Is it 100% necessary to cook LR for BB?

mattsilvester · #1 11/16/2007, 04:57 PM

Hi folks,

I posted this a while back and got no response - maybe the right eyes will look this time

I am considering going bare bottom in my main display, and having a decent sized remote DSB for nitrate management etc.....

Anyway...... the ponit of the post; is it 100% necessary to "cook" your LR when going barebottom? I already have some well settled fish and corals etc. and stripping the tank down is not really an option......

THanks guys,

Matt

reefman77 · #2 11/16/2007, 05:15 PM

I did not cook my rock when i switched to BB and i didnt have a problem. the advice I would give is, if you are using starboard or something other than just the glass, make sure you seal it to the bottom of the tank. I didnt and now I probably need to take everything out and glue it in because i have abunch of crap stuck under it

H2OLUVSME · #3 11/16/2007, 05:15 PM

I never think its neccesary to cook LR.

mattsilvester · #4 11/16/2007, 05:18 PM

thanks guys...... any "serious" articles I've read about going bare bottom have seemed to suggest cooking was essential.

So - if I want to do it, I just start removing sand, slowly but surely until its all gone, then boost flow thats it......?

Cheers,

Matt

2639 · #5 11/16/2007, 05:20 PM

Not necessary but sure would help. Cooking the LR will help flush out phosphates and detritus. If you don't do this before going bb, then you'll be doing more frequent siphoning in the main tank.

Cooking also helps kill off any nuisance algae's and other critters like a ton of bristle worms.

mattsilvester · #6 11/16/2007, 05:31 PM

thanks 2639 - but I already have fish and corals in the tank (include emporer angel, couple of tangs and anthias) so re-housing them for a couple of months would be difficult both logistically and in terms of disruption to the animals (which I do not like doing).
I presume after time that detritus etc will all get "flushed" out in time anyway.......

Thanks

mattsilvester · #7 11/17/2007, 01:51 PM

So, is 30 times tank volume enough circulation for consider going barebottom? I have two tunze 6060's, and I;ve just got a new Tunze return pump, letting my OR6500 spare, which I was going to put a closed loop on. Putting them all together there is a theoretical turnover of well over 30 times, but allowing for losses etc, I would guess 30 even is a good enoguh estimate.

I will in time be investing in a decent tunze stream set to bring it up to something like 50 times........