Tips on physically scrubbing dead algae from rock

Baltimore Bryan · 07/30/2013, 09:14 PM

I'm in the process of breaking down and restarting a tank, and all the rock in it had been covered in a thick turf-like algae. It is not the thin common hair algae. This algae is thick, rough, and mostly less than and inch long from the rock.
It's been sitting in a tub of freshwater for a few days now, so I'm not sure if the algae itself is alive, but it is still stuck on the rock pretty well. Scrubbing with a toothbrush only works so well, so I need some other suggestions. Is there anything that will help make the algae looser or fall off more easily? Would vinegar or some bleach water or some other mixture help?
Thanks,
Bryan

Ranger Daryl · 07/30/2013, 09:38 PM

You might try searching for threads on "cooking" live rock. Vinegar should be alright, but if you want to get real extreme I feel like I have read a thread on here about dipping rock in muriatic acid available at home depot. However, you will be starting from scratch essentially killing your rock.

Baltimore Bryan · 07/30/2013, 10:03 PM

I'm keeping the base rock pieces in saltwater and I'll throw them in the sump when I'm ready, that way I'll be able to keep plenty of bacteria, bristle worms, amphipods, etc. The pieces I'm trying to clean are the nicer branching rocks for the display tank, so it's ok if they are essentially "killed".
I would like to get the algae off, but I also don't want to do anything so extreme that the rock becomes broken/brittle, or turns bright white or a different color because of chemicals.
Thanks for the tip, I tried searching before but most results were for eliminating algae while still in the tank. I'll search for cooking, and I appreciate any other suggestions!
Bryan

*Edit*- After a quick search, I've seen some people suggesting muriatic acid and/ or bleaching the rocks. Something like that may be ideal since I would like to clean this rock in a few days, not wait for weeks. If I use vinegar or something stronger like bleach or muriatic acid, will this damage the rock itself in any way? For example, would it dissolve away the rock or make it more fragile? A lot of this is thin branching rock or old dead coral pieces so I don't want it to become brtitle and break from the chemical cleaning.

brandon429 · 07/30/2013, 10:22 PM

Peroxide is also a viable option we use it in running tanks too. It is not degrading to the rock surface like acids are and 35% can be diluted pretty well as a turf remover Ive done it. Pics are in the pest algae challenge thread

Ranger Daryl · 08/03/2013, 08:35 AM

I don't think there would be any problem with the muriatic acid making the rock brittle, it is frequently used to clean driveways and concrete slabs to prep them for painting or sealant. You might try a test piece of rock before you use it on the good pieces. Keep us updated on your results.

rich850 · 08/03/2013, 08:40 AM

Any of these methods will work but the peroxide diluted with saltwater method definitely kills turf algae I am sure the other methods work as well but will require a little more vigorous rinsing

Baltimore Bryan · 08/03/2013, 11:13 AM

Thanks for all the responses! I went with the hydrogen peroxide method because it seemed a little easier and safer. Here is what I did:
1) soaked rock in freshwater for 2-3 days- but algae was still on so I'm not sure if that did anything
2) Posted for some suggestions on here
3) Dipped each piece into h202 for a couple of minutes- it started bubbling a lot, so I knew it was doing something
4) Rinsed each piece with a hose and let them soak in a 2:1 water:h202 solution for 4 hours
5) Scrubbed off as much algae as I could with a toothbrush
6) Washed with hose and let dry in the sun

The results are great, the rock is very clean and I am excited to start aquascaping with these pieces!
Here's a picture of the finished product:

Thanks,
Bryan

Twistofer · 08/03/2013, 02:20 PM

Looks great. I've liked the scrub brush/sun technique myself.

Tradewinds · 08/03/2013, 04:42 PM

Were you able to find large containers of hydrogen peroxide or did you just use a bunch of smaller bottles?

Baltimore Bryan · 08/03/2013, 09:40 PM

I got 4 containers that were 1 quart each, making 1 gallon total. Total cost was around $7-8. I poured these into a 2 gallon bucket, dipped each piece of rock in, then poured the h202 into the larger plastic container in the above photo and added water until the rocks were submerged. It ended up being approximately a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of water:h202 that they soaked in for a few hours before scrubbing them again.
I'll post pictures when I make up the aquascaping here or in another thread.
Bryan

dixiedog · 08/04/2013, 07:09 AM

Wow, that's nice looking rock.

dkeller_nc · 08/04/2013, 07:23 AM

Bryan - Glad this worked out for you. Looking at the pics of your rock, muriatic acid probably would've been a mistake. Muriatic acid works by dissolving calcium carbonate (which is why it works so well at etching concrete). One would have to be quite cautious to avoid dissolving too much of the coral skeletons.

