Care to enlighten me? (cooking LR)

[Beverly]

Here's RC's looooooong thread on rock cooking....

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...5&pagenumber=1

[christyf5]

Basically you're putting the rock in the dark with water and a heater to kill off the algae, then doing water changes to export any excess nutrients that are shed by both the dying algae and that may be leaching out of the rock. A lot of people do this for 6-8 months or longer, I've done it for 3-4 months with success in killing the algae but have never tested to see if phosphates are leaching from the rock.

[danny zubot]

Seems like a lot of work for something that can also be achieved with a pressure washer.

I've always wondered why people would want to kill off ALL of the bacteria that the rock contains. A good rinse in RO/Di water is all I've ever done to new live rock and Ive never had an issue with it.

[OCDP]

Bev,

Thanks for the link

Thanks for the info as well christy.

[vanreefer]

I don't think it kills the bacteria it just allows the bacteria to metabalize the nitrates and phosphates that leach from the rock as the algea dies... this is how I understand it... but correct me if I am wrong

[fkshiu]

That's my understanding of it as well. The metabolisation process results in a lot of sloughing off of detritus and other crap. That's why you swish the container and change out the water every so often.

With the algae gone and the trapped detritus released, there's actually a far better environment and far more surface area for nitrifying bacteria to colonize. The bacteria you have doesn't die because it doesn't need light and the rock is continuously immersed in heated water with aerated with a powerhead.

The process is not designed for "new" live rock, but rock that's been in a tank for a while slowly collecting detritus and building up algae.

It's amazing how much crap is trap in your live rock. I did it myself over several months and each week the entire bottom of the container was filled with junk.

You cannot do the same with pressure washing because that doesn't get to the crap stuck deep inside the live rock and no nitrates/phosphates are metabolised. As well, you're killing the existing nitrifying bacteria by blasting the rock with fresh water.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by fkshiu

The process is not designed for "new" live rock, but rock that's been in a tank for a while slowly collecting detritus and building up algae.

it will work just as well for new rock, you think that they don't adsorb anything while they are in the Ocean.. and judging by the rock I have seen comming in laitly (loaded with algaes) it couldn't hurt.

Steve

[untamed]

[quote]Live rock is merely rock that is loaded with bacteria.[\quote]

That's one opinion, but maybe there should be different terms to describe Live Rock. I propose that be called "filtration rock", not "live rock"....or call it "live rock" and other stuff "real life rock"....Whatever, but they are very different things and need to be handled differently.

If all one wants is biological filtration, why not just fill one's tank with porous ceramic structures that are shaped just the way you want? That would have to be cheaper and you could create exactly the shapes you want.

I don't think it is legal to harvest rock anywhere anymore. It shouldn't be, anyway. Certainly, no one should purchase anything but aquacultured rock these days. I would like to see the LFS produce more documentation on how the rock that they sell was obtained. I doubt the industry is very regulated in places like Vanuuatu (sp?).

Regardless, it is my experience that the rock sold by most LFS has endured such a trip that it has mostly died anyway.

[christyf5]

I can attest to the fact that pressure washing just gets the bulk of the crap off. It doesn't get into every nook and cranny to get out all the algae. It was great for a few months but ultimately Grape caulerpa 1, powerwasher 0

[untamed]

I think this should be an absolute last resort to get something useful from rock which has become overrun with algae and otherwise useless ....because when you are done you have biological filtration rock...not live rock anymore (sorry, my opinion only)

For me...good live rock should be treated with as much respect for the life on it as you might with a new fish. Goodness knows it costs enough! LR is (by a factor of 10) the most expensive live thing that I've put in my tank.

I do respect that everybody wants something different from their tank. Me..I expect a lot more from my live rock.