I set my LR in acid (20 gal water to 2 gal acid) for 10 min. That was easy. I have now spent the last two hours power washing it all to get the gunk out. Some of the rock still has color to it ( reds, pinks, greens, browns ) is this normal or does it all turn white? I'd say about 95% of all the life on the rock is out. Had lots of sponges and a few stubborn spots, but most of it looks clean. Must I bleach it? Do I now just let it dry? How soon can I get it into water? Thanx!
Acid wash, what now? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter oyam123
- Start date
If you have residual sponges and algae, yes I would bleach those pieces overnight then let air dry.
If you just rinse it off real well and let it dry for a couple of days it should be fine.
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Some of the rock still has color to it ( reds, pinks, greens, browns ) is this normal or does it all turn white? I'd say about 95% of all the life on the rock is out.
Yes, it is as it is embedded in the crystal lattice of the Aragonite. Why on earth did you use acid which "melts" the pore structure of the rock. It is much easier to just use bleach which accomplishes the same thing with out all the rock damage, headaches and safety issues.
Yes, it is as it is embedded in the crystal lattice of the Aragonite. Why on earth did you use acid which "melts" the pore structure of the rock. It is much easier to just use bleach which accomplishes the same thing with out all the rock damage, headaches and safety issues.
Fisherman
Senior Member
This is also something I wanted to try to do. But you say use bleach.....What concentration amounts would you use? 1 part to 2 part etc. ?
Dalailammy
Amphipod First Class
People use acid here as much as hotdish.
I did not say it would melt your rock away. You do not seem to understand what is happening here. When you add an acid it dissovles some of the carbonate, that raises the alk, and pH. This causes the carbonate to reprecip's back out of solution,. Meaning, the dissolved carbonate buffers out the acid, which means it neutralized the acid and now does nothing anymore, unless you add more acid. If also means you may not of killed it all.
WHAT??? what is LR supposed to do other than host beneficial bacteria? Im buffering my water with LR?
We are talking about muriatic acid Dalai, not LSD.
WHAT??? what is LR supposed to do other than host beneficial bacteria? I'm buffering my water with LR?
Yes, and NO. You are buffering the water in the container that you added the acid to, to treat the LR.
Take a small piece of LR and put some acid in a eye dropper and put a drop or two on it. What happens ? The rock starts to fizz, that is the acid dissolving the rock. When the fizzing has stopped the acid is doing nothing anymore, as the rock has buffer the acid out.
Take a pH meter and put it in the container and add some LR and acid and watch that meter and see what happens. The pH will rise quickly and when the meter gets to around mid 6's pH the rock stops dissolving. Meaning, if the acid is neutralized quickly you will/may not kill all the algae. And at the rock acid interface the Alk, pH and Ca++ will be very high and Aragonite you just dissolved will re-precip right back out as solid Aragonite on the LR but some of the Ca++ and CO3-- will remain in solution. I doubt like hell you are dumping LR into just Muriatic acid, as you will get a face full. When you put your LR in that acid bath the first thing to know is WHAT IS the pH of that bath solution.
Yes, and NO. You are buffering the water in the container that you added the acid to, to treat the LR.
Take a small piece of LR and put some acid in a eye dropper and put a drop or two on it. What happens ? The rock starts to fizz, that is the acid dissolving the rock. When the fizzing has stopped the acid is doing nothing anymore, as the rock has buffer the acid out.
Take a pH meter and put it in the container and add some LR and acid and watch that meter and see what happens. The pH will rise quickly and when the meter gets to around mid 6's pH the rock stops dissolving. Meaning, if the acid is neutralized quickly you will/may not kill all the algae. And at the rock acid interface the Alk, pH and Ca++ will be very high and Aragonite you just dissolved will re-precip right back out as solid Aragonite on the LR but some of the Ca++ and CO3-- will remain in solution. I doubt like hell you are dumping LR into just Muriatic acid, as you will get a face full. When you put your LR in that acid bath the first thing to know is WHAT IS the pH of that bath solution.
Dude, I just acid washed the rock to kill all the crap on and in it. Mission accomplished as far as I am concerned. I am into instant gratification, damn the torpedoes full speed ahead! E=MC Hammer. :rock: I am just being a butt head, I do appreciate the knowledge you are trying to bestow upon us.