cleaning live dry rock need help

[nightmarepl]

so i bought a huge tub of live dry rock guy said been sitting in his garage for 2 years atleast completely dry dead im assuming lol, whats the best way to clean it to make it literally dead dry rock so i dont nuke my tank
read alittle online says 2 days in a 50/50 water and bleach mix with wave maker
then 2 days in water with a wave maker
then another 2 days in clean water again with a chlorine remover
then into the new tank setup with no issue?

 

[MadReefer]

I would do more than 2 days on those steps. Also, I would raise the rock off the tub bottom with egg crate or something so all the dirt / dead stuff doesn't accumulate on the rock. Point the power heads so it blows all the dead stuff of the rock. Good luck.

 

[nightmarepl]

I would do more than 2 days on those steps. Also, I would raise the rock off the tub bottom with egg crate or something so all the dirt / dead stuff doesn't accumulate on the rock. Point the power heads so it blows all the dead stuff of the rock. Good luck.

thanks bro

 

[DYIguy]

Got access to a power washer- my rock had been sitting in a shed for about 25 years ( my own ) I power washed it first,, then a bleach solution, then fresh water- I'd also use some sort of copper remover- I knew my rock had never been exposed- but you never know

 

[r2reyzer]

Agree with DangerDave on longer. Plus, you never know how much dead stuff is on there so a 15 minute vinagar bath isn’t a bad idea to dissolve the outside layer/phosphates off the outer. I just redid my tanks and gave all my rocks a 15 min vinagar bath and you’d be amazed how much stinky stuff comes off. I did it after I bleached them, but before I soaked them.

 

[r2reyzer]

Agree with DangerDave on longer. Plus, you never know how much dead stuff is on there so a 15 minute vinagar bath isn’t a bad idea to dissolve the outside layer/phosphates off the outer. I just redid my tanks and gave all my rocks a 15 min vinagar bath and you’d be amazed how much stinky stuff comes off. I did it after I bleached them, but before I soaked them.

Sorry, meant that I agree with “Madreefer”

 

[Bot587]

I would definitely add in the vinegar bath (it's just acetic acid - a weak acid) and can be removed easily during rinse.

Whenever I bleach live rock, i make sure i move the rock around each time I fill it.

Rationale: Bleach is sodium hypochlorite. UV light will break the chlorine bond to oxygen and allow a free radical reaction which allows chlorine to leave the water (pool owners know the bane of too much sun on chlorine levels). With the water moving most of the sodium hypochlorite should remain suspended and access all the nooks and crannies of porous rock. However, some areas in the middle of the rock may not receive enough flow (I generally fill and drain at 48 hour increments multiple times rotating the rocks each time).

A test you can do at the end of bleach/vinegar bath is to add 3% peroxide to the surface of the rock if it bubbles up there is something there being oxidized.

 

[Yates273]

Not sure if you are willing but a muriatic acid bath will kill everything and it works pretty fast.