Rock cooking, it does work.
- Thread starter SeanT
- Start date
No, I did not. The tank was relit with new VHO's for a little over a month before swapping to the new tank and the HA grew back with a vengeance during that time. The unlit rubbermaid container I used to hold the rock during the tank change only held the rock for 4 or 5 days. The HA was scrubbed off of the rock with a bristle brush. It was still all over the rock after the 4 days in the rubbermaid container.
GoingPostal
Active member
The first before and after pics in this thread resemble my own tank quite well, except I had more hair algea. I fought with it for over a year, water changes, switching bulbs. running phosphate remover, changed from cc to dry sand, etc. Then I got fed up, took out all the rocks scrubbed the hair algea off, did a huge water change followed by a couple more large ones and also took out my sand which had algea growing on it and put in live sand. Problem solved, however I find it interesting as I have crap filtration, no fuges on any of my tanks, tap water, 20 ppm nitrates and can only grow algea in one tank. All hair dies within days in our 10 gallon which has no snails except nass. and lots of hermits. Gotta wonder what fuels it in some and never in others...?
sherm71tank
Premium Member
I had a nice little debate a few days ago about this. My buddy: "But won't that just kill everything on the rock? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of live rock?" Me: "If you want whatever happens to be on and in the rock in your tank then it's probably not for you. At this point I only want in my tank what I put in it!" It really does just depend on what your expectation of live rock is. In my view it serves three purposes only. 1. Provide biological filtration. 2. Provide a spot to put corals. 3. A place for the fish to hide if they want.
Siffy
New member
It does not kill everything on the rock. It kills everything photosynthetic on the rock. That's algaes and corals that should be removed prior to cooking if you want to keep them. All the small inverts living in the rock will be fine unless they're swished off. Still even then you won't get all of them and those left will continue to repopulate your rock.
dja1980
Active member
Thanks, Sean!
I'm about to do my 3rd swish/dunk and 2nd water change tonight. For the first 2 swish/dunks, I used pure RO/DI water (no salt). I saw someone post about this earlier in this thread, but I didn't see any results.
Based on what I know about freshwater dips and such, I believe a quick swish/dunk in RO/DI water should be fine if the rocks are immediately placed back in saltwater, but do you have any experience with this?
I'm about to do my 3rd swish/dunk and 2nd water change tonight. For the first 2 swish/dunks, I used pure RO/DI water (no salt). I saw someone post about this earlier in this thread, but I didn't see any results.
Based on what I know about freshwater dips and such, I believe a quick swish/dunk in RO/DI water should be fine if the rocks are immediately placed back in saltwater, but do you have any experience with this?
I know this is an old thread, but I have read to this point and will continue the rest of it. I have started to cook my rock as of yesterday, and besides the algae problem, I have a tone of apitasia. The water I'm using is about SG. .025,but I have it saturated with kalk. Will this help to kill off the apitasia and will it be ok for the rock cooking process?
trueblackpercula
New member
Can anyone post there pictures of there tanks today of what there rocks look like?
Thanks Sean, I'm following the directions to the T. I'm a very patient reefer. .
madreef_7K
Member
Can I use waste water from RO membrane. I figured it's better than just the tap water as it gets dechlorinated and filtered!
Not sure what your asking? you need to use salt water, not fresh water while cooking your rock. I pump water direct from my tank into my curing tubs,and that way I kill two birds with one stone so to speak. (water change for my tank and new water in the in the curing tubs) seems most cost effective.
madreef_7K
Member
I thought the idea was to put the rocks into fresh salt water and not in the water from your tank as it will already have enough phosphate!! and will prolong the process.
What I was asking was using the waste water coming out of RO unit. I have been cooking rocks for about three weeks. I know some folks here have used tap water directly so would it not be better if we use waste water from RO as it is dechlorinated and filtered?
No, when you remove your rock from the tank you are also removing the phosphate problem. Your tank should no longer have a phosphate issue especially when you are using RO/DI water to refill. I use RO/DI also and my pos. is near 0 with the rock removed. Like I said I'm essentially killing two birds with one stone--refill my rock tubs with my near 0 pos. tank water and do my weekly water change at the same time. Bottom line, trying to save some $ on salt costs. If you want to use your waste RO water with fresh salt, I don't see anything wrong with that.
