Cooking Base Rock?

[Teremei]

I've read that thing 3 times. I think I could have substituted #6) with spraying with a powerful hose which I didn't do.

The cooking steps you've created doesn't consider base rock. because with live rock you do not need the water to be cycled. So you can use completely new uncycled saltwater.

With this coral skeleton "phosphate loaded" base rock you need to let the nitrogen cycle fully complete. I think I will PM bomber and see what he has to say about this since he was the one who brought up the phosphates in these base rocks.

EDIT:: drat PM full.

I guess I will keep these in the same tub and keep testing for amonia, then nitrite, then nitrate, then phosphate. And keep doing waterchanges until phosphate reads zero. I would appreciate any help that would help me not waste time doing the wrong thing. Or does that sound right?

 

[SeanT]

You dont need ANY water to be cycled when "cooking" rock.
If you are doing 100% waterchanges on the tubs twice a week, and it takes WEEKS for a tank to cycle...it can't be done.

All you are doing now is getting your bacterial colony established so they can start on getting the P out of the rocks.

You are changing the water so the bac are forced to dive into the rocks to get it and not take the free meal of P that is in the water colum from being leeched out of the rock.

 

[Sindjin]

So the bacteria will feed on the P?

 

[SeanT]

Yes,
That is the WHOLE point of "cooking" your rocks.

 

[Teremei]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6495914#post6495914 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SeanT
You dont need ANY water to be cycled when "cooking" rock.
If you are doing 100% waterchanges on the tubs twice a week, and it takes WEEKS for a tank to cycle...it can't be done.

All you are doing now is getting your bacterial colony established so they can start on getting the P out of the rocks.

You are changing the water so the bac are forced to dive into the rocks to get it and not take the free meal of P that is in the water colum from being leeched out of the rock.

Ok so that applies to the base rock aswell? Where does the bacteria come from if it's not live rock? I'll take your word for it Sean, I trust you know what you are talking about.

 

[SeanT]

The bac came from those pieces of rubble you tossed in.

 

[Sindjin]

Yes,
That is the WHOLE point of "cooking" your rocks.

I thought P was left over from the detritus after the bacteria broke down the N....and that the bacteria would expel the P out of the rock.

I have to read more!

 

[Teremei]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6496029#post6496029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SeanT
The bac came from those pieces of rubble you tossed in.

That's what I figured. do I need much rubble? I have 5 peices in there.

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6496075#post6496075 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Teremei
That's what I figured. do I need much rubble? I have 5 peices in there.

You should be fine with that... You just need a little in there so that it can start to multiply...

 

[Snakebyt]

very informative thread.....

 

[SeanT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6496036#post6496036 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sindjin
I thought P was left over from the detritus after the bacteria broke down the N....and that the bacteria would expel the P out of the rock.

"Bacteria have to consume P inorder to process ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate. They consume the P first, then process nitrogenous compounds. The trick to it is, the consume and store P in massive quantities, like a sponge. Much more than each single bacteria needs because they share it later when they divide."

 

[SeanT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6496922#post6496922 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by asnatlas
You should be fine with that... You just need a little in there so that it can start to multiply...

:thumbsup:

 

[Teremei]

Couldn't I also take a cup full of tank water and pour it in there. Wouldn't that also get bacteria into the water so it could seed the base rock?

 

[SeanT]

Why do that when you have rubble available?

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6500329#post6500329 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Teremei
Couldn't I also take a cup full of tank water and pour it in there. Wouldn't that also get bacteria into the water so it could seed the base rock?

I am not an expert, but the bacteria are more so on the rocks rather then the water column... So adding some tank may help, but adding some rubble would be much better...

 

[Teremei]

Oh Ok thanks. I WILL do both just to make sure. And Sean, to answer your question as to why water. Well it's easier. My rock rubble is in my hang on refugium and I have to put on a glove because there are alot of bristleworms down there. I also shake off my rubble causing a dust storm because I hate dooming any type of poor little critters to a slow death in a cooking tank. It's the same reason I'd rather give my hair algae rock away with polyps on it instead of dooming those poor polyps.