Cooking Live Rock - Exact Process?

[SeanT]

NoSchwag,
I guess the stains were kind of grayish in some areas.
Most of them are covered by coraline or corals.
The others seemed to just fade away.

As for your 'moldy' smell...do you have a powerhead breaking the surface of the water?

And it isn't a bother to ask me questions at all.
I love this hobby.


David,
I agree with Nate about the O3.
For the reasons he stated and that the loose O3 will kill bacteria as well.

Sean

And it isn't a bother to ask me questions at all.
I love this hobby.

 

[NoSchwag]

yeah man.. I actually have 2 powerheads and a huge air pump in there.. Eh, I think it's because my AC was off for the last week due to some decent days.

 

[arconom]

Bomber and SeanT I need some advice.

After many months of cooking my liverock I still have one type of Macro?/Algae

Before when my tank was setup I had one type of algae that my Yellow tang used to love to eat. Can this be it? I'm upset it still has survived.


OR can it be the other algae that was more of a nuisance??

Pictured is the old nuisance MAJOR problem Algae...



So here are the new pictures of this mystery Algae. What should I do now? this is on 2 of the rocks that have been cooking since DEC 11.04 they are still cooking until 3 weeks when I setup my tank.


OLD ALGAE PRE ROCK COOKING

ALGAE AFTER ROCK COOKING

This algae that still has survived looks more like the Algae that my Yellow tang used to eat.

 

[Znut Reefer]

That looks like red turf algae. It's very hard to get rid of.

 

[arconom]

OMG

I can't believe this.

 

[Znut Reefer]

I have it in my 225 sps tank and you name it I think I have tried it. The only thing that will eat it is a Mexican Turbo. I had planned to cook my rock also later after I set up the new tank. I planned to buy 100lbs of new rock to cycle the new tank with and cook the old rock. But looks like cooking may not get rid of that algae. I have put small pieces of rock out in the sun for a week and thats what would kill the turf algae. But can't do that to all the live rock. You can also try a rabbit fish they will eat it also. Not the fox face one. Good Luck.

 

[arconom]

I did not plan on having Fish in my new tank setup. My new tank is going to be BB Fishless for now. Untill next year when I get my 120 setup.

I'm pretty disappointed My rock looks beautiful no more aiptasia So I am happy about that. My other algae seems to be gone also.

I don't know what to do now. I have been cooking the rock since DEC 04 Now what?

I guess I have to inspect every rock now?? and the ones with the Algae I will have to be more Drastic? I thought Cooking was as Drastic as I could get.

Now what?

Take a chance of re introducing this Algea to the tank?

Say I do inspect each rock what if I miss seeing one small patch of this and then it spreads?

What are my options now?

How can this Algea possibly survived the Rock cooking process since DEC 04????? By the way I am still cooking it. I did another swish N dunk today.

 

[Znut Reefer]

I wished I had the right answers for you. Not sure if Sean or Bomber will know. Maybe they have had the experience of dealing with this type of algae.
I would not put that piece or any that has that algae on it. It will take over your tank in no time. Thats the reason I had planned to cook mine later. Because it grows and spreads like wild fire. Hope they will be able to help us both out on this one.

 

[arconom]

znut Reefer

I hope they have some advice also. I have to say all of my other Algae is gone completely. All the Aiptasia is gone also.

The main problem is I will have to examine EVERY rock VERY closely. Not only that what about the rocks that have pieces so small I can't see them??

My new tank will not be a Nutrient Rich environment so maybe it won't spread or grow on some rocks. BUT the main problem there is my next 120 gal tank will have fish will the Algae lay dorment untill it is put in a nutrient filled environment(Fish waste,fishfood)???

 

[Znut Reefer]

Thats good that all the other algae is gone along with the Aiptasias. I'm in the process of cooking the rock in my 180 that was covered with those pests. And some algae as well.
If you have to get a magnifying glass to look for that red turf algae and scrape it off and continue to cook and look for it.
My rock in the 225 is old and not sure how I got the red turf in there, but it has just about took over the tank. And the tank has always been BB. And I have a 848 Aeroformer skimmer. But can't get rid of the algae.

 

[Bemmer]

I would like to get this thread going again.

Sean, from what I read, it appears that you pulled your LR out in three sections, over six weeks (two weeks at a time). It also looks like you still had fish in your tank. Where there any issues with pulling all your LR out with fish still in your tank? Also, did you switch to a BB tank after you took all the LR out of the tank?