If you need to scrub rock again because of pest algae, I've a suggestion. Toothbrushes will work on some types of algae, but not so well on the tougher types of turf alga. Instead, you may want to try a fingernail brush that you can pick up from a local Target, Wall-Mart or other general store. The bristles are much, much stiffer, and much more effective at removing lime deposits and alga off of equipment/rock.

I'm curious about something - did you buy "normal" hydrogen peroxide sold for disinfection purposes, or for bleaching hair? Disinfection hydrogen peroxide is typically a 3% solution in water with stabilizing agents. Hair-bleaching hydrogen peroxide is typically 35% or so in water (and is dangerous from the standpoint of skin contact).

Ranger Daryl · 08/04/2013, 07:42 AM

yeah acid would definitely not be the way to go on rock like that. I was thinking large pieces of base rock.

thelostrican · 08/04/2013, 12:09 PM

I do 24 hours of bleach, followed by a nice acid bath, usually lasting 3 or so hours...from there if its a new tank, with nothing in, I just add the rock to the dt...I put some tap water conditioner...and good to go..

Baltimore Bryan · 08/05/2013, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkeller_nc

If you need to scrub rock again because of pest algae, I've a suggestion. Toothbrushes will work on some types of algae, but not so well on the tougher types of turf alga. Instead, you may want to try a fingernail brush that you can pick up from a local Target, Wall-Mart or other general store. The bristles are much, much stiffer, and much more effective at removing lime deposits and alga off of equipment/rock.

I'm curious about something - did you buy "normal" hydrogen peroxide sold for disinfection purposes, or for bleaching hair? Disinfection hydrogen peroxide is typically a 3% solution in water with stabilizing agents. Hair-bleaching hydrogen peroxide is typically 35% or so in water (and is dangerous from the standpoint of skin contact).

Thanks for the tip, I realized the toothbrush wouldn't work on everything so I figured I would need a wire brush or something a little stiffer in the future if I clean rocks again.
I bought the "normal" cleaning hydrogen peroxide that is 3%. No problems with it touching my skin, although I learned the hard way that it burns in open cuts!
This is actually from my dad's old tank, he bought most of this rock about 20 years ago or more when it was commonly sold and people didn't have nearly as much success with hard corals. I left the algae on the base rock pieces because I will probably just toss them in the refugium in the sump, so I would rather keep algae growing down there than in the DT again.
Bryan

07/30/2013, 09:14 PM	#1
Baltimore Bryan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: US Posts: 237	Tips on physically scrubbing dead algae from rock I'm in the process of breaking down and restarting a tank, and all the rock in it had been covered in a thick turf-like algae. It is not the thin common hair algae. This algae is thick, rough, and mostly less than and inch long from the rock. It's been sitting in a tub of freshwater for a few days now, so I'm not sure if the algae itself is alive, but it is still stuck on the rock pretty well. Scrubbing with a toothbrush only works so well, so I need some other suggestions. Is there anything that will help make the algae looser or fall off more easily? Would vinegar or some bleach water or some other mixture help? Thanks, Bryan

07/30/2013, 10:03 PM	#3
Baltimore Bryan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: US Posts: 237	I'm keeping the base rock pieces in saltwater and I'll throw them in the sump when I'm ready, that way I'll be able to keep plenty of bacteria, bristle worms, amphipods, etc. The pieces I'm trying to clean are the nicer branching rocks for the display tank, so it's ok if they are essentially "killed". I would like to get the algae off, but I also don't want to do anything so extreme that the rock becomes broken/brittle, or turns bright white or a different color because of chemicals. Thanks for the tip, I tried searching before but most results were for eliminating algae while still in the tank. I'll search for cooking, and I appreciate any other suggestions! Bryan Edit- After a quick search, I've seen some people suggesting muriatic acid and/ or bleaching the rocks. Something like that may be ideal since I would like to clean this rock in a few days, not wait for weeks. If I use vinegar or something stronger like bleach or muriatic acid, will this damage the rock itself in any way? For example, would it dissolve away the rock or make it more fragile? A lot of this is thin branching rock or old dead coral pieces so I don't want it to become brtitle and break from the chemical cleaning. Last edited by Baltimore Bryan; 07/30/2013 at 10:18 PM.

