# cleaning 'cichlid stones'



## miss.ashley (Dec 22, 2010)

I purchased a 15 pack of ceramic cichlid stones and I'm just wondering what's the best way to clean them? I got them in the summer and have just been using a soft sponge or brush to wipe the algae off, but some times its a lot of work. I read you could use a mixture of vinegar & lemon juice & boil the rocks in them but since these are made of ceramic, I figured boiling them would break them at some point. Any suggestions? I know it's okay to leave some algae but the ones close to the top get more on them. 
Thanks!


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I've never used ceramic but think it would not be effected by a bleach soak. The bleach may not remove the algae but it does a good job of killing it, making it much easier to remove and slower to come back. I soak all decor overnight with a 1/2 to a cup of regular bleach in water. Next day I drain water, rinse and let it air dry until all the smell of bleach is gone. Good to go from there. Side note----I do not attempt to keep my rocks shiny bright. :lol:


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## cichbillyia (Sep 11, 2010)

i have had my cichlid stones for a few months now ... and *** never cleaned them ... just pulled them out to vac underneath them! and tried to rearrange them as i put them back in i suppose? i like the way they look with some algae on them ... maybe a pleco would help you out also...


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## miss.ashley (Dec 22, 2010)

Yea the algae does look fine on them , just when I stack them the ones closer to the top gets more algae and looks kind of gross. They look pretty cleaned up, lol. I do have a pleco and I have been searching to find another one to match the size of him because put a second one in that was smaller and he got beat up & died after I rescued him to my goldfish tank. ):


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

miss.ashley said:


> I purchased a 15 pack of ceramic cichlid stones and I'm just wondering what's the best way to clean them? I got them in the summer and have just been using a soft sponge or brush to wipe the algae off, but some times its a lot of work. I read you could use a mixture of vinegar & lemon juice & boil the rocks in them but since these are made of ceramic, I figured boiling them would break them at some point. Any suggestions? I know it's okay to leave some algae but the ones close to the top get more on them.
> Thanks!


Dishwasher pots and pan cycle - no soap. Works like a charm.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I have some ceramic caves for 5 years now and can tell you what happened to mine.

They did not break, but with repeated scrubbing-dishwasher cleanings the paint did come off and they no longer look much like rocks. :lol:

So I would recommend you avoid vigorous scrubbing. And running a dishwasher with only 15 cichlid stones might not be overly energy efficient.

What I would do is leave the cichlid stones in place. Run the python (when refilling after a water change) directly into each opening to flush out debris inside. And get a bristlenose pleco for gentle, continuous algae removal from the outside.

If the tank is full before the cichlid-stones are all flushed, you can use a turkey baster to blast water in and debris out as well.


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## master chi (Jan 3, 2010)

One way to deal with excess algae ,especially your particular issue is to change the rock formation.

Either move the top rocks to bottom or,

flip the rocks over making the algae covered side the bottom.

I do this myself often.

Obviously since their cichlid stones and very lightweight this is an easy do.

I use my siphon to clean the interior of the stones.

Have you ever tried using cement or drylok with cement color mixture on the stones?

this can be a way of achieving certain desired visual effects. such as matching a diy background, or making the stones seem more realistic.


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## Sugar70 (Dec 28, 2010)

Thanks guys for some information shared here...
This is really appreciated here,
Thanks,,,


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## fatcat660 (Nov 29, 2005)

Boiling will not hurt the ceramic as long as you do not shock it with cold water while it is hot. to make ceramic it is fired in a kiln at 1300 deg plus. I do not know if it will hurt the paint I doubt it as usually they are painted prior to firing. BTW IMO the alge makes the tank look more natural. :fish:


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## miss.ashley (Dec 22, 2010)

Thanks for all the feedback!  I really appreciate it! 
I did notice that the rocks color was looking different, that's why I thought I'd ask. But I'm just going to let the rocks be and let my current pleco have at it. I'm going to try to find another pleco... which has seemingly, been hard to find lately. :x


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