Used wrong bleach to clean rocks, HELP!

[Kira696]

So I just bought some rocks for a new tank and my friend said to soak them 12 hours in bleach, he said this one is ok but since it has fragrance in it i think its not, I use the parozone lavander Also i think 12 hours was wayyy to long, i spent lots of money on these rocks, is there anyway to make sure the bleach has gone? Thanks

 

[anna11]

How much bleach to water did you use? Never use more than a 10% bleach solution to clean anything. Make sure to rinse well with cold water until there is no smell of bleach.

 

[Kira696]

How much bleach to water did you use? Never use more than a 10% bleach solution to clean anything. Make sure to rinse well with cold water until there is no smell of bleach.

Thanks for replying it was a very small amount, I'm very worried though as it was Parozone Thick Bleach Lavender and I know scented is bad, what upsets me most is my friend is experienced in fish and said it was fine!! Like I'm even worried about my actual tank now, thinking the fumes from the rocks in the bucket have seeped in my new tank and some how contaminated it, as they are in the same room as my tank (I have bad ocd). Will i have to throw away the buckets that had the bleach solution or can i just rise and re use them?..gosh I'm so worried aha XD

 

[sa1nt02]

Take some of your water from your water change and let it sit in it then test it to see if you still have bacteria

 

[dalto]

It depends what chemicals are used to scent thee bleach and how toxic they are.

Even with normal bleach, I always soak the item in a 5 times the normal amount of dechorinator for a day or two and then wash and soak in clean water. If you soaked the rock in pure bleach I might do that more than once. What kind of rock is it?

Take some of your water from your water change and let it sit in it then test it to see if u still have bacteria

Assuming that there actually was a material amount of bacteria in the water to begin with, how would you test it for bacteria?

 

[V227]

Your tank did not get contaminated by the scented bleach fumes so relax. For your peice of mind might be a good idea just to scrap the rocks and bucket and start over.
If you do decide to replace your rocks, no need to spend a lot of money. Research aquarium
Safe rocks, then go to your local rock yard / landscape company and pick out some. Probably cost less than 10 bucks to hardscape your tank. Shop your local feed store for a durable plastic bucket. As for bleaching new rocks, I don't do it. My smaller rocks got soaked in a bucket of hot water then rinsed in cold water. Some of my larger rocks 40 -50 pounders just had buckets of water poured on them. I am certain that some dirt and germs did make their way into my tanks via the rocks but the fish pulled through just fine. A little bit of dirt is far less lethal than bleach residue.
Remember you are aquascaping an aquarium, not sterilizing surgical tools.
Hope this helps, good luck.

 

[Kira696]

Your tank did not get contaminated by the scented bleach fumes so relax. For your peice of mind might be a good idea just to scrap the rocks and bucket and start over.
If you do decide to replace your rocks, no need to spend a lot of money. Research aquarium
Safe rocks, then go to your local rock yard / landscape company and pick out some. Probably cost less than 10 bucks to hardscape your tank. Shop your local feed store for a durable plastic bucket. As for bleaching new rocks, I don't do it. My smaller rocks got soaked in a bucket of hot water then rinsed in cold water. Some of my larger rocks 40 -50 pounders just had buckets of water poured on them. I am certain that some dirt and germs did make their way into my tanks via the rocks but the fish pulled through just fine. A little bit of dirt is far less lethal than bleach residue.
Remember you are aquascaping an aquarium, not sterilizing surgical tools.
Hope this helps, good luck.

Thanks for replying yeah that did help a lot, I have terrible ocd so get worried about things like the tank being contaminated, I'm lucky really as my friend also told me to use the bleach in the new tank! Theres no where really to get rocks for me accept for the aquatic store and they dont even tell you what rocks are safe for fresh water when you ask Just for peace of mind, say bleach did get in the tank, how would you get rid of it? Or would i have to get a new tank?

 

[Kira696]

It depends what chemicals are used to scent thee bleach and how toxic they are.

Even with normal bleach, I always soak the item in a 5 times the normal amount of dechorinator for a day or two and then wash and soak in clean water. If you soaked the rock in pure bleach I might do that more than once. What kind of rock is it?


Assuming that there actually was a material amount of bacteria in the water to begin with, how would you test it for bacteria?

It was only a few drops of bleach I used, the rock is beach pebbles(i think) and rose quartz.

 

[Funken_A]

doubt there is anything to worry about. I would recommend not scented in the future of course

Bleach dilutes in water. If you did get bleach in your tank it would only be because you didn't' rinse well. If you didn't rinse well then there is not much you can do the damage would be done. By the time you realized it it would most likely be to late.

The scent should not be an issue with a bleach dip. As with any bleach.... rinse rinse and then rinse 2 more times. To be extra sure. Rinse them well soak them in water over night and then rinse them a few more times. You really should be fine

 

[Kira696]

doubt there is anything to worry about. I would recommend not scented in the future of course

Bleach dilutes in water. If you did get bleach in your tank it would only be because you didn't' rinse well. If you didn't rinse well then there is not much you can do the damage would be done. By the time you realized it it would most likely be to late.

The scent should not be an issue with a bleach dip. As with any bleach.... rinse rinse and then rinse 2 more times. To be extra sure. Rinse them well soak them in water over night and then rinse them a few more times. You really should be fine

I don't think I got bleach in the tank, its just my ocd, because i used the bleach in the same room as the tank im now terrified i have to chuck the tank i spent so much money on I might take the tank to the bath and rinse it again. It is ok to rinse things in the bath..right? I mean soap does go in the bath but it didn't have any in when i rinsed the tank so thought that be ok?

 

[V227]

If you don't think you got bleach in your tank, don't waste your physical or mental energy cleaning it. If your rocks are the smooth quartz beach pebbles, Funken_A gave you good advice, just thoroughly rinse them. If you are not comfortable with that, Home Depot sells bags of rounded beach pebbles really cheap (GARDEN DEPT.)
Remember, once you fill the tank with water, you need to use a quality water conditioner, which dechlorinates. Most of the AA members recommend a product named "PRIME", made by Sea Chem. Somebody will correct me if I got it wrong there. That should alleviate your chlorine fears regarding the tank.
Only rinse your gravel with water. Don't buy expensive fish at first. There are many links to cycling new tanks on AA, do your research. This hobby will probably help your OCD if you slow down a bit. Good luck.

 

[Kira696]

If you don't think you got bleach in your tank, don't waste your physical or mental energy cleaning it. If your rocks are the smooth quartz beach pebbles, Funken_A gave you good advice, just thoroughly rinse them. If you are not comfortable with that, Home Depot sells bags of rounded beach pebbles really cheap (GARDEN DEPT.)
Remember, once you fill the tank with water, you need to use a quality water conditioner, which dechlorinates. Most of the AA members recommend a product named "PRIME", made by Sea Chem. Somebody will correct me if I got it wrong there. That should alleviate your chlorine fears regarding the tank.
Only rinse your gravel with water. Don't buy expensive fish at first. There are many links to cycling new tanks on AA, do your research. This hobby will probably help your OCD if you slow down a bit. Good luck.

Thanks a lot for your reply, yeah the main reason i got into the hobby was because fish are calming and peaceful and might help with my anxiety and ocd etc. XD I have already started setting the tank up now with substrate and water, I used AquaCare tap conditioner, they sold it to me at the aquatics store so hope its ok https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/product/aquacare-tap-water-conditioner-120ml I am going to be adding live plants tomorrow if the store has them in, was gonna get them today and then fill the tank but couldn't do that as i totally forgot about the plants when i was in the store