08/03/2013, 02:20 PM	#8
Twistofer Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Montana Posts: 371	Looks great. I've liked the scrub brush/sun technique myself. __________________ See what is; See what is not; Find the True Way ...The Buddha Current Tank Info: 120 gal New Build Coming Soon

08/04/2013, 12:09 PM	#14
thelostrican I hate to post Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Borinquen Posts: 222	I do 24 hours of bleach, followed by a nice acid bath, usually lasting 3 or so hours...from there if its a new tank, with nothing in, I just add the rock to the dt...I put some tap water conditioner...and good to go.. __________________ Upgrading!!! 120 to 180.... Current Tank Info: 120 long tank...that looks like an investment bank....

07/30/2013, 09:38 PM	#2
Ranger Daryl Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Milton, FL Posts: 61	You might try searching for threads on "cooking" live rock. Vinegar should be alright, but if you want to get real extreme I feel like I have read a thread on here about dipping rock in muriatic acid available at home depot. However, you will be starting from scratch essentially killing your rock.

07/30/2013, 10:22 PM	#4
brandon429 Registered Member. Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3,460	Peroxide is also a viable option we use it in running tanks too. It is not degrading to the rock surface like acids are and 35% can be diluted pretty well as a turf remover Ive done it. Pics are in the pest algae challenge thread

08/03/2013, 08:35 AM	#5
Ranger Daryl Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Milton, FL Posts: 61	I don't think there would be any problem with the muriatic acid making the rock brittle, it is frequently used to clean driveways and concrete slabs to prep them for painting or sealant. You might try a test piece of rock before you use it on the good pieces. Keep us updated on your results.

08/03/2013, 08:40 AM	#6
rich850 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: tallahassee, fl Posts: 440	Any of these methods will work but the peroxide diluted with saltwater method definitely kills turf algae I am sure the other methods work as well but will require a little more vigorous rinsing

08/03/2013, 11:13 AM	#7
Baltimore Bryan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: US Posts: 237	Thanks for all the responses! I went with the hydrogen peroxide method because it seemed a little easier and safer. Here is what I did: 1) soaked rock in freshwater for 2-3 days- but algae was still on so I'm not sure if that did anything 2) Posted for some suggestions on here 3) Dipped each piece into h202 for a couple of minutes- it started bubbling a lot, so I knew it was doing something 4) Rinsed each piece with a hose and let them soak in a 2:1 water:h202 solution for 4 hours 5) Scrubbed off as much algae as I could with a toothbrush 6) Washed with hose and let dry in the sun The results are great, the rock is very clean and I am excited to start aquascaping with these pieces! Here's a picture of the finished product: Thanks, Bryan

08/03/2013, 04:42 PM	#9
Tradewinds Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,872	Were you able to find large containers of hydrogen peroxide or did you just use a bunch of smaller bottles?

08/03/2013, 09:40 PM	#10
Baltimore Bryan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: US Posts: 237	I got 4 containers that were 1 quart each, making 1 gallon total. Total cost was around $7-8. I poured these into a 2 gallon bucket, dipped each piece of rock in, then poured the h202 into the larger plastic container in the above photo and added water until the rocks were submerged. It ended up being approximately a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of water:h202 that they soaked in for a few hours before scrubbing them again. I'll post pictures when I make up the aquascaping here or in another thread. Bryan

08/04/2013, 07:09 AM	#11
dixiedog Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Gainesville, Florida Posts: 1,626	Wow, that's nice looking rock.

08/04/2013, 07:23 AM	#12
dkeller_nc Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Central NC Posts: 5,062	Bryan - Glad this worked out for you. Looking at the pics of your rock, muriatic acid probably would've been a mistake. Muriatic acid works by dissolving calcium carbonate (which is why it works so well at etching concrete). One would have to be quite cautious to avoid dissolving too much of the coral skeletons. If you need to scrub rock again because of pest algae, I've a suggestion. Toothbrushes will work on some types of algae, but not so well on the tougher types of turf alga. Instead, you may want to try a fingernail brush that you can pick up from a local Target, Wall-Mart or other general store. The bristles are much, much stiffer, and much more effective at removing lime deposits and alga off of equipment/rock. I'm curious about something - did you buy "normal" hydrogen peroxide sold for disinfection purposes, or for bleaching hair? Disinfection hydrogen peroxide is typically a 3% solution in water with stabilizing agents. Hair-bleaching hydrogen peroxide is typically 35% or so in water (and is dangerous from the standpoint of skin contact).

08/04/2013, 07:42 AM	#13
Ranger Daryl Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Milton, FL Posts: 61	yeah acid would definitely not be the way to go on rock like that. I was thinking large pieces of base rock.