HELP soapy rocks...

Squibege · 12/14/2018, 02:27 AM

Background: we just moved. I broke the tank down into a smaller tank ready to go at the new place for an easier transition. Plan on re-setting up the big tank in the new year to fix some of my rookie mistakes. The bulk of the live rock I’ve got in a covered bin with heated water circulating and had kept at the old place, until I moved it yesterday morning. Since the bin the rock is in was is my water change mixing bin I had to get a new one and opted to go smaller. I only made up 10G of water for the rock transfer. I dumped all the gunky water that was in the bin, moved things, and then added the 10G of new water. This only covered the rocks 2/3 of the way... so I decided to cover the rocks with a towel and have the water pump over the towel so everything could stay at least damp until I could make up more water to top it up.

Well today I went to check on things and opened up the bin- there was foam to the top. Everywhere. Just a bunch of foam. The only thing I can think of is that the washing machine obv didn’t get all the soap out last time it was washed and the >36h of water pumping over it had finally given it a good rinse.

What the hell do I do now?? Did I seriously just kill all my live rock... by taking an extra step to keep it alive?!? I’m so so so so mad. It’s 1am here and I’ve gotta stupid busy day tomorrow. Even if I carve out the time to do everything I can first thing, won’t it be to late? Is there ANYTHING I can do here??

:’(

homer1475 · 12/14/2018, 05:34 AM

Are you sure its soap bubbles, and not just bubbles from the water crashing over the rocks? Salt water does bubble quite easily, and the bubbles stay intact for a while also.

Soap bubbles typically have that multi color sheen to them if viewed with light(prism effect from the soap). Salt water bubbles do not have that multi color sheen.

My advise would be to just mix up some new water, and let the rocks sit in the water with a PH to rinse them off it was truly soap. Also if it was soap, check for ammonia as you would obviously have alot of die off. If you have no ammonia, I would say it's just salt water bubbles and not soap.

WVfishguy · 12/14/2018, 06:17 AM

I don't think soap will foam in salt water. The water is too hard. My father washed with salt water during WWII on a ship, and he said even shampoo won't produce foam bubbles.

JWClark · 12/14/2018, 07:49 AM

I second this not being soap bubbles but organic bubbles from decomposing gunk in the rocks. Happens all the time when I cure dead rock if I have flow breaking the water surface to aerate.

If you have a spare skimmer put that in there and run the output to a five gal bucket. The froth will subside after a few days to a week.

Squibege · 12/14/2018, 09:39 AM

Oh thank god they could just be salty bubbles. There wasn’t much smell so I don’t think anything is rotting. I’ll check the pH for sure and for any rainbow sheen. There is quite a head on them that I didn’t think salt bubbles could muster which is what made me panic to thinking it was a detergent of some kind.

I feel like all hope is not lost now! Thanks everyone!

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12/14/2018, 02:27 AM	#1
Squibege Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Edmonton AB Posts: 157	HELP soapy rocks... Background: we just moved. I broke the tank down into a smaller tank ready to go at the new place for an easier transition. Plan on re-setting up the big tank in the new year to fix some of my rookie mistakes. The bulk of the live rock I’ve got in a covered bin with heated water circulating and had kept at the old place, until I moved it yesterday morning. Since the bin the rock is in was is my water change mixing bin I had to get a new one and opted to go smaller. I only made up 10G of water for the rock transfer. I dumped all the gunky water that was in the bin, moved things, and then added the 10G of new water. This only covered the rocks 2/3 of the way... so I decided to cover the rocks with a towel and have the water pump over the towel so everything could stay at least damp until I could make up more water to top it up. Well today I went to check on things and opened up the bin- there was foam to the top. Everywhere. Just a bunch of foam. The only thing I can think of is that the washing machine obv didn’t get all the soap out last time it was washed and the >36h of water pumping over it had finally given it a good rinse. What the hell do I do now?? Did I seriously just kill all my live rock... by taking an extra step to keep it alive?!? I’m so so so so mad. It’s 1am here and I’ve gotta stupid busy day tomorrow. Even if I carve out the time to do everything I can first thing, won’t it be to late? Is there ANYTHING I can do here?? :’(

12/14/2018, 05:34 AM	#2
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	Are you sure its soap bubbles, and not just bubbles from the water crashing over the rocks? Salt water does bubble quite easily, and the bubbles stay intact for a while also. Soap bubbles typically have that multi color sheen to them if viewed with light(prism effect from the soap). Salt water bubbles do not have that multi color sheen. My advise would be to just mix up some new water, and let the rocks sit in the water with a PH to rinse them off it was truly soap. Also if it was soap, check for ammonia as you would obviously have alot of die off. If you have no ammonia, I would say it's just salt water bubbles and not soap. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

12/14/2018, 07:49 AM	#4
JWClark Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: MD Posts: 576	I second this not being soap bubbles but organic bubbles from decomposing gunk in the rocks. Happens all the time when I cure dead rock if I have flow breaking the water surface to aerate. If you have a spare skimmer put that in there and run the output to a five gal bucket. The froth will subside after a few days to a week. __________________ Back after a 13yr hiatus--much to my wife's dismay. Though she sure loves looking at the tank and feeding the fish! Current Tank Info: Reefer 450 seed tank for the retirement 315gal Reef Savvy build.

12/14/2018, 06:17 AM	#3
WVfishguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Huntington, WV Posts: 677	I don't think soap will foam in salt water. The water is too hard. My father washed with salt water during WWII on a ship, and he said even shampoo won't produce foam bubbles.

12/14/2018, 09:39 AM	#5
Squibege Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Edmonton AB Posts: 157	Oh thank god they could just be salty bubbles. There wasn’t much smell so I don’t think anything is rotting. I’ll check the pH for sure and for any rainbow sheen. There is quite a head on them that I didn’t think salt bubbles could muster which is what made me panic to thinking it was a detergent of some kind. I feel like all hope is not lost now! Thanks everyone! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk