Live rock

[Vin7250]

I just inherited a 55gal tank with 100lbs live rock. The owner has been using tap water for over a year and no lights for 6 months. Lfs says rock is probably saturated with phosphate and I should just toss it. Really????? Toss it????? The rock looks beautiful.... any suggestions?

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[James404]

I wouldnt toss it, fill the tank with RO/DI water and if you feel phosphates are an issue run a reactor with GFO or phosban.

[Tuscaquatics]

Don't underestimate the problems associated with old, uncared-for live rock. While your LFS might be trying to get you to buy new live rock from them, they're not entirely wrong. The rock could cause a problem for you.

I inherited about 100 lbs. of rock from a guy that had it in a tank with no lights and no maintenance for a while. I dropped it in the tank and it started sprouting nasty algae. So I pulled it all and bleached it. Ever since then I've been trying to get rid of a little bit of phosphates that I was having for no explicable reason. I tried everything and finally traced it to leaching from the rock.

It's taken over 3 months but I finally think I have the phosphates beaten back. They were locked up in the rock and being released slowly. If I had it to do over, I would probably do something different.

[spooda420]

google "cooking rock"... you'll want to at least read this... uncared for LR can cause alot of headaches.

[thebkramer]

Great info here from Capn:
#65..and there is more in there too

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...1786183&page=3

[Gary Majchrzak]

"cook" orthophosphates out of LR:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...0&postcount=32

summary by Sean T:

The purpose of "cooking" your rocks is to have the bacteria consume all (or as much) organic material and PO4 stored on, and in, the rock as possible.

The new environment you are creating for your rock is to take it from an algal driven to a bacterial driven system.
In order to do this, the rock needs to be in total darkness to retard and eventually kill the algae's on the rock and to give the bacteria time to do the job.

So basically you need tubs to hold the rock.

Equipment needed.
1. Dedication.
2. Tubs to cook rock in. And an equal amount of tubs to hold the rock during waterchanges.
3. A few powerheads.
4. Plenty of buckets.
5. A smug feeling of superiority that you are taking it to "the next level."
6. Saltwater, enough made up to follow the instructions below and to replenish your tank after removing rocks.
Here are the steps:

1. Get into your head and accept the fact you will be making lots of salt water if you aren't lucky enough to have access to filtered NSW.
2. Explain to significant other what is going on so they don't flip out. This process can take up to 2 months. Prepare them in advance so he/she can mark it on the calendar and that they won't nag about it until that date arrives.
3. Setup a tub(s) where the rock is to be cooked. Garages are great for this.
4. Make up enough water to fill tub(s) about halfway and around 5-7 buckets about 60% full.
5. Remove all the rock you want to cook at this stage. (The rock can be removed piece by piece until you are done.) I suggest shutting off the circulation beforehand to minimize dust storms.
6. Take the first piece of rock and dunk it, swish it, very, very well in the first bucket. Then do it again in the 2nd bucket, then the third.
7. Place rock in the tub.
8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 to every piece of rock you want to cook at this time. The reason I suggested 5-7 buckets of water will be evident quickly...as the water quickly turns brown.
9. Place powerhead(s) in the tub and plug in. Position at least one powerhead so that it agitates the surface of the water pretty well. This is to keep the water oxygenated. You can use an air pump for additional oxygenation if you wish. Only one powerhead per tub is needed. Remember the powerheads main responsibility is the oxygenation of the water.
10. Cover the tub. Remember, we want TOTAL darkness.
11. Empty out buckets, restart circulation on main tank.
12. Wait.
13. During the first couple of weeks it is recommended to do a swishing and dunking of the rocks twice a week.
What this entails is to make up enough water to fill up those buckets and the tub the rock is in.
First, lay out your empty tub(s) and fill buckets the same as before.
Then, uncover tub with the rock in it. Take a rock and swish it in the tub it's in to knock any easy to get off junk.
Then, swish it thru the 3 buckets again, and place in the empty tub..
Repeat for all your rocks.
Then empty the tub that all the rocks were cooking in, take it outside and rinse it out with a hose.
Place tub back where it was, fill with new saltwater, add rocks and powerheads, and cover.
Wait again until the next water change.
You will be utterly amazed at how much sand, silt, detritus is at the bottom of the tub and every bucket. It is amazing.
At times the stench was so strong I gagged.

How it works:

Some FAQ's.
When re-introducing the rock to my tank, a month or two from now, should I do that in parts to help minimize any cycling effect(s)...if there are any?
I never have. Really after a very short while, the ammonium cycle has been established. That's not what you're worry about though, it's the stored phosphates and that you have to wait it out.
When they are producing very little detritus - you'll know - then I would use them all at once.

Would running Carbon filtration and/or a PO4 reducing media help/hurry/hinder the process?
I wouldn't fool with it. You don't want the detritus to sit there long enough to rot, release water soluble P again. You want to take it out while it's still locked up in that bacterial detritus.

And a few last minute tidbits I remembered.
Your coralline will die back, recede etc.
My thoughts on this are GREAT!
Now my rock is more porous for additional pods, mysids, worms etc.
Coralline will grow back.
Throughout this process the sponges, and pods on my rock have not died off.
Every time I do a water change they are there and plentiful.

[Gary Majchrzak]

Originally Posted by Vin7250

I just inherited a 55gal tank with 100lbs live rock. The owner has been using tap water for over a year and no lights for 6 months. Lfs says rock is probably saturated with phosphate and I should just toss it. Really????? Toss it????? The rock looks beautiful.... any suggestions?

liverock is a renewable resource and unless it was used in a treated aquarium it should be okay to use. If to be used in a reef aquarium make sure it's never been exposed to copper.

[Jstdv8]

you could put the LR in a holding tank like a sump and then put a turf scrubber over it and see if you can't pull the PHO4 out of the rocks over a period of time.

[Tuscaquatics]

Originally Posted by Jstdv8

you could put the LR in a holding tank like a sump and then put a turf scrubber over it and see if you can't pull the PHO4 out of the rocks over a period of time.

By the time the turf scrubber truly gets going (8 or so weeks) you could have already cooked the rock.

[Gary Majchrzak]

agreed.

I'd do the rock cooking thing. It really works IME.

[Vin7250]

thanks guys..... so here is the deal.. i dont really have room for a ton of tubs in this house so tell me if my plan will work. All the rock is in a 55 gal tank.... i can def. set up 2 or 3 tubs for use to clean.

1. set up 2 tubs with fresh saltwater
2. set up one tub empty
3. clean rock in tub one with scrub brush
4. put rock in tub two as a rinse
5. place rock in empty tub.
6. once all rock is cleaned and in empty tub do 50% - 100% waterchange on the 55gal
7. put live rock back in 55 gal
8. do it all again in a few days.

as long as i dont break the 55 gal with all the rock moves this should work... correct?? thanks guys!!

[cpl40475]

Originally Posted by Vin7250

I just inherited a 55gal tank with 100lbs live rock. The owner has been using tap water for over a year and no lights for 6 months. Lfs says rock is probably saturated with phosphate and I should just toss it. Really????? Toss it????? The rock looks beautiful.... any suggestions?

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No lights for 6 months and Tap water DOESNT have to be a bad thing. Did he do water changes, run pwerheads for flow, run filters or skimmer the whole time or did it just sit stagnant for the entire time. If he done normal maintenence it might not be that bad. If he didnt do anything then I'd deff cook the rock.