# Need some info on cleaning rocks



## 03SVTF (Oct 11, 2011)

So i know this as been answered a lot but i cant find it any where. I just got home from the local river and got a ton of rocks to put in my mbunas tank.

What is a good ratio of bleach to water to soak the rocks?

How long to soak them also?


----------



## JamesVietor (Oct 7, 2011)

i bleached for 6hours then emptied buckets and ran water run for about half hour let dry in the sun. then let dry and ran water from hose over them several times repeating rinsing and drying a few times.

thats how i did u could let sit longer but i noticed no difference in fish after i aded them


----------



## J.B. (Jul 14, 2007)

I've used rocks from landscaping places several times and the process I use is as follows:

Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Wash rocks thoroughly w/ scrub brush and water
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Soak in 2:19 bleach and water mixture for 24-hrs
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Rinse well by spraying with hose and rubbing with hands
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Allow to air dry in sun for 48-hrs _(kept in elevated area away from bugs)_
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Spray off again and place in tank

Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ I use Prime to remove chlorine/chloramine from my water and I always add a bit more than recommended after I add newly cleaned rocks to my tank.


----------



## 03SVTF (Oct 11, 2011)

thanks and im going to start cleaning tomorrow cant wait to build it. im going to post pics when im done


----------



## reflexhunter (Jul 25, 2009)

I just put them in a large metal wash tub type container, kinda looks like the bottom half of a trash can, onto a outside fire place/grill and boil them for a while.

Let them cool off and you are good to go.


----------



## 03SVTF (Oct 11, 2011)

reflexhunter said:


> I just put them in a large metal wash tub type container, kinda looks like the bottom half of a trash can, onto a outside fire place/grill and boil them for a while.
> 
> Let them cool off and you are good to go.


that sounds like a quicker idea and i like to play with fire lol


----------



## nishu (Oct 24, 2011)

you can soak them for like 2 weeks and the ratio about which they are supposed to soak is 2/3.


----------



## Cartem2 (Oct 4, 2011)

03SVTF said:


> i like to play with fire lol


Haha don't we all!! Boiling works great, I just wouldn't do it on the kitchen stove! A fire pit like suggested would be best. Also remember to be careful, boiling rocks can explode!! Its not common but it can happen. Let them air dry as well, poring cold water on hot rocks can also cause them to explode. It would not be a large fiery explosion but it would send small chunks of rock flying. If you go with soaking in bleach then 24hrs is the correct time, less than 24hrs and snail eggs could survive, any longer than 24hrs is overkill. :wink:


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

The downside of boiling is that it can leave you with problems even though you think you are safe. If you bleach decor, the bleach will react with most things we don't want in the tank and then blow away. If you boil and there is oil on the decor, what happens? Unless you really get it up to hot enought to boil off the oil, the oil just settles back on the decor when you let it cool enough to get it out of the water. So what you get is not clean rocks but rocks that have been boiled in oil. Not what most people want to put in their tanks????


----------



## 03SVTF (Oct 11, 2011)

PfunMo said:


> The downside of boiling is that it can leave you with problems even though you think you are safe. If you bleach decor, the bleach will react with most things we don't want in the tank and then blow away. If you boil and there is oil on the decor, what happens? Unless you really get it up to hot enought to boil off the oil, the oil just settles back on the decor when you let it cool enough to get it out of the water. So what you get is not clean rocks but rocks that have been boiled in oil. Not what most people want to put in their tanks????


I have them bleach water soaking over night. Then im going to rinse them off and let dry in the sun . Some might need a little more scrubbing. But hoping to get them in the tank tomorrow night. :thumb:


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

In drinking water, the specs are that it should be exposed for twenty four hours at 4 ppm. That is DNR requirements for letting it soak though to kill any hard shelled items. With our tanks, we can go stronger but for shorter periods as we don't plan to drink it! Drinking water is about a teaspoon in fifty gallons soif we up it to a 1/2 cup or so to a tank, that is real strong and overnight is long enough. Not a precise thing as it depends on what amount of dirt and crud the chlorine finds to react with. Since we leave it exposed to air rather than closed in a pipe the bleach also begins to blow away as soon as we pour it. That is why it smells so strong. Sun is not really needed, just that it speeds the drying for most of us.


----------



## 03SVTF (Oct 11, 2011)

well i think i did a little over kill then. i put abut half the 3 qt jug in the cool that im using to soak them in lol.


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Not a problem at the price of bleach. You may have invested more like a dollar when 25 cents might do it! I often use the precise measurement of two "glugs"! But then that causes splashing which is not so good! I have to learn to like dots on my shirt!


----------



## 03SVTF (Oct 11, 2011)

i did the smell test after i rinsed them off in the bath tub a few times and the smell of bleach is gone.  so later tonight they are going in the tank and i will post pics here when. so excited its like christmas eve :lol:


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

So many things we fear about using bleach but much of it is just needless worry if we stop to think a bit. Rinsing is certainly one way to get rid of bleach. It dilutes it. Mix in enough water and you get it down to safe to drink! Letting it soak for two weeks may not be that much better than letting it set for 2 days. Unless we cover it or seal it in some way, the bleach is pretty much going to gas off and be gone before the two weeks is up. My reasons for rinsing are as much due to wanting to avoid dripping bleach water on my clothes and it also makes the rocks less slippery. The air dry leaves any that might be trapped down in little holes or cracks get out where just rinsing might pass over it.


----------



## 03SVTF (Oct 11, 2011)

Here it is


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Looks good from here! You might want to watch out for rocks sliding if fish are diggers. Some don't, many do.


----------



## 03SVTF (Oct 11, 2011)

PfunMo said:


> Looks good from here! You might want to watch out for rocks sliding if fish are diggers. Some don't, many do.


that is one thing scared of but time will tell


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I try to set my first set of rocks as close on the bottom as I can. They seem to be wizards at getting sand out but once the rock is all the way down, they can't lift it! You might try just wiggling the bottom rocks down if it begins to show any digging. Thank god they are not fast diggers at least.


----------

