Cooking/acid bath for LR

lmsmith · 11/12/2012, 06:15 PM

I have some LR in my tank that's a bit aipstasia ridden and I'm pretty sure is contributing to my phosphate/alage issues.

I'm thinking of either cooking it or giving it an acid bath, but obviously I can't take all the rock at once and do it or my tank will crash.

What's the best way to deal with this issue?

I'm leaning towards an acid bath because I can get the rock back in my tank quicker than cooking it for 12 weeks, but I'm not sure if that will deal with the phosphate issues.

If I cook 1/2, put it back in the tank to seed then take out the other 1/2 a couple of months later, I'm going to have issues with apistasia cross contaminating. I can manually remove them, but will the phosphate somehow impregnate the clean rock also?

What's the best way to deal with this issue?

Sk8r · 11/12/2012, 06:21 PM

I'd suggest just leaving it and running a gfo reactor: that'll take care of your surplus phosphate in 3-4 months---depending on how much that rock has in it. I don't think cooking is going to fix it, and it probably wouldn't fix the aiptasia either. Phosphate is part of the rock itself, and salt water slowly brings it into solution, which is why the problem goes on for some time. The gfo will uptake it as it leaches out of the rock and make a serious dent in the green of your tank---just don't leave it too long, as some fish and all your copepods and microlife depend on algae.

lmsmith · 11/12/2012, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

I'd suggest just leaving it and running a gfo reactor: that'll take care of your surplus phosphate in 3-4 months---depending on how much that rock has in it. I don't think cooking is going to fix it, and it probably wouldn't fix the aiptasia either. Phosphate is part of the rock itself, and salt water slowly brings it into solution, which is why the problem goes on for some time. The gfo will uptake it as it leaches out of the rock and make a serious dent in the green of your tank---just don't leave it too long, as some fish and all your copepods and microlife depend on algae.

Ah. That's an awesome idea. Much better than all the drama.

I've also got some rock that I took out of my tank and put in a container outside. It's sort of been sitting in disgusting algae rainwater for a couple of months - what's the best way to deal with it, do you think?

If I'm honest, the algae problem in my tank isn't that bad - it's only on my overflow (I think something about the plastic attracts it), not the rock. I got a lawnmower blenny who has made short work of every last speck on the rock and I assume that he'll move onto the overflow in due course.

11/12/2012, 06:15 PM	#1
lmsmith Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 323	Cooking/acid bath for LR I have some LR in my tank that's a bit aipstasia ridden and I'm pretty sure is contributing to my phosphate/alage issues. I'm thinking of either cooking it or giving it an acid bath, but obviously I can't take all the rock at once and do it or my tank will crash. What's the best way to deal with this issue? I'm leaning towards an acid bath because I can get the rock back in my tank quicker than cooking it for 12 weeks, but I'm not sure if that will deal with the phosphate issues. If I cook 1/2, put it back in the tank to seed then take out the other 1/2 a couple of months later, I'm going to have issues with apistasia cross contaminating. I can manually remove them, but will the phosphate somehow impregnate the clean rock also? What's the best way to deal with this issue?

11/12/2012, 06:21 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I'd suggest just leaving it and running a gfo reactor: that'll take care of your surplus phosphate in 3-4 months---depending on how much that rock has in it. I don't think cooking is going to fix it, and it probably wouldn't fix the aiptasia either. Phosphate is part of the rock itself, and salt water slowly brings it into solution, which is why the problem goes on for some time. The gfo will uptake it as it leaches out of the rock and make a serious dent in the green of your tank---just don't leave it too long, as some fish and all your copepods and microlife depend on algae. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.