PDA

View Full Version : how long to boil rock?


an411
02/21/2009, 12:32 PM
I got some live rock for free today but it is covered in bubble algae and the tank had a little bryopsis. Couple questions

How long should I boil the live rock for?

Will boiling kill off all the bubble algae?
iF there was any bryopsis will that also be killed by boiling?

Hop
02/21/2009, 12:49 PM
My take on things is that if your going to kill it all this way, why not just do soak them in vinegar and water overnight and then just cook them and start out with some nice po4 free base rock?

an411
02/21/2009, 01:05 PM
yeah that sounds like a safe method to assure everything is going to be dead. Now when adding this since everything is going to be dead I d not have to worry about any sort of mini cycle in the tank. Cause this rock will be going into an already established tank

billdogg
02/21/2009, 02:23 PM
scrub it well after the vinegar soak and you should be ok - get as much (all) the dead gunk off!

amstar
02/21/2009, 03:16 PM
when people say boil their live rock.. do they really mean boil the live rock?

what does this involve?

sjm817
02/21/2009, 03:36 PM
I had some BA infested rock. I put it in a big bin with water and some bleach and a power head and killed it all off. Rinsed, refilled and did the same with a water vinegar mix. Drained, rinsed again and let it dry out. Dead, but free of pests.

zooty
02/21/2009, 06:36 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14449501#post14449501 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by amstar
when people say boil their live rock.. do they really mean boil the live rock?

what does this involve?

I've never heard of "cooking" rock actually involving hot water or a stove.

zooty
02/21/2009, 06:39 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14450593#post14450593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zooty
I've never heard of "cooking" rock actually involving hot water or a stove.

On the other hand "cooking rock" actually sounds criminal :bum:

ludnix
02/21/2009, 06:51 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14449501#post14449501 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by amstar
when people say boil their live rock.. do they really mean boil the live rock?

what does this involve?

It can be done to totally eradicate any life on the rock, but I definately think they're some better methods than actually boiling it (which could be dangerous for a variety of reasons).

reefin82
02/21/2009, 06:55 PM
my tank has been over takin by hair algie what is a good way to get ride of it?

tkeracer619
02/21/2009, 08:43 PM
Do not boil rock in water! Cooking is a term used for putting live rock in a bin void of light and doing lots of 100% water changes over a few months. Whoever came up with the name needs to be hog tied =[.

To the op. If I were you I would put them in a bin with a water/bleach mix. .5 cup of bleach per 5 gallons or so of water. You can go stronger if you want.

The bleach will kill anything living on the rock. It will also eat a lot of the organic material but not all. You will need to cure the rock afterwards in a tub with saltwater and a powerhead for around a month. It helps to seed the rock with a peice of your current. It weill become live rock in a short amount of time.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14450735#post14450735 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefin82
my tank has been over takin by hair algie what is a good way to get ride of it?

You need to skim wet, make sure you have lots of large mexican turbo snails, start doing regular weekly water changes with 0 TDS RO/DI water. suck out as much algae as you can while doing the water change (even if you have to scrub it off with a toothbrush while syponing it, add a phosban reactor with phosban media, and be patient. It would probably be best for you to start your own thread so we can get more info on your system, parameters, and so on.

chucksta1
02/21/2009, 09:11 PM
Myself... I just put it in the microwave...

Seriously.. If it's just a couple of prices, put them in wet, nuke 'em until they are dry, then "cook" them... Fresh salt water, a power head and some bubbles, the trip through the nuker will significantly reduce the cooking time, as you've killed any bacterial activity in the rock. the salt water cooking will be quicker that trying to cook them out of the tank as is.

You'll land up with great base rock pieces in half the time..

chucksta1
02/21/2009, 09:16 PM
A good way to get rid of hair algae is to eliminate the food source. You either have phosphates or nitrates feeding them.

Everything tkeracer619 said is true.

Alaskan Reefer
02/21/2009, 09:52 PM
Another vote for bleach / vinegar -- I've done it successfully a couple times in a couple different tanks. You'll have to get over the toothpaste look that lasts a month or so after, but the rock comes out very clean.

sjm817
02/21/2009, 10:29 PM
Be sure not to mix bleach and vinegar. It releases chlorine gas.

tkeracer619
02/21/2009, 10:59 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14452151#post14452151 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sjm817
Be sure not to mix bleach and vinegar. It releases chlorine gas.

+1000%

Just bleach, do NOT use vinegar.

Heinz
02/21/2009, 11:20 PM
its amazing what ppl all do to LR,

boiling - vinegar- bleach,

whats next get your gun out and shoot it ?

i couldnt disagree more with all that,

cook your LR, which will help with algae problems,

but first of all, understand what cooking LR means,

it has nothing to do with - boiling - bleach or vinegar

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=437342



Originally posted by SeanT
Dave,
Sure thing.
But before I do I just want to say that Bomber instructed me how to do it several months ago and it works great. So it is his process that I am trying to make popular and cause fellow hobbyists a lot less heartache in the long term.
The purpose of "cooking" your rocks is to have tha bacteria consume all (or as much) organic material and PO4 stored on, and in, the rock as possible.

The first step to this is commitment.
You have to be willing to remove your rock from the tank.
It doesn't have to be all at once, but I feel if you are going to do this do it all. In stages if that is easier but make sure that all of it gets done.

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 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."

Here are the steps, if you have any questions I will try my best to answer them. What I don't know I am sure Bomber can/will instruct.

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 turnsq 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.
9. Cover the tub. Remember, we want total darkness.
10. Empty out buckets, restart circulation on main tank.
11. Wait.
12. 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 unti the next water change.
You will be utterly amazed at how much sand, silt, detrius is at the bottom of the tub and every bucket. It is amazing.

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 extablished. 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.




I hope this helps you out.
It really is a "miracle" and a low cost one at that.
The only monies spent are for salt and electricity for the powerheads which are nominal. Especially to rid yourself of Bryopsis.
Time and effort is all it akes. And really not that much effort.
I would say that 85% of my exposed rock had Bryopsis (hair algae) covering it.
There isn't a single visible strand on andy rocks in the tubs now.
Remember, the key is patience. Let this process run its course.

And a few last minute tidbits I remembered.
Your coralline will die back, receed 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.
Everytime I do a waterchange they are there and plentiful.

If you have any questions please ask.

Heinz
02/21/2009, 11:24 PM
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=485572&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

tkeracer619
02/21/2009, 11:32 PM
Bleaching rock is a time tested and proven method for killing bad things on it. Not bad to do at all IME. 50% of the rock in my tank was bleached and after 2 months in the tank after cycling you couldnt tell what had been bleached and what had not.

Thanks for posting the cooking instructions.

Alaskan Reefer
02/21/2009, 11:55 PM
No, you wouldn't want to bleach and vinegar at the same time. :)

And I agree, bleaching is an amazing thing to do to LR.

Plankt0s
03/05/2009, 01:13 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14452478#post14452478 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Heinz
its amazing what ppl all do to LR,

boiling - vinegar- bleach,

whats next get your gun out and shoot it ?






LOL, well said :rollface:

2farNorth
03/05/2009, 02:27 PM
I'm not sure what the big deal about boiling rock is..... I wanted to start fresh, so I boiled almost 70 lbs of live rock....

On the stove.... In pure RO/DI water....

It was no longer live, but that was what I wanted... a new start..... worked great..... it was basically dry base rock when I was done.....

It still needs to cure though, as you will not be able to flush all the dead organisms out