How to clean / wash lava rocks before fish tank use?

How to clean / wash lava rocks before using them in a fish tank?

Avoid adding store bought lava rocks straight to the fish tank. It is mandatory to wash your lava rocks before using them in a fish tank because impurities on the surface of lava rocks could be toxic for your aquarium inhabitants.

 

How to clean lava rocks to remove debris?

I am advising you to use a clean bucket, & a soft brush that can be used to kick out dirt attached to the rocks.

Put your rocks in the bucket & fill the bucket completely with water. Use a brush for scrubbing the rocks to kick out dirt from the rocks.

The color of the bucket water will change so if it is very dirty then replace it with clean water & scrub the rocks to the point till the bucket water does not alter its color.

Then dry the rocks before adding them to the fish tank.

Boil lava rocks before keeping them in fish tank:

If every debris is wiped out from the rocks, then it is mandatory to boil the rocks to expel any dangerous bacteria.

Avoid boiling for too long because your rocks could explode or could develop cracks.

It is recommended to completely fill the pot with clean water & fully submerge your lava rocks in the bucket water. To keep things secure, cover your pot with a lid.

It is very important to choose a larger container that fits the rock & boil your rock for only 30 min.

Do not put lava rocks in the aquarium quickly after boiling them. Use a cloth for drying the rocks. It is time to leave the rocks in a dry place to let them cool down.

 

Use bleach for cleaning lava rocks:

Bleach is not a very efficient way of cleaning lava rocks. It will ensure that you do not accidentally produce fissures & cracks on your rocks while boiling them. Bleach is a convenient way to clean large lava rocks or if you want to save yourself from the hazard associated with the boiling method.

It is easy to bleach your lava rocks. Put your rocks in a bleach solution for a day. Use a 1: 10 ratio of bleach & water or even a higher bleach concentration for a better solution. It is mandatory to remove the bleach solution from the rocks before adding them to the fish tank.