Rock Discolouration

Troy

New Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Location
Niagara
What do I use to give my rock an acid bath? I pulled all my old dried rock and it for the most part has turned an orange/brown. I really want to use it again,

Will power spraying it work, or will it eventually turn white/purple with cycling?

Also, some of the pieces had significant bryopsis prior to my tank being shut down. Is there any thing I can do about that, since the rock is out of water? Is flucanzole the best answer?

Thank you in advance.
Troy
 
Last edited:

Josh

Active Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2017
Location
London
acid wash it and skip the flucanazole, thats more of a treatment to keep your liverock alive and kill just the algae. Im sure there are videos online if not @TORX recently acid washed he can maybe walk you through it.
 

TORX

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Nov 27, 2010
Location
Blenheim, Ontario
Website
www.thefragtank.ca
Muriatic Acid is the best way to clean rock. I just did it with a few hundred lbs.

Before:

052c5cb3fa9cc4f64efc15f42e4429e3.jpg


After:

f7b053acd3431e9ce0532deaf5503d91.jpg
 

Pistol

Super Active Member
Donor
Joined
Aug 16, 2012
Location
Corunna
I would bleach it first, 4:1 and let it soak for a couple weeks to make sure it's dead first then acid bath
 

Shooter000

HomeGrownFrags
Joined
Jan 19, 2015
Location
Alvinston, Ontario
After the bleach bath you won't need to acid bath unless you want even more white rock, do one or the other no need for both, unless very wary of what's in the rock itself, either oryouwill still be leaching nutrients when done
 

Troy

New Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Location
Niagara
The rock has been dry for at least 5 years.
I have muriatic acid already at the school, it also works best for clogged drains. I guess I will go with that.

Do I soak it? and what ratio to water? I know it smells awful, its an outside job. the acid will kill everything in its path.

Thank you.
 

Pistol

Super Active Member
Donor
Joined
Aug 16, 2012
Location
Corunna
Cysts and other pests can be dry for hundreds of years and can be deep in the rock and can possibly survive a quick acid bath which just dissolves away the surface layer of the rock.
I soak my rock in 4:1 bleach for a month to make sure it is dead and free of pests through and through, then rinse it and let it dry out completely, it also cleans it well and there is no need to acid bath it.
Bleach is pretty cheap but don't use the no name crap,use chlorox
 

TORX

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Nov 27, 2010
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Blenheim, Ontario
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www.thefragtank.ca
Depending on the concentration a 10:1 ratio is suggested. Also for every gallon of acid be sure to have a box of baking soda to neutralize the acid afterwards. Doing it outside has nothing to do with the smell. You do it outside because the gas it emits is toxic.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
 

Joshbrookkate

Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Location
Windsor
Depending on the concentration a 10:1 ratio is suggested. Also for every gallon of acid be sure to have a box of baking soda to neutralize the acid afterwards. Doing it outside has nothing to do with the smell. You do it outside because the gas it emits is toxic.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

And remember to put the water in first, then add the acid into the water.
 
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