Cleaning base rock?

[chris_w]

Hi all,

I have 3-4 large pieces of base rock that has been sitting outside for 6 months or so, completely exposed to the elements. Im setting up a new tank and would like to use this stuff as a base, what should I do to get it ready to put it in my tank?

Thanks for any advice

 

[ichthyoid]

You could soak it in some DI water and add a cup or so of hydrogen peroxide to soak. I would let it sit for a couple of hours, then rinse well with fresh DI water and let dry. Then you are good to go.

Some people use bleach, but I prefer the H2O2 as it is gone completely when dry. If you do use bleach, you may want to treat with a dechlorinator like sodium thiosulfate before use.-JMHO

 

[chris_w]

Im in no rush, Ill be piecing together this setup over the next few weeks so a few days wont hurt.

As far as the DI water goes, would RO water work instead? Where do you guys get DI water around here?

 

[weaglereefer]

Most people have filters and make it at home.

I'd do a tub of RO/DI and a bit of bleach. Let that soak overnight (powerhead if you have one). Then a tub of just RO/DI with some "Prime" and same powerhead, and after a night of that it will be ready.

I did this recently to fix an asterina problem, and haven't seen one star in my tank since. Also no harm to corals or fish in the tank after several months, and the rock is already turning purple again.

 

[ichthyoid]

Chris_W;601661 wrote: Im in no rush, Ill be piecing together this setup over the next few weeks so a few days wont hurt.

As far as the DI water goes, would RO water work instead? Where do you guys get DI water around here?

The 'DI' part usually comes after the RO stage, and is what polishes the water for ulimate level of purity. The RO stage just allows the DI resin to last longer.

Personally, I don't use the RO part, as municipal water in Georgia is pretty low in minerals to begin with. I think it's a waste, but that's just my opinion. You will have great water from either type of system.

Just make sure you can check the performance and you have less than 2-3 ppm total disolved solids (TDS). Zero ppm is ideal. Anything above that tells you your DI resin can no longer adsorb all of the minerals, and needs to be replaced.

 

[basscyn]

Dont mean to hijack...but I have some dead rock (use to be live) that was taked out of a running system and left to dry...and die. So it as a lot of dead tissue.

Same procedure with the bleach?

 

[basscyn]

Dont mean to hijack...but I have some dead rock (use to be live) that was taked out of a running system and left to dry...and die. So it as a lot of dead tissue.

Same procedure?

 

[gnashty]

BASSCYN;601712 wrote: Dont mean to hijack...but I have some dead rock (use to be live) that was taked out of a running system and left to dry...and die. So it as a lot of dead tissue.

Same procedure?

Yours will require some more time, good flow to knock loose the decay and a few water changes - skim if you can. Then use any method above..

This is if you want to add the rock to an existing set up.

 

[ichthyoid]

FWIW-

I use hydrogen peroxide for 3 reasons-

1) it is a much more potent oxidizer than bleach (chlorine)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidant"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #0645ad">Oxidant</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12px">/Reduced product</span>[IMG]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidation"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #0645ad">Oxidation</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12px"> potential, V</span>[IMG]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorine"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #0645ad">Fluorine</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12px">/Hydrogen fluoride</span><span style="font-size: 12px">3.0</span>[IMG]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #0645ad">Ozone</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12px">/Oxygen</span><span style="font-size: 12px">2.1</span><span style="font-size: 12px">Hydrogen peroxide/Water</span><span style="font-size: 12px">1.8</span>[IMG]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_permanganate"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #0645ad">Potassium permanganate</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12px">/Manganese dioxide</span><span style="font-size: 12px">1.7</span>[IMG]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #0645ad">Chlorine dioxide</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12px">/HClO</span><span style="font-size: 12px">1.5</span>[IMG]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #0645ad">Chlorine</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12px">/Chloride</span><span style="font-size: 12px">1.4</span>

2) it has NO residual presence when dry.

3) any organic reactants after treatment that include chlorine are generally much less desireable than those containing oxygen and/or hydrogen.

As for any rock containing significant residual biological tissue, it would be prudent to let it circulate in a tub with powerhead/pump for a day or perhaps even several. The time may depend on the presence/level of any odors before (or after) treatment.

JMHO