Rock cooking, it does work.
- Thread starter SeanT
- Start date
Boat Racer
New member
Obviously something is off here.It doesnt happen to everybody this way.I have to ask again.How long do ya run the lights each day and was your cook tub letting light in ?I meen was it thin plastic that could have let day light in even in a small amount?My tub is kindof thin so I put a big blanket over it to make it real dark inside.They are transparent enough to still get light through.Also what temperature did ya cook the rocks at?
Remove Coraline While Cooking?
Remove Coraline While Cooking?
My rocks have been cooking for two months now and I still see lots of crud coming out, but its getting lesser and lesser every week. I'll wait it out till only water flows through the rocks when I swish and dish.
After this time there are coraline algae still on the rocks. I was wondering whether I should remove these coraline since they are covering a portion of rock's where the bacteria may not get into.
Another benefit of cooking. In one of my swishing and dishing, I placed the porous rocks on RO water for about an hour. When I came back there were three mantis shrimps, 4 black crabs and 3 white crabs!
Thanks
Sig
Remove Coraline While Cooking?
My rocks have been cooking for two months now and I still see lots of crud coming out, but its getting lesser and lesser every week. I'll wait it out till only water flows through the rocks when I swish and dish.
After this time there are coraline algae still on the rocks. I was wondering whether I should remove these coraline since they are covering a portion of rock's where the bacteria may not get into.
Another benefit of cooking. In one of my swishing and dishing, I placed the porous rocks on RO water for about an hour. When I came back there were three mantis shrimps, 4 black crabs and 3 white crabs!
Thanks
Sig
Siffy
New member
No, you're supposed to reach that point where there's nothing left but rock and bacteria. If it's still shedding, you're not done because there's still stuff for the bacteria to work on. Sean's "recipe" are mostly guidelines. And as he's stated before what I just reminded, if it's still stuff coming out when swishing you put them back in the tub for another week. And when finally nothing comes out, you put them back in the tub for another week to see if it happens twice.
trueblackpercula
New member
can anyone someone please post some pictures of there rock after it has been cooked.
Please
Please
Rob_Reef_Keeper
New member
My LR was white after cooking with NO signs of algae. I think the problem here is no bio-filtration in the tank when adding the LR back in.
I am deciding to either chuck the tank and get new LR.
I am deciding to either chuck the tank and get new LR.
Siffy
New member
Why would you say you had no biological filtration when you put the LIVE rock back in? The whole process of cooking rock works on getting your biological filtration up to the maximum because all that's there is bacteria. Did you monitor ammonia and/or nitrites the first few days after adding the rock back to the tank? If you experienced a cycle, something went wrong while cooking.
If you're still wanting to throw that rock out, I'll pay for its shipping to Alabama.
If you're still wanting to throw that rock out, I'll pay for its shipping to Alabama.
Weatherman
New member
One week after rock was cooked:
Same spot, 8 1/2 months later:
Rob_Reef_Keeper
New member
I tested the water and it didn;t show any signs of cycling.
I did use 100% all new water when adding the rock back in. I am loosing 2 SPS corals right now as well.
I did use 100% all new water when adding the rock back in. I am loosing 2 SPS corals right now as well.
trueblackpercula
New member
looks clean and neat but can you get a close up of the red algea that I see. If the porpose of cooking rock is to get all the phospates out and kill the aglea then why is it still around? now i am second guessing if i should do it or not.
Weatherman
New member
My infamous rhodophytes...
They were not on the original, cooked rock. They were introduced on a rock a coral was attached to. They didn't start to appear until five months after the tank was set up.
Here's a closeup of the rock right before the rhodophytes got going.
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trueblackpercula
New member
so do you have to cook the rock again?
Weatherman
New member
I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t intend to.
As far as Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m concerned, rock cooking serves two primary purposes
1) For a new tank, extending the curing process by a few weeks (which is all ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œrock cookingââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ is), allows you to avoid the typical new tank cyano and hair algae bloom. I was able to introduce all kinds of hard coral to my tank right away. No waiting around for the tank to ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œmatureââ"šÂ¬Ã‚Â.
2) When transitioning a tank from high nutrient to low nutrient, moving the rock to cooking bins allows them to reestablish equilibrium without shedding stuff all over your tank. You can dunk and swoosh and perform 100% water changes all you want without disturbing any of your fish or coral. It makes the transition much easier.
I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t see rock cooking as a catch-all method to correct quarantine errors (like the introduction of invasive algae species), or a quick fix to poor husbandry practices.
Ultimately, you have to learn how to manage your tank so small problems donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t become big problems. Tearing your tank apart, whenever you see a tiny sprig of dictyota or rhodophyte, simply isnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t the answer.
Rob_Reef_Keeper
New member
Well, I am done with the cooking. I am going to get NEW LR and start over. Will cure it in the tank and go from there. I tired this fad and it didn't work for me just like the DSB/BB. It was worth a shot and it didn't work for me.
Boat Racer
New member
Dude you can not cure it in the tank.You will have a mess for a long time.I did this in my 75 and what a mistake.The rocks will shed for a long time.Mine was at 3 months and no sign of letting up at all.I basted my tank daily and it was like a dust storm.You are making a huge mistake.You are blaming cooking rocks for your alge when thats nowhere near the reason why your tank bloomed.You are going to regret it.Mark my words.
