Post by coralreefer on Jul 19, 2007 17:10:05 GMT -5
What exactly is curing and cooking live rock? What is the point.
Explanation by Jerel/Spanky who introduced cooking rock.
This is from a thread on The Reef Tank
thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87408&highlight=cooking+live+rock
The thread also addresses a couple misconceptions and myth-information that are associated with cooking ie. low flow total dark etc.
Unfortunately The Think Tank is a member only forum so you need to join TRT to read the thread. However it's a fantastic board and the think tank has a lot of really in depth threads/discussions by several advanced and experienced reefers.
Oh yeah a direct link to TRT is thereeftank.com/forums/home.php?
Explanation by Jerel/Spanky who introduced cooking rock.
The point is that all live rocks comes loaded in phosphate, it's just the nature of the beast. You can either use a DSB, and as the rock sheds store it there, or clean the rock before you use it. Curing is the first step, letting things die off and the bacterial levels get established in the rock. Where the rock is no longer producing ammonia, etc but performing the ammonia reduction cycle.
Cooking, is taking it to the next level and using those bacteria to migrate phosphates out of the rock. The object is to not introduce phosphates (like you would do with using cured rock, feeding fish, introducing things into the system that would die and release phosphate) and keep the water column low in phosphate. That forces the bacteria to use it's only source of phosphate, the phosphate in the rock. Bacteria will migrate that phosphate out. You will see it as bacterial detritus in the bottom of the tub.
The fastest way is to flush the rock out by dunking, swishing, draining as much detritus out as you can each time, and starting over with clean water each time.
Yes, you need a lot of circulation. Treat it just like it's alive, it is.
No, a skimmer will not cut it.
Done properly, you will not lose the life on the rocks at all. You will just lose the phosphate.
Cooking, is taking it to the next level and using those bacteria to migrate phosphates out of the rock. The object is to not introduce phosphates (like you would do with using cured rock, feeding fish, introducing things into the system that would die and release phosphate) and keep the water column low in phosphate. That forces the bacteria to use it's only source of phosphate, the phosphate in the rock. Bacteria will migrate that phosphate out. You will see it as bacterial detritus in the bottom of the tub.
The fastest way is to flush the rock out by dunking, swishing, draining as much detritus out as you can each time, and starting over with clean water each time.
Yes, you need a lot of circulation. Treat it just like it's alive, it is.
No, a skimmer will not cut it.
Done properly, you will not lose the life on the rocks at all. You will just lose the phosphate.
This is from a thread on The Reef Tank
thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87408&highlight=cooking+live+rock
The thread also addresses a couple misconceptions and myth-information that are associated with cooking ie. low flow total dark etc.
Unfortunately The Think Tank is a member only forum so you need to join TRT to read the thread. However it's a fantastic board and the think tank has a lot of really in depth threads/discussions by several advanced and experienced reefers.
Oh yeah a direct link to TRT is thereeftank.com/forums/home.php?