freezing a piece of rock to stop it soaking up alk Brilliant.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think you are missing the topic. Im removing palys off a piece of rock.

Well, I didn't miss it, I'm just not giving directions on how to do that. I'm hesitant to give an opinion on that since I do not know many details, nor your likely compliance with PPE suggestions. Throwing it out might be a safe alternative.

I thought the alk rock was a different rock that you were still concerned about, but if not, then ignore my comment.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

I would highly recommend not scrubbing the rock with Palys. I have ended up in urgent care twice doing the exact thing.