Liverock purchase safety question

[kouma]

I am in the process of purchasing used live rock and I am worried about any medication the ex-owner might have added to his tank.

Is there something I can check or do to make sure that the liverock I am adding is safe?

What medications actually stay in the liverock, copper?

[aujosh84]

There are several threads around about cleaning liverock. The general consensus is to bleach it for a few days to remove all the organics, rinse for a few days, then give it an acid bath (vinegar or muriatic) to remove any locked in phosphates or heavy metals, then more rinsing.

[dkeller_nc]

If you think that the owner used copper-based medication in the tank, don't purchase it, period. It will be very difficult to ensure that you've completely removed all of the copper - it will most certainly require an hydrochloric acid wash (bleach won't do it), and even then, copper is so toxic to invertebrate marine life that you'll never be sure whether tank issues are being caused by residual copper or some other common problem.

This is not a good opportunity to save money - it's the foundation of your reef and your success (or lack therof) in the hobby.

[kouma]

Both suggestions would render the liverock "dead" :) It is better to just buy dry rock and start from there.