Pros & Cons of Cooking Rock

[mskohl]

in my experience and opinion.... it's your emporer filter.
I had an emporer 400 on my 45 gal. and my nitrates were out of control and I went through a period with phosphate trouble. The readings on your phos. and nitrate tests could be off for a couple of reasons: 1. your test kits are incorrect or old. 2. the algae is 'consuming' your nitrates and phosphates that would give you the higher reading.

That's the way it was explained to me once. I got rid of my emporer and now have a sump/fuge and my nitrates dropped dramatically when I switched because of the chaeto, sand and rubble. The emporer keeps the bacteria that convert nitrate into nitrogen gas from flourishing.

I know it's not an easy answer, but I think it might be better than scrubbing or cooking your rocks.

 

[MyMonkey]

I certainly don't mind ridding my tank of the emperor.

 

[herpchat]

Well maybe its a good idea I did not ask what temperature you set your oven too to cook these rocks,

It kind of fit since Travis bakes his concrete rocks. Still so much to learn.

 

[pwhitby]

Jeramy,

remove the biowheel and let it sit in the tank for a week or two. Then pull it out.

Stephanie is correct in that the high ozygen content prevents full denitrification. Removing promotes a migration of bacteria to the rock/sand in the tank.

Paul.

 

[herpchat]

Since on this topic of critters what do you want to see in your tank?

I have added spaghetti worms, micro stars and some sand stirring snails. I paid a good amount to have these critters, was this a good idea?

 

[Russ Braaten]

Herpchat,

"Cooking" has nothing to do with an oven. It is a term used for cleaning and curing rock. You basically stick the rock in a dark saltwater filled container and do a lot of water changes. Over time the crud falls out of the rock and the bacteria eats up all the nutrients in the rock.

Russ

Don't feel dumb, everyone wonders about that until they learn what the cooking term means.

 

[captbunzo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7724690#post7724690 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by herpchat
Since on this topic of critters what do you want to see in your tank?

I have added spaghetti worms, micro stars and some sand stirring snails. I paid a good amount to have these critters, was this a good idea?

IMHO, absolutely... Just ask Dr. Ron Shimek.

Seriously, I really do think they are pretty good things to add in there.

 

[herpchat]

I caught that about the cooking of rocks, it just when I first read the thread post I thought OK, since Travis cooks his concrete maybe they cook or incubate live rock and after reading all the posts and having cooking defined I caught it.

Hence my reply its a good thing I did not ask the temp (kind of being a smartass).

 

[Russ Braaten]

Paul, Why do you leave the bio wheel in the tank for a while? Wouldn't the bacteria on the wheel be in the rock and sand since that is where the wheel would have gotten it from initially?

 

[MyMonkey]

It has something to do with the oxygen content in the wheel. The levels change when you let if float. Allegedly, it helps prevent a cycle from reduction of the bacterial load as well. At least, I think that is what was mentioned before. I will try this after I give the rocks a scrubbing.