Should I cook?

newfiereefer1 · 11/08/2013, 06:31 PM

Good day all,

I've got an 80 gal display with about 100 lbs of live rock. The rock was purchased from someone leaving the hobby. He purchased it from someone before that. Bottom line, I don't know how old the rock is or how it was cared for prior to me owning it.

I've had the system for about two years now.

From the start I've had off and on issues with nuissance algae. I've gone through cyano, green hair, diatoms and now lobophora etc. I am also getting this long stringy brownish algae which attaches to the glass with a whitish round nodule.

Systems runs a remote sump with coralife 125 skimmer, fuge with cheato and caulerpa, carbon and gfo and 2 part dosing. about 25-30% water change per month. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on how busy we are......

Params are good. Only one I don't test for is phosphate. Given my algae issue I know they are likely high.

If I change my gfo frequently I don't have any issue. If I let it go more than a week or so the brown stringy algae come back quite rapidly. Seems to me that GFO should last more than one week......

I am at my wits end and it's making me want to leave the hobby.

Questions is do you think I can manage this any better?

Will cooking my rock solve this?

Any ideas please!!!! Very frustrated.....

Dan

dppitone · 11/08/2013, 09:08 PM

Please don't cook the rock, IMO that's blasphemy. I'd bet anything that you have phosphate. Go to the LFS and get three things, (I'm guessing your system is less than 100 gallons): 1 qt Kent Phosphate Sponge, one quart Seachem Phosguard, one filter sock. Put the Kent Sponge in the sock per the directions and put it in a high flow area or over a drainage tube to the sump and leave it for 36 hours. That will get the phosphates down to the manageable range. Then empty it out of the sock and pour the Seachem in there, and put it in the same place for a month or two - it will maintain the low phosphate. You can do the aforementioned method, or you can get a media reactor like the Little Fishies Phosban 150.

andrzadr000 · 11/08/2013, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dppitone

Please don't cook the rock, IMO that's blasphemy. I'd bet anything that you have phosphate. Go to the LFS and get three things, (I'm guessing your system is less than 100 gallons): 1 qt Kent Phosphate Sponge, one quart Seachem Phosguard, one filter sock. Put the Kent Sponge in the sock per the directions and put it in a high flow area or over a drainage tube to the sump and leave it for 36 hours. That will get the phosphates down to the manageable range. Then empty it out of the sock and pour the Seachem in there, and put it in the same place for a month or two - it will maintain the low phosphate. You can do the aforementioned method, or you can get a media reactor like the Little Fishies Phosban 150.

+1dont ever cook your liverock. There was a recent incident when a fellow reefer cooked his live rock, same day ended up in the hospital with poisoning.

Duvallj · 11/09/2013, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrzadr000

+1dont ever cook your liverock. There was a recent incident when a fellow reefer cooked his live rock, same day ended up in the hospital with poisoning.

Off topic but you have the link to that?

I also wouldn't cook the rock, especially in an established system. I agree providing a very low phosphate system would help. Only problem is if the rock has absobed a good amount of phosphate then it could keep taping out your gfo (and it ain't cheap).

Many people have had good sucess with lanthanum chloride. I personally haven't tried it, but after some research you can decide if you want to try it. I think in your case it may be cheaper.

Breadman03 · 11/09/2013, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duvallj

Off topic but you have the link to that?

LMGTFY link

I think you will find it somewhere in these results. I'd dig more but I've got to head off to work. The issue with cooking is that it vaporizes toxins.

newfiereefer1 · 11/09/2013, 08:25 AM

Thanks for the responses guys. By cook, I don't mean boiling them in a pot of water. I mean placing them in a dark container and doing frequent water changes. I have read threads on other forums about it.

I am currently running BRS gfo which I change every week or so. Will that accomplish the same thing as the other products you mentioned?

The incident you refer to occurred because there was residual zooanthid tissue on the rock. They contain palothoxins(not sure about spelling) which is believed to be one of the most toxic substances on earth. When he boiled the rocks they released the toxins.

Dan

RandoReefer · 11/09/2013, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duvallj

Off topic but you have the link to that?

I also wouldn't cook the rock, especially in an established system. I agree providing a very low phosphate system would help. Only problem is if the rock has absobed a good amount of phosphate then it could keep taping out your gfo (and it ain't cheap).

Many people have had good sucess with lanthanum chloride. I personally haven't tried it, but after some research you can decide if you want to try it. I think in your case it may be cheaper.

Here's a link to where a man and his family ended up in the hospital.... http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...ling+live+rock

SDguy · 11/09/2013, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newfiereefer1

Thanks for the responses guys. By cook, I don't mean boiling them in a pot of water. I mean placing them in a dark container and doing frequent water changes. I have read threads on other forums about it.

I've done this with my rock. It works well. Sort of gives you a clean slate to start with.

