28 replies to this topic

[jezzabella114]

Hey all.
Currently in the process of setting up my new 300L, but what my Mum failed to tell me was that her limestone is COVERED in green algae.

Whats the quickest way to make them whiter?

I have done a quick dip in diluted bleach and have put them outside where the wind can dry them and the rain can wash out any bleach residue.

I took to them with high pressure water and have also steamed them with the karcher. They are improving but are still green.

Should i just let them air out and dry brush the dead algae off?

[Michael the fish fanatic]

Put it in the tank and chuck a bristlenose in there, he should do a good job

[fuggers]

white spray paint......

 

 

tried boiling in a big pot? its how i clean my plastic plants

[Kleinz]

Soak in the bleach solution for a day. Let them dry in the weather afterwards.

[Fox]

If you want to risk putting them in your tank after you bleached it, go ahead. Just remember that limestone is porous!
So there is a risk that the bleach has now been "sucked in" into the rock.

 

I for one would not have that bleach anywhere near my tanks.

I would leave in the rain for a few months and then put it in a tub with cycled water and a sponge filter & then test the water over a couple of weeks.

 

 

Bleach + Aquarium = Fish deaths REAL QUICK!

[Kleinz]

The chlorine evaporates off.  You just have to make sure it's well dried and well rinsed. I did this with holy rock, then left in the sun and rain for a couple weeks.  There were no ill effects and it looked fine, too.

 

You can try peroxide, but IMO it does not get the same results.

[malawiman85]

Scrub with a brush for a couple minutes in a bucket of hot water... easy, quick no chemicals or waiting to reuse the stone.

[sandgroper]

They look more natural with algae on them anyway, unless your after the sterile hospital look. Bristlenose scrub them clean anyway.

[silverscreen]

clean bucket with hot water and a clean scrubbing brush and keep scrubbing until your happy...maybe a bit of salt but definetly no harsh chemicals...this is just my opinion.

 

get use to the look of a bit of algae on the rocks ...its natural not dirty.

[Fox]

Or even better, get some Mbuna

[Redevilz]

Or even better than better, sell the limestone, get driftwood and buy some Americans

[Fox]

Not even going to bite RDz

[jezzabella114]

Thanks all. I soaked in some water conditioner for a while and did the steam trick again and they came out clean. Of course not pure white, but it got the algae off and they still look natural

Edited by jezzabella114, 26 July 2014 - 10:41 PM.

[Mattymak]

Bristlenose

[aussiemcgee]

white spray paint......

 

 

tried boiling in a big pot? its how i clean my plastic plants

 

Would definitely avoid boiling rock !!!!!

 

I have heard a horror story of a bloke over east who did this with marine live rock, ended up poisoning his whole family and very nearly killed them. (he did boil it inside tho)

[Mattymak]

Whao that's hectic haha! 

I let my fish do the cleaning haha stuff that lol

[Morley Aquariums]

I have bleached heaps of limestone. Just soak in some dechlorinator after & leave outside for several days. Make sure chlorine smell is gone before use. Bleach is used in aquariums quite regularly including for recharging some medias such as purigen.

[sydad]

I really don't understand why anyone would use bleach on a porous rock. The easiest way to clean limestone is with a dilute hydrochloric acid solution. This simply strips off the outer, contaminated layer leaving a clean limestone surface. Once the rock under treatment is removed from the acid solution, any remaining acid traces are neutralised by the limestone, and all that is necessary is a quick flush with tapwater.

Why do some people have to make life so damn complicated?

 

Syd.

[fuggers]

 

Would definitely avoid boiling rock !!!!!

 

I have heard a horror story of a bloke over east who did this with marine live rock, ended up poisoning his whole family and very nearly killed them. (he did boil it inside tho)

 

difference is its not live rock and it was already mentioned that it was steamed and bleached

[Kleinz]

Sy, they make it complicated, do they? Bleach is a lot easier to source than hydrochloric acid and seems perfectly reasonable to me.