How would I go about cleaning algae from rocks.. these rocks have some really cool colors that I would like to utilize but I can't get the algae off them.. even with a scrub brush, it's like the rock is dyed.. can I do anything about this?
Cleaning Algae From Rocks?
- Thread starter Temptress
- Start date
Have you tried boiling, and scrubbing while still warm? It'll open the pores in the rocks, giving the algae less grip, and it'll soften it.
Good question, Temptress. I didn't know what would work, either, so I Googled it and found this.
I don't know if that would work or not, but it might be worth a try.
im not sure if this would work or not but i did this to get the algae off my plant leaves once. mix bleach with water. than dip the rocks in and let them sit in the solution for about a minute or so. than scrub and rinse the algae off. after rinse the rock really well and sit it out in the sun to evaporate out the chemicles. like i said im not sure if it is a gauranteed fix, but it might work.
ive found that peroxide works really well for destroying algae and its tank safe, so if a little is left on the rock by mistake, it wont go mucking everything up
I routinely scrub off stubborn algae deposits from the holey rock in my Tanganyika biotope as I like the cleaner look.
3 words.... stainless steel brush. You can find small steel scrub brushes with paint brush/supplies at your local hardware/big box store. Please be EXTREMELY careful if you pursue this route as these brushes are highly effective but are very sharp. If you handle them carelessly, they will seriously injure fish and scratch the hell out of your glass/acrylic tank walls.
I scrub of all stones immediately before I do my weekly ~66-75%water change and gravel vac. The water change removes the suspended particles and the gravel vac removes heavier bits. I rarely have to remove any stones from the tank for cleaning.
3 words.... stainless steel brush. You can find small steel scrub brushes with paint brush/supplies at your local hardware/big box store. Please be EXTREMELY careful if you pursue this route as these brushes are highly effective but are very sharp. If you handle them carelessly, they will seriously injure fish and scratch the hell out of your glass/acrylic tank walls.
I scrub of all stones immediately before I do my weekly ~66-75%water change and gravel vac. The water change removes the suspended particles and the gravel vac removes heavier bits. I rarely have to remove any stones from the tank for cleaning.
Thanks guys for replying.. I will be trying these methods soon enough.. I ran into some more important issues with the tank and the stand itself so I'm going to worry about them before I get to the decor, but thanks a bunch for the ideas!
I used literally a gallon of Peroxide and scrubbed the limestone rocks with a nylon and a wire brush. It didn't do much. I read further down about bleaching. I have always been afraid of using bleach in a tank, but I gave it a try tonight.
2 cups bleach to 5 gallons of hot water and soaked the rocks for 20 minutes then scrubbed with nylon brush and then soaked in clear warm water twice for 30 minutes each. Now letting the rocks dry overnight.
Being concerned about the bleach I will probably soak them again in clear warm water in the morning before putting them back in the tank. I have done a complete drain on a 55 gallon freshwater cichlid tank and will let the tank stay empty for 5 days before putting the fish back in anyway. Of course will test the water before re-introducing the fish.
I will let everyone know if I have any die off.
What are you afraid of with bleach? You can always use a dechlorinator bath if you are concerned, but I'm a fan of oxiclean. The original formula works wonders, rinses clean.
That said...original post is from 2009. Whoa, resurrection? Might be better to start a new post.
That said...original post is from 2009. Whoa, resurrection? Might be better to start a new post.