I had no idea people actually thought "cooking rock" meant boiling it!

dppitone · 11/09/2013, 01:24 PM

You may want to do a phosphate test. I don't understand how you could have that kind of algae if your running phosphate media and nitrates are low. Something doesn't add up. I haven't used that GFO but I believe it should last for 1 or 2 months between changes.

newfiereefer1 · 11/10/2013, 05:15 PM

I haven't got a reliable phosphate test kit. My guess is that the phosphate has been absorbed into the rock over time. Now that it is saturated it has started releasing it.

phillrodrigo · 11/10/2013, 06:08 PM

You could cook the rock(not actually cook it putting it in a pail of salt water with a heater power head) and let it purge itself. It works well but smells horrible and anything will die. If I remember right from my reading you could also run it in a tank with no sand and it will purge itself. I cooked a pretty large piece it takes about a month it cought right up with the rest of my rock with the growth of coralline in a few weeks.

phillrodrigo · 11/10/2013, 06:10 PM

By boiling the harmful part is if there are some types of zoanathids on it. The cooking process releases paly toxins which are bad. It why everyone says to wear gloves and goggles while fragging zoas.

ajcanale · 11/10/2013, 08:34 PM

Any other Breaking Bad fans click this thread to see exactly what it was about?!?

11/08/2013, 06:31 PM	#1
newfiereefer1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Newfoundland Posts: 10	Should I cook? Good day all, I've got an 80 gal display with about 100 lbs of live rock. The rock was purchased from someone leaving the hobby. He purchased it from someone before that. Bottom line, I don't know how old the rock is or how it was cared for prior to me owning it. I've had the system for about two years now. From the start I've had off and on issues with nuissance algae. I've gone through cyano, green hair, diatoms and now lobophora etc. I am also getting this long stringy brownish algae which attaches to the glass with a whitish round nodule. Systems runs a remote sump with coralife 125 skimmer, fuge with cheato and caulerpa, carbon and gfo and 2 part dosing. about 25-30% water change per month. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on how busy we are...... Params are good. Only one I don't test for is phosphate. Given my algae issue I know they are likely high. If I change my gfo frequently I don't have any issue. If I let it go more than a week or so the brown stringy algae come back quite rapidly. Seems to me that GFO should last more than one week...... I am at my wits end and it's making me want to leave the hobby. Questions is do you think I can manage this any better? Will cooking my rock solve this? Any ideas please!!!! Very frustrated..... Dan

11/10/2013, 08:34 PM	#13
ajcanale Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Memphis 10 Posts: 1,098	Any other Breaking Bad fans click this thread to see exactly what it was about?!? __________________ If the spirit moves ya, let me groove ya Current Tank Info: 150g Starphire Pensinula SPS

11/08/2013, 09:08 PM	#2
dppitone Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Queen Village, Phila. Posts: 1,697	Please don't cook the rock, IMO that's blasphemy. I'd bet anything that you have phosphate. Go to the LFS and get three things, (I'm guessing your system is less than 100 gallons): 1 qt Kent Phosphate Sponge, one quart Seachem Phosguard, one filter sock. Put the Kent Sponge in the sock per the directions and put it in a high flow area or over a drainage tube to the sump and leave it for 36 hours. That will get the phosphates down to the manageable range. Then empty it out of the sock and pour the Seachem in there, and put it in the same place for a month or two - it will maintain the low phosphate. You can do the aforementioned method, or you can get a media reactor like the Little Fishies Phosban 150.

11/09/2013, 08:25 AM	#6
newfiereefer1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Newfoundland Posts: 10	Thanks for the responses guys. By cook, I don't mean boiling them in a pot of water. I mean placing them in a dark container and doing frequent water changes. I have read threads on other forums about it. I am currently running BRS gfo which I change every week or so. Will that accomplish the same thing as the other products you mentioned? The incident you refer to occurred because there was residual zooanthid tissue on the rock. They contain palothoxins(not sure about spelling) which is believed to be one of the most toxic substances on earth. When he boiled the rocks they released the toxins. Dan

11/09/2013, 01:24 PM	#9
dppitone Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Queen Village, Phila. Posts: 1,697	You may want to do a phosphate test. I don't understand how you could have that kind of algae if your running phosphate media and nitrates are low. Something doesn't add up. I haven't used that GFO but I believe it should last for 1 or 2 months between changes.

11/10/2013, 05:15 PM	#10
newfiereefer1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Newfoundland Posts: 10	I haven't got a reliable phosphate test kit. My guess is that the phosphate has been absorbed into the rock over time. Now that it is saturated it has started releasing it.

11/10/2013, 06:08 PM	#11
phillrodrigo Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: quaker hill ct Posts: 2,433	You could cook the rock(not actually cook it putting it in a pail of salt water with a heater power head) and let it purge itself. It works well but smells horrible and anything will die. If I remember right from my reading you could also run it in a tank with no sand and it will purge itself. I cooked a pretty large piece it takes about a month it cought right up with the rest of my rock with the growth of coralline in a few weeks.

11/10/2013, 06:10 PM	#12
phillrodrigo Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: quaker hill ct Posts: 2,433	By boiling the harmful part is if there are some types of zoanathids on it. The cooking process releases paly toxins which are bad. It why everyone says to wear gloves and goggles while fragging zoas.