Cooking Base Rock?

[bheron]

Any thoughts on cooking base rock? I'm planning on "Cooking" my current stock of Live Rock for my new system. What about cooking the 100lbs of Base Rock I'm planning on buying from Reeferrocks.com?

I thought somewhere I read even this rock will have stuff on it that needs to be removed?

 

[Bomber]

Bryan, if it's land based - mined out of the ground - it will be loaded in phosphate. Other than our beaches, Florida is famous for it's phosphate mines.

 

[bheron]

Wow! Good point. Let me check what reeferrocks says about the source of their rocks.

BTW, bomber, I did alot of reading and I'm all about this cooking thing that, I believe, you started?!

 

[Bomber]

I'd be interested in what they have to say too. I know the exact mine/quarry they get it from.

Thanks!

 

[bheron]

Well, just got off the phone with Capt Jer. What a great guy. He answered the phone himself and spent a good 15 mins explaining the whole process. Even chatted about some plans they have and the whole recovery process from last years storms.

Anyway, Jer says their rock comes from "Fossilized Coral". He says this is mined from the land, and not taken from the ocean. He says if you slice it through the middle you can actually see the coral fossils.

So, it sounds like I'll have to cook this stuff too?!

PS-
They really got hosed (in more ways than one) so, b/c of the great customer service, I will be more than happy to send my business their way! Best customer service I've received to date.

 

[beachroadbum]

hey now,

I am curious about this too. I ordered my base rock from hirocks.com I am guessing it is land based. I rinsed this rock like crazy and so much brown gunk came out. I rinsed and rinsed till clear water was coming from the rock. I am worried now though because my tank is all setup and has been running for three weeks (live rock and base). Its a 40 breeder barebottom (cuttingboard) with a tunze and seio...2400gph through the tank. right now while I am waiting for my beckett to arrive with the pressure pump I have been running a precision marine hot-1 on the back. its done a great job....though not overskimming by anymeans.
I have been running my halides 8 hours a day and have several sps frags in there at the moment...no fish!! some astreas. Things have been looking great...excellent water paramaters...and it seems I am able to control the detritus through skimming and siphoning. I siphon twice a week about.
Today I have noticed some diatoms. This is getting me scared. I am using ro/di water so I dont understand why diatoms are appearing. they arent out of control but I noticed them.
I don't want to hijackthe thread but seeing as how this may be because I didn't cook my land based base rock it might be relevant? Anyone have any thoughts? bomber? Diatoms related to phosphate at all?

thanks!

take care,
Jared

 

[bheron]

Hey Jared, no problem. Hop on!

 

[trmiv]

I have reeferrocks that I am sort of cooking right now. I haven't seeded them with live rock, so I guess I'm just soaking them. They are pretty clean, because I haven't seen anything on the bottom of the container. I rinsed them very well, and they've been soaking for about a month now. The container is very clean.

 

[Bomber]

They are pretty clean, because I haven't seen anything on the bottom of the container.

add a source of ammonium to start the process

 

[beachroadbum]

hey now,

thanks bryan! I am real glad you posted the question as I have been wondering about this topic for awhile now.
I went back to hirocks.com to see about their base rock and I guess it was taken from the ocean when they constructed a harbour...but its been out of the ocean for many many years.
take care,
Jared

 

[trmiv]

I can't really do the whole "cooking" thing in my apartment though. Not much room for numerous rock containers and buckets when you live in a place that's 650 sqft with a tiny balcony. I can't get that whole "dunk, swish, dunk, swish" thing going.

Oh well, someday I'll have a house and I'll be able to do it right.

 

[beachroadbum]

hey now trmiv,

I am in the same boat. Although I would think the fact that the bottom of your buckets are pretty clean is a great sign. Maybe we get all this phosphate out when we rinse the heck out of them under running tap water? That is something one isnt allowed to do with live rock as teh tap water would kill the bacteria.
But how is this phosphate bound? Thats what I don't understand. If it's bound in a way that no rinsing would get rid of it until some type of chemical reaction takes place...well shucks that stinks...hehee

take care,
Jared


doh! bomber just read your reply on adding ammonia source...so the phosphate will stay bound in the rock until the nitrogen cycle starts?

 

[trmiv]

Well I haven't really started "cooking" the rocks really, because I haven't seeded the rocks with anything. They are basically just dead rocks soaking in a garbage can.

 

[Bomber]

doh! bomber just read your reply on adding ammonia source...so the phosphate will stay bound in the rock until the nitrogen cycle starts?

:thumbsup: it's part of the process.

 

[beachroadbum]

shucks

I might be in for a real treat once my base rock gets seeded.

Bomber do you think its worth it to house my sps at a friends and break down the tank and cook this base rock? Man this is a bummer...I guess this is what happens when you try to cut corners.

take care,
Jared

 

[trmiv]

hey now trmiv,

I am in the same boat.

Yea apartment living sucks. I really want to "cook" the rocks, but I haven't figured out the logistics yet. I know it's a messy wet process with the whole "dunk and swish" and I imagine my downstairs neighbors would frown on a few gallons of dirty saltwater sloshing onto their balconies a few times a week. I should pick a few days when it's raining, then they wouldn't know the difference.

 

[bheron]

bomber - didnt know about the ammonia/cycle aspect of it. thx

trmiv and jared - are your containers covered from light at least? thats a big part of the process.

this has been an informative thread!

 

[beachroadbum]

hey now Bryan,

I haven't done the cooking process yet for this dead base rock. I have read all about it on seant's thread...I thought I didn't have to since I have 75% dead base rock and 25% post cooked live rock. I thought the dead base rock was the perfect way to go. I am starting to think however that I need to break the tank down and cook/cure this dead base rock now that I know that the phosphate will not be released until the base rock begins the nitrogen cycle.
whew...this thread has been informative and quite frustrating...now that I may have to break the tank down and cook this rock.

take care,
Jared

 

[Bomber]

shucks

I might be in for a real treat once my base rock gets seeded.

Jared, you're tanks about three weeks old already right? If it's supporting snails, etc you have a source of ammonium already. I wouldn't break the tank down now after three weeks.
How's does the tank look? Is there a lot of detritus coming out of the rocks? Lots of skim too? Are you starting to see hair algae or cyano on the rock?

If you're not having those problems, I wouldn't break the tank down. You're "cooking" the rocks in the tank just fine.

 

[beachroadbum]

hey now bomber,

Thanks for taking the time to respond. Yeah no signs of hair algae nor cyano....far from it.
I have about 12 astreas in the tank with a few blue legged hermits since the start. I siphon twice a week and blow the rocks and yes the detritus certainly seems manageable. My skimmer is skimming alot... importing tons of detritus...wet skimming like the little champ that it is...I can't say enough about precision marine skimmers even as small as their Hang on tank models.
Ok whew...I feel better now. I'll keep up with the skimming and siphoning...
In about a week I'll be running a beckett with a pressure rated pump.

again...whew...i'll cook those dang nabbit rocks in the tank and I will prevail...

live rocks...our corals cant live with em, but cant live without em