# Bleaching Seiryu stones to get color back



## Sean W. (Oct 12, 2013)

Hey guys, 

I have a few very nice pieces of Seiryu stones in my 20 long setup that has been setup for about 6 months. Taking a look in my tank today I was finally fed up with how green and aged my once beautiful clean and grey Seiryu stones once were. So I grabbed the father stone out of the tank and ran it under hot water and used the gnarliest scrubber I could find in the house. This scrubber I found is kinda like a huge pipe cleaner, the bristles would take off your skin, its very industrial grade ( no idea where it came from ). I was going to town on this rock with that thing and its not getting its color back at all. 

Can I soak it in a bleach solution to get its color back?

-Sean


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## UDGags (Sep 13, 2009)

I would try vinegar or peroxide first


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## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

Pressure wash it


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi Sean W,

If you want to make them white again an mild acid should accomplish it, I would suggest white vinegar and a good scrub brush. On the other hand, an stronger acid, such as muriatic acid can have the opposite effect which is actually kind of nice.

When purchased









Stiff scrub brush and vinegar









After treatment with muriatic acid


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## Sean W. (Oct 12, 2013)

Well, Its already in a 5 gallon bucket with a 1:10 bleach - scolding hot water ratio. Ill let it sit for a few hours, maybe overnight and see what it looks like.

I came across this article that suggests you bleach dip hardscape in a similar solution to kill BBA. So I figured if its safe enough for that, Id give it a try.

http://gwapa.org/wordpress/articles/algae-in-the-planted-aquarium/



> Bleach treatment – Dip affected hardscape items/hardy plants in a bleach/water solution using a 1:20 ratio of bleach to water. Before putting them back into the tank, make sure the item is free of bleach odor.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Bleach has always been the go-to item for getting your shirt white. The big thing is how white you want it to be. The color of rocks is a combo of what they are made of and what is on top. Limestone can be very white when first cut or dull grey like along the highways cuts after it has weathered. How much weathering to take off is personal choice?
I would do a few for a short time like 3-4 hours and take a look at the color. If not there yet, put them back in for some more. Depending what strength bleach solution, you may need to add more after 12-15 hours or so as it does gas off. 
For the safety angle on bleach, there is a lot of fear based on lack of knowledge. Chlorine in bleach is like chlorine anywhere else. You can sometimes smell it when drinking so is there any reason to think it is not gassing off? It will be a gas as soon as it can so one way to get it off the rocks is to let it dry totally. To help speed the process and make them easier to handle, a good rinse will dilute the bleach.


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## Sean W. (Oct 12, 2013)

Good looking out, thanks guys! It worked great!

Here is a pic of what all the rocks looked like before the bleach dip, I still have to do this rock.











and what the father stone looks like after the dip


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## flight50 (Apr 17, 2012)

If you wanted it like the last pic that Seattle Aquarist posted, definitely the muratic acid. I did this thread http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=766793&highlight=a couple of months back on the night and day difference and it was just that....night and day.


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