Thanks.
Rebecca

 

[SeanT]

Hi Rebecca,
I had no issues with the fish at all.
Those lazy bums didn't care.
My tank was ssb before the rock came out but that is when I got rid of it.
hth,
Sean

 

[Chrash236]

Well, Today was the day I removed all of my rock so I could start cooking it,

Things I learned

1. My tank had a ton of gunk behind the rocks, ie build closeloop, and place rocks on legs, for no dead spots.

2. My skimmer is removing around 1 gallon an hour right now.

3. My corals in my sump are for sure dead, after the mag 9 stirred the whole tank up, water is still not clear,

4. Can I powerwash the rocks to speed this up? Humm post and see what people think.

5. I hope this works, used 50 gallons of new salt water today, note to self buy more salt, 3 buckets should do it.

6. What would happen if I just replaced all the water in my system with three day old salt water???

7. Would it be cheaper to drive to the coast and shake my rocks there for a week? could be a fun trip too!!

Random thoughts although curious on the powerwashing of the rocks?

Wish me luck

Chris

 

[Milamber]

Is this process recommended for new rock (still sitting at the lfs) or just for something that has been in your tank for a year?

Also, what is the average "cooking" time?

My wife is excitied about seeing a tank all set up. I may have to warn her that there won't be anything in it for a few months. Not a good way to justify a big purchase on a new hobby.

 

[Weatherman]

Is this process recommended for new rock (still sitting at the lfs) or just for something that has been in your tank for a year?

New rock also, whether itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s base rock, fresh live rock or fully cured live rock.

When I built my 120 from scratch, I set everything up (pumps, skimmer, etc.), brought home 90 lbs of fully-cured live rock from the lfs, and put it in the tank for five weeks with a fresh batch of natural seawater. I left the lights off. Right before I turned on the lights I performed an 80% water change. Think of it as ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œcyclingââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ your tank (except, in this case you donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t really care about ammonia, nitrate and nitrite). What you care about is your skimmate running clear and there being nothing but little bits of sand shedding off the rocks.

The alternative is to have to put up with cyano and algae blooms for the first several months your tank is set up.

Also, what is the average "cooking" time?

There is no set cooking time. It depends on how much dead, dying and decaying stuff you have on your rock and how effective you are at exporting nutrients (siphoning, skimming and water changes) during the cooking process. If you turn on the lights and you get a cyano bloom, you havenââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t waited long enough (unless you like cyano blooms). I got no cyano bloom with my 120 and I didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t even have to clean the glass for three weeks after I turned on the lights.

My wife is excitied about seeing a tank all set up. I may have to warn her that there won't be anything in it for a few months. Not a good way to justify a big purchase on a new hobby.

Think of it as teaching patience, a valuable thing to have when you have a reef tank.

Your alternative is having a tank, which looks like this (my two-week-old 180, before I learned cyano blooms and algae blooms are not an inevitable part of setting up a new tank):

 

[Chrash236]

It depends on how much dead, dying and decaying stuff you have on your rock and how effective you are at exporting nutrients (siphoning, skimming and water changes) during the cooking process.

Would you still get a cyano bloom if you have already cured the rock and your tank has been running for three years? After you cook it, also what do you think about dunking and swooshing 3plus times a week?

Thanks

 

[Weatherman]

Would you still get a cyano bloom if you have already cured the rock and your tank has been running for three years?

Is this new, cured rock you're going to add to a running three-year-old tank?

 

[Chrash236]

No just cooking all of my rock, went bb about eight months ago and over the past three months I have been battling hair algae. So I finally got busy last night and tore the tank apart.

 

[Weatherman]

Ahh, yesââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦ a rebuild of an existing tank.

If you tear a tank apart, and donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t give your rock sufficient time to cook off the excess nutrients before adding it back into your tank, a cyano bloom is almost inevitable. Cyano thrives on disruptions and excess nutrients. Even after the cyano is gone, the nutrients leaching off the rock may support additional algae blooms for months.

If the rock is in really bad shape, dunking and swooshing multiple times a week, for the first couple of weeks of cooking may be needed.


This is something Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m just about to face with my 2 Ã"šÃ‚½ year old 155. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m going to get rid of the Miracle Mud and the shallow sand bed, but keep it as a soft coral and Euphyllia tank. The rocks are, currently, covered with just about every type of macroalgae you can imagine. The iron in the Miracle Mud sure did a good job promoting algae growth! Itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s too bad it was in my main display rather than in my sump.

If you are curious about how my 120 was built, my 180 was rebuilt, and the dilemma Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m facing with my 155, just click on my little red house.

 

[Chrash236]

If you are curious about how my 120 was built, my 180 was rebuilt, and the dilemma Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m facing with my 155, just click on my little red house.

More on the 120 closed loop, can you shoot me a link, to a specific place couldnt find any info