disinfecting rocks with hydrogen peroxide

[tetra]

Hello.

So about 1 week ago, I've been looking for rocks for my aquarium. And I soon noticed some rocks in our front yard that are the perfect size for my set up. Is it safe to use hydrogen peroxide to kill any bacteria or parasites that might be on the rocks? Or will it not be effective enough.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Hydrogen peroxide or bleach (and then a bunch of dechlorinator after the bleach) are probably the safest methods. 
 

Hydrogen Peroxide is safe and I believe any residue just breaks down into water and oxygen. I’ve bleached some things in the past so I feel comfortable with that too. 
 

Some people will say to boil rocks, but other people have reported that boiling rocks has made them explode. Definitely don’t wanna play with that for me personally!

[tetra]

Why do I need to add dechlorinator after adding hydrogen peroxide?

And in what quantity?

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 4/13/2023 at 7:46 PM, tetra said:

Why do I need to add dechlorinator after adding hydrogen peroxide?

Sorry if I wasn’t clear. No need for dechlorinator after hydrogen peroxide. If you bleach the rocks you would want to follow up with a couple soaks in heavy dechlorinated water. 

[tetra]

How long should I leave the rocks in for? I thought 15 minutes would do the trick.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Me personally, I would rinse the rocks off as much as I could to get all the dirt and debris off. Then, I would spray hydrogen peroxide and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then, rinse it off again and you should be good.