cooking rock thread link?

[BtheReef]

Hate to do this, my premium membership hasn't gone through yet, so searching is out...

Anyone have the link to the cooking rock thread?

Thanks in advanced

[Larry Waughon]

About half way down yhe page.
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=437342

[SeanT]

Here is the process.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by SeanT
The purpose of "cooking" your rocks is to have the bacteria consume all (or as much) organic material and PO4 stored on, and in, the rock as possible.

The first step to this is commitment.
You have to be willing to remove your rock from the tank.
It doesn't have to be all at once, but I feel if you are going to do this do it all. In stages if that is easier but make sure that all of it gets done.

The new environment you are creating for your rock is to take it from an algal driven to a bacterial driven system.
In order to do this, the rock needs to be in total darkness to retard and eventually kill the algae's on the rock and to give the bacteria time to do the job.

So basically you need tubs to hold the rock.

Equipment needed.
1. Dedication.
2. Tubs to cook rock in. And an equal amount of tubs to hold the rock during waterchanges.
3. A few powerheads.
4. Plenty of buckets.
5. A smug feeling of superiority that you are taking it to "the next level."
6. Saltwater, enough made up to follow the instructions below and to replenish your tank after removing rocks.
Here are the steps:

1. Get into your head and accept the fact you will be making lots of salt water if you aren't lucky enough to have access to filtered NSW.
2. Explain to significant other what is going on so they don't flip out. This process can take up to 2 months. Prepare them in advance so he/she can mark it on the calendar and that they won't nag about it until that date arrives.
3. Setup a tub(s) where the rock is to be cooked. Garages are great for this.
4. Make up enough water to fill tub(s) about halfway and around 5-7 buckets about 60% full.
5. Remove all the rock you want to cook at this stage. (The rock can be removed piece by piece until you are done.) I suggest shutting off the circulation beforehand to minimize dust storms.
6. Take the first piece of rock and dunk it, swish it, very, very well in the first bucket. Then do it again in the 2nd bucket, then the third.
7. Place rock in the tub.
8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 to every piece of rock you want to cook at this time. The reason I suggested 5-7 buckets of water will be evident quickly...as the water quickly turns brown.
9. Place powerhead(s) in the tub and plug in. Position at least one powerhead so that it agitates the surface of the water pretty well. This is to keep the water oxygenated. You can use an air pump for additional oxygenation if you wish. Only one powerhead per tub is needed. Remember the powerheads main responsibility is the oxygenation of the water.
10. Cover the tub. Remember, we want TOTAL darkness.
11. Empty out buckets, restart circulation on main tank.
12. Wait.
13. During the first couple of weeks it is recommended to do a swishing and dunking of the rocks twice a week.
What this entails is to make up enough water to fill up those buckets and the tub the rock is in.
First, lay out your empty tub(s) and fill buckets the same as before.
Then, uncover tub with the rock in it. Take a rock and swish it in the tub it's in to knock any easy to get off junk.
Then, swish it thru the 3 buckets again, and place in the empty tub..
Repeat for all your rocks.
Then empty the tub that all the rocks were cooking in, take it outside and rinse it out with a hose.
Place tub back where it was, fill with new saltwater, add rocks and powerheads, and cover.
Wait again until the next water change.
You will be utterly amazed at how much sand, silt, detritus is at the bottom of the tub and every bucket. It is amazing.
At times the stench was so strong I gagged.

How it works:

Some FAQ's.
When re-introducing the rock to my tank, a month or two from now, should I do that in parts to help minimize any cycling effect(s)...if there are any?
I never have. Really after a very short while, the ammonium cycle has been established. That's not what you're worry about though, it's the stored phosphates and that you have to wait it out.
When they are producing very little detritus - you'll know - then I would use them all at once.

Would running Carbon filtration and/or a PO4 reducing media help/hurry/hinder the process?
I wouldn't fool with it. You don't want the detritus to sit there long enough to rot, release water soluble P again. You want to take it out while it's still locked up in that bacterial detritus.

I would say that 85% of my exposed rock had Bryopsis (hair algae) covering it.
There isn't a single visible strand on any rocks my tank now.
Remember, the key is patience. Let this process run its course.

And a few last minute tidbits I remembered.
Your coralline will die back, recede etc.
My thoughts on this are GREAT!
Now my rock is more porous for additional pods, mysids, worms etc.
Coralline will grow back.
Throughout this process the sponges, and pods on my rock have not died off.
Every time I do a water change they are there and plentiful.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Taken from the "How to go Barebottom thread."

hth,
Sean

[BtheReef]

Thanks Sean!

I have a 75 that has been running withought any livestock for about 2 years. I have had the liverock in this tank for about 10 years. I've recently gotten to point where I can invest money in the tank and enjoy it again. I have discovered my nitrates were off the scale!

After reading your thread(s) on the rock cooking subject, I decided this was definately the route to go before adding any creatures and starting over. I'm impressed with the results and want to get that 10 years worth of crud out the rock. I'm also removing the sand bed and redoing the refugium. Hopefully I'll be back in action about 90 days from now.

Thanks for the information, I know the amount of time and effort goes into helping us out.

[BtheReef]

BTW, I have turf algae on about 1/3 of the rock. I have had the tank running with no lights on for about 4 months and that crap is still hangin on!

Anyway, I read one guy who said even cooking didn't rid him of turf algae completely. I dont' remember how long he cooked for though.

After the nuclear winter it'll be cockroaches and turf algae fighting for control of the planet.

[SeanT]

You are quite welcome.

[Larry Waughon]

SeanT

I just got some rock from a guy who shut down his tank a month ago. He put the rock in 5 gal sealed pail with no water and let it sit. I was going to cook this now dead rock to clean it up and use it mixed with some live rock in a tank I am starting. Could I cook this in RO water with no salt? I am thinking why waist the salt if the rock set out of water for a month.
Thanks Larry

[Dubbin1]

I don't know why they wont make that a sticky thread.

[SeanT]

Larry,
The answer is no.
It needs to be in salt water.
And since it has been dry for awhile I would "seed" it with a piece of rubble from your tank and let it sit in your cooking tub for a few days and then begin the process as usual.
hth,
Sean

[Larry Waughon]

Thanks Sean

[SeanT]

You're welcome.

[Larry Waughon]

Originally posted by SeanT
Larry,
The answer is no.
It needs to be in salt water.
And since it has been dry for awhile I would "seed" it with a piece of rubble from your tank and let it sit in your cooking tub for a few days and then begin the process as usual.
hth,
Sean

Well I seeded it for three days, and stated cooking it 6 days ago.
I peeked in today to see if I should change the water, but water and rock look just like it did 6 days ago. There is a slight musty smell,but not bad. Is this normal?
Thanks Larry

[Larry Waughon]

SeanT, Where are you?

[SeanT]

Larry,
You should swish your rocks and change the water out twice a week for the first several weeks.
Look at the third post in this thread for the full instructions.
Sean

[reefmutts]

Sean,

Let the cooking begin!!

Have a couple of questions:

Can I take all the rocks out at the same time? If I do, what will happen to the bioload of all my fish waste. Do I need to leave a couple of LR in the tank? Even if doing this process taking the LR out in 1/3rd , every two weeks... so taking all the rocks out in 6 weeks time. Having the tank void of any LR for 4-6 weeks. I was wondering have you experienced since you have gone thru this process. Has anyone taken out all ther LR at the same time to cook. Could you by chance elaborate on this phase.

Thanks in advance for your thread. It gives me hope

[Larry Waughon]

Originally posted by SeanT
Larry,
You should swish your rocks and change the water out twice a week for the first several weeks.
Look at the third post in this thread for the full instructions.
Sean

Sean
I did change my water and swish the rock at day six. my question is the water looked clean and nothing came out of the rock. Is this normal?
Larry

[SeanT]

Originally posted by reefmutts
Sean,

Let the cooking begin!!

Have a couple of questions:

Can I take all the rocks out at the same time? If I do, what will happen to the bioload of all my fish waste. Do I need to leave a couple of LR in the tank? Even if doing this process taking the LR out in 1/3rd , every two weeks... so taking all the rocks out in 6 weeks time. Having the tank void of any LR for 4-6 weeks. I was wondering have you experienced since you have gone thru this process. Has anyone taken out all ther LR at the same time to cook. Could you by chance elaborate on this phase.

Thanks in advance for your thread. It gives me hope

I took out all my LR at once.
All you need to do is skim wet, do small but frequent
water changes and siphon detritus, make sure your
cleanup crew is good (astreas and ceriths) and dont
over feed.
Do this and you will be fine.
Sean

[SeanT]

Originally posted by pioneer
Sean
I did change my water and swish the rock at day six. my question is the water looked clean and nothing came out of the rock. Is this normal?
Larry

Yep, it takes a bit of time for the detritus to be loosened up by the back.
Let us know how the water looks after another week.
Sean

[Larry Waughon]

Thanks Sean,
I keep you posted.
Larry

[reefmutts]

I'm in the process for making eggcrates for my SPS when the tank is empty. But I have not seen any pictures showing the rocks on PVC and Eggcrates. once the LR is introduced back into the tank. Does anyone have the LR lifted above the BB with eggcrates. If so how about some pictures.

I cant tell tell you how much I am looking forward to cooking. LOL

Happy New Year to everyone!

[dwall174]

Originally posted by SeanT Here is the process.

Thanks I was looking for that!

Originally posted by SeanT
The purpose of "cooking" your rocks is to have the bacteria consume all (or as much) organic material and PO4 stored on, and in, the rock as possible.

Would it help to add an extra bacterial additive like “Nitromax� or “Stress Zyme� to help out the process?
Also what type of water parameters should be kept? Being that there shouldn’t be any corals involved I would assume that Alk, Ca, & Mg, could be kept at a minimum & even the SG a little lower?

[SeanT]

I can't think of why it would help to add stress Zyme.
I try to keep the temp between 55-95 and the sg between 1.021-1.030.

hth,
Sean

[dwall174]

Originally posted by SeanT
I can't think of why it would help to add stress Zyme.

I just figured it might help to give the bacteria a jump start to help it consume the PO4 & organic material on the rock!