Switching to a new tank, cleaning rock?

[Visionist]

I've got a bunch of LR covered in GHA that I want to move to a new tank soon. What is the best way to clean it to remove the GHA, any debris and phosphates on the rock? Acid bath? Bleach?

[Pinner Reef]

Mureatic (sp?) Acid bath will work for most stuff. Phosphates will remain even if you soak it for months. Best bet is to do a hydrogen perxoide treatment for the GHA then blast it with high power water jet for debris. Maybe a good soak in RODI or distilled for good measure.

[Visionist]

Sounds good, after some reading there doesn't even really seem to be solid evidence supporting the fact that rock can contain bound up phosphate and leach it back out.

Mureatic (sp?) Acid bath will work for most stuff. Phosphates will remain even if you soak it for months. Best bet is to do a hydrogen perxoide treatment for the GHA then blast it with high power water jet for debris. Maybe a good soak in RODI or distilled for good

[jestep]

I'll tell you first hand rock can definitely bind PO4. My first tank, which I inherited as a complete mess, had unusable rock. I basically replaced the water it was sitting in every 2 weeks for about 2 years, and it would still register huge PO4 a few days after a water change. It grew algae with no light the whole time.

 

It's been dry for about 6 months now. I may throw it back in some water and see if it still leaches. Sucks though because it's some really interesting rock.