Soap Dummy!

[Mickael]

Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm an idiot. I'm a new member and this is my first post, so go easy on me.
I put some aquarium rocks that I previously had in my tank back in after about 4 months of them being in a plastic bag, not aired out. ....Then I had an algae problem. The water was cloudy and brown. I wiped down the rocks, changed the water countless times....so finally i took the rocks out, and ...[horror gasp] I used soap on them. I also did it to my favorite aquarium piece.
Now that the damage is done, is there a safe agent I can use to take the soap out of the stones? Someone recomended me bleach. But I wanted to confide in the experts first.
The rocks are not in the aquarium now. But well, I put my nose to the rocks, smell them, and still smell the soap.
I love these stones, and they were pretty expensive. So throwing them out...isn't something I want to do. I read about the OxyClean stuff. But right now my problem is soap removal
.

 

[qtaquaman]

Lots of water and soakand scrub- just with water, best if warm. And the person that suggested bleach to remove soap from aquarium rocks, don't ever speak to them about fish again.

 

[Jess7]

Personally I wouldn't trust putting the rocks in there (but I get paranoid). You never know if they wouldn't be cleaned off enough. Maybe if they are really cool stones, you could fill a vase with them or something. Just a suggestion. You wouldn't want to change the life of your little guys

 

[Mickael]

Ok. Bleach doesn't remove soap then. What about bleach as an alternative until I find oxyclean?
Any other suggestions other then hot water and scrubbing? lots of stones.

 

[FishKeeper-16]

I would rinse them with lots and lots of water and I would not risk putting oxy clean or use any of those chemicals near my tank!

 

[Harlock]

Warm water and lots of it. If the rocks are small, use the spray nozzle in the sink. If large, outside, with a hose. Some will say not to use them at all, that soap never comes clean. I've never understood that argument. I use soap on my body when I shower. Obviously I rinse my hands very, very well when I do water changes and maintenance, but I still feel safe in putting my hands in the tank. My biofilter remains stable. So, if it were me, I'd rinse, rinse, rinse and then, rinse some more.

 

[Kissofthegorami]

I doubt Oxyclean (Potassium Hydroxide) is a safe chemical for fish... or any living thing for that matter. It is a powerful solvent in stronger forms. Prolonged contact with your skin will cause burns, it is harmful for mucous membranes if inhaled, and ingestion causes nausea and vomiting. I'd rinse the rocks a lot in plain water and then let them soak in a bucket of water for a while.

 

[JosephMCorbett]

After your done rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing and rinsing, you could try to put them in a small container with a feeder goldfish or two and see if they survive.

Just a thought,
J

 

[jenny cookie]

Ive used soap on my rocks before. They were larger (maybe half inch in diameter) than gravel. What I did was I dumped them in a plastic basket (think laundry basket, but with smaller holes), and I rinsed out my bathtub very well. Then I put the basket under the shower and turned it on for half an hour, stirring every 5 mins or so (it would probably work better if your bothtub drained quickly).... and then when that was done, I took about 2 handfuls at a time, and put them in a well rinsed colander, and then rinsed them again, sniffed them to see if I could smell any soap (and I didnt smell any), and then into the aquarium. I have done this twice and both times the fish didn't seem to mind.

 

[Mickael]

I have an idea! I'll use vinegar on the rocks! Acids get rid of bases....right?

Vinegar, yeah.

or no?