Best method for cleaning quartz rocks?

rainbowcharmer

rainbowcharmer

AC Members
Jul 30, 2007
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East Coast, USA
My yard had a bunch of quartz rocks in it that we have been pulling out all summer as we mowed the lawn, and we've been setting them aside. I decided that they may look nice in my new setup. The driftwood in there is pretty small, and looks very dwarfed by the size of the tank, so it definitely needs something more than what is there now.

Anyhow, the rocks have been sitting on top of an old dog kennel that we found amongst the weeds when we started hacking the overgrown yard back to a manageable level. They've been rained on for a few months now, but are definitely not clean.

I am not sure the orange hue that they have from the georgia clay will ever come out of them entirely, but I do want to be sure that I have cleaned them as much as possible, and have removed any potentially harmful substances.

So... what is the best way to go about that? Right now I have them soaking in a bleach solution - probably about 10% bleach, and water. I have tried using a scrub brush to take some of the orange off, but so far they are just as orange as ever.

I'm not overly concerned about the color, as long as they are safe for the fish.

What else should I be doing at this point before adding them to the tank? The tank is still cycling, and no fish are yet present, although a few snails have appeared amongst the plants. How they're surviving the ammonia is beyond me, but they seem to be multiplying so I guess they're OK for now.

Any input welcome. :)
 
This is what I do when I find rocks for my tanks.

I scrub them with a firm bristle brush under the faucet or hose depending on how much dirt they have on them.

After they are scrubbed, I then place them in a pot and boil them for about 10 minutes. I grab them if they are small enought with tongs and let them cool in the empty sink. Then once they are cool, add to the tank.
 
I think I'll probably boil them next then. I emptied the bucket (lots of gunk came out, and the rocks are actually not quite as orange), and refilled with bleach and very hot water. I'll let them soak again for another hour or so and then scrub again and boil. Hopefully that will be sufficient to make them safe for the tank. :) Thanks for the input!
 
If you're doing a bleach soak, I'd give them a soak in a Prime (or other declor) solution before putting them in the tank.
 
The orange is from the clay here. Everything is orange. Including my floors half the time since the dogs drag the clay into the house every day. :)

The rocks are in and look fab! I need more though. I only had a few, but this is definitely a start.
 
How about a pressure washer? Anyone mention that one yet??
That's how I clean quartz crystals.

Steve
 
The red color in the clay probably comes from iron if not another metal. You might be able to get the stains out with muriatic acid used for cleaning concrete. Just be sure to CAREFULLY read and follow all safety instructions on the package! Vinegar might work if you want to try something safer.
 
A pressure washer, soaking them etc all works to clean them off. But I find Boiling to kill any parasites etc and it also sanitizes the rocks behind they go in the tank.
 
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