Cooking my dry rock, how-to and am I doing it right so far?

KromiX · 03/27/2010, 04:06 PM

So here is what I'm doing:

I have all of my rock that I hose blasted and let dry in the sun for a couple of days sitting in a rubbermaid container with salwater, 2 powerheads, and a heater set to max at 88 degrees.

My plan is to do weekly full water changes (emptying the rock, cleaning out the rubbermaid, and refilling)... I will do this until there is no smell, and a phosphate test reads 0 or low... Then I will begin my tank with this rock and add maybe 1 or 2 pieces of live rock from the store to "Seed", Sounds about right?

Also, I have read that this cooking process can take up to 6 months, I would hope it will take less time, can it be ready in as little as a month or two, should the phosphate water test look good?

dwd5813 · 03/27/2010, 04:19 PM

you might help yourself out a little by setting up a second container of the same type as the one you are cooking the rock in. fill this second container with the same equipment and saltwater and when you would normally be doing a water change just swirl the rocks in the first container to rid them of loose detritus and then place them in the second, clean container. when you're done, clean out the first container and prep it to be used as #2 was above. repeat as needed. a third container to add an extra rinse between the first two might not hurt either. depends on how much extra effort you really want to put into it.

jenglish · 03/27/2010, 04:46 PM

I find that the acid dip removing the outer layer of rock with the most bound PO4 can help if removing phosphates is the issue. Is this rock purcahsed dry or from a torn down tank?

wrott · 03/27/2010, 06:38 PM

You don't need to elevate temp. What you are doing by "cooking" is letting bacteria eat all organic matter in the rock, thus clearing out the microscopic pores deep in the rock. This makes the rock functional again as a biological filter. If PO4 was a problem, then the multiple WCs will do the trick. I've done it w/out dong WCs and works like a charm--takes ~4-6 months, water and rock very clean, just detritus on the bottom. Put a lid on a Brute w/ a couple of Koralias and may be a old Mag7--no heater required--if lid is tight, not much evaporation either. Eventually no life will exsist.

KromiX · 03/28/2010, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrott

You don't need to elevate temp. What you are doing by "cooking" is letting bacteria eat all organic matter in the rock, thus clearing out the microscopic pores deep in the rock. This makes the rock functional again as a biological filter. If PO4 was a problem, then the multiple WCs will do the trick. I've done it w/out dong WCs and works like a charm--takes ~4-6 months, water and rock very clean, just detritus on the bottom. Put a lid on a Brute w/ a couple of Koralias and may be a old Mag7--no heater required--if lid is tight, not much evaporation either. Eventually no life will exsist.

There is no way to speed up the process? How do you know when its done? Via a test? Smell? Color of water? Color of rocks?

03/27/2010, 04:06 PM	#1
KromiX V.I.P Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Miami Posts: 1,092	Cooking my dry rock, how-to and am I doing it right so far? So here is what I'm doing: I have all of my rock that I hose blasted and let dry in the sun for a couple of days sitting in a rubbermaid container with salwater, 2 powerheads, and a heater set to max at 88 degrees. My plan is to do weekly full water changes (emptying the rock, cleaning out the rubbermaid, and refilling)... I will do this until there is no smell, and a phosphate test reads 0 or low... Then I will begin my tank with this rock and add maybe 1 or 2 pieces of live rock from the store to "Seed", Sounds about right? Also, I have read that this cooking process can take up to 6 months, I would hope it will take less time, can it be ready in as little as a month or two, should the phosphate water test look good?

03/27/2010, 04:46 PM	#3
jenglish Marquis de Carabas Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,523	I find that the acid dip removing the outer layer of rock with the most bound PO4 can help if removing phosphates is the issue. Is this rock purcahsed dry or from a torn down tank? __________________ Jeremy Brown liquor never hurt anybody “Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse" Pierre-Simon Laplace I should want to cook him a simple meal, but I shouldn't want to cut into him, to tear the flesh, to wear the flesh, to be born unto new worlds where his flesh becomes my key. Current Tank Info: broken and dry

03/27/2010, 04:19 PM	#2
dwd5813 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: 813 Posts: 2,827	you might help yourself out a little by setting up a second container of the same type as the one you are cooking the rock in. fill this second container with the same equipment and saltwater and when you would normally be doing a water change just swirl the rocks in the first container to rid them of loose detritus and then place them in the second, clean container. when you're done, clean out the first container and prep it to be used as #2 was above. repeat as needed. a third container to add an extra rinse between the first two might not hurt either. depends on how much extra effort you really want to put into it. __________________ order some golf shoes, otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive. what can i say? in dog beers, i have only had one. - dublo8 Current Tank Info: 40B aiptasia farm

03/27/2010, 06:38 PM	#4
wrott Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,912	You don't need to elevate temp. What you are doing by "cooking" is letting bacteria eat all organic matter in the rock, thus clearing out the microscopic pores deep in the rock. This makes the rock functional again as a biological filter. If PO4 was a problem, then the multiple WCs will do the trick. I've done it w/out dong WCs and works like a charm--takes ~4-6 months, water and rock very clean, just detritus on the bottom. Put a lid on a Brute w/ a couple of Koralias and may be a old Mag7--no heater required--if lid is tight, not much evaporation either. Eventually no life will exsist.