How to "clean" my rocks?

[blacktetra]

I've got a 46g aquarium that has been set up for 4.5 years. Over the years the fish have gradually died off but I've still got 3 Black Tetra, a Cardinal, a HUGE pleco and to little Corycats. Recently the water turned green and despite my best efforts to rid the tank of this plague I can't.

I decided to tear down the tank and clean it really well and start anew.

Trouble is all the rocks have this coating of algae except where they were submerged in the sand/gravel. How the heck do I get this off?!

Also, there must have been some kind of plant media that got in the aquarium at some point because one of my fake plants had this real fine LIVE PLANT stuff growing in it when I pulled it out. WTH?

Anyway, that's my dilemma. Searching old threads didn't help. So show me what ya got! Thanks, BT

 

[Quartz92]

I would say the best way is too sock them in hot water and scrub em down like no tomorrow!

 

[mgamer20o0]

i would just let them dry off then wash them off with a hose.

there is no plant media. maybe it was hair algae?

 

[CaptainAhab]

I'd soak it all in a bleach solution, scrub real good the soak in a dechlor solution (Prime is my choice).

And by all I mean the rocks, gravel, fake plants, heater, filter (minus the bio-laden media). I'd even consider doing the tank itself.

Save some of the water, put the bio-laden media in there w/ the heater, the fish and a powerhead and give everything a good cleaning.

Shouldn't take more than a couple hours.

 

[blacktetra]

I'd soak it all in a bleach solution, scrub real good the soak in a dechlor solution (Prime is my choice).

And by all I mean the rocks, gravel, fake plants, heater, filter (minus the bio-laden media). I'd even consider doing the tank itself.

Save some of the water, put the bio-laden media in there w/ the heater, the fish and a powerhead and give everything a good cleaning.

Shouldn't take more than a couple hours.

Not to sound STUPID, but just add a cup or two of household bleach to everything (except the bucket w/ the fishys!) and swirl around, scrub, etc?

And I'm not familiar w/ PRIME. I'm guessing it's a commercial product for dechlorinating your public water. I'm on a well and don't have anything in my water so I just add it right out of the spigot!

Trouble is even the gravel has algae on it. Everything that was exposed has it. I guess I left the light on too much.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Yup, everything. Let it sit for awhile then rinse etc stc..... I can't think of a reason not to do it right in the tank if you're doing everything anyway. Prime is a dechlorinator (amongst other things). Top of the line stuff. A bottle will last forever.

I have fake plants and such in my FW. Every so often I pull them out and bleach them clean. Then soak, dehlor and put em back. Doesn't fix the problem of how if it got there but it shoooow looks nice.

 

[blacktetra]

THANKS! I rinsed, (and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed) the tank out w/ my hose while the siphon was running out the window and got it pretty clean. Rocks look better; we'll see tomorrow when I rinse them again.

 

[mgamer20o0]

make sure its extra strong solution of of dechlor. it will break down the bleach. i tend to make it at least 2-5 times stronger i dont want to risk the bleach and the fish mixing.

 

[bmg07]

yeah i usually boil mine if there pretty bad and iif there really bad like yours i bleach them and scrub like crazy