How to clean coral skeletons....

[fishguy_8]

I have some coral skeletons that I use as decoration for my tank and it was dirty so the instructions said to soak in bleach/water for a day and then rinse and add a dechlorinator to fresh water and then dry. I did this but the coral still smells a little like bleach I'm not going to put this back in the tank as I'm worried it would most certainly kill my fish.....any advice on how to make these safe to add back into the tank?

[ricksreef]

chlorine bleach is a gas, no matter what state it was in when you used it (e.g. liquid),
so leaving it to air dry for 24-48 hours will gas off any remaining chlorine.
putting in the sun to 'air dry' will speed up the process since sunlight burns off chlorine considerably.

If you smell chlorine, you still have chlorine.

[leebca]

Use of bleach is okay, but should not be called for if the skeletons were properly cured. That was and still is the use of bleach. It is not just for cleaning. However, the use of chemicals to 'neutralize' the bleach is a no-no in this hobby.

If they are dusty/dirty, spray with a strong stream of tap water and rinse well in source water (RO/DI or distilled).

If they are old/used, still wet and covered in algae & detritus, then soak in tap water for a few days (in the dark). Then spray with a strong stream of tap water and rinse well (RO/DI or distilled).

If you're talking caked on or attached organics such that a spray won't knock it off, take a soft bottle-like brush to it and take the time to get it off. Tap water spray and rinse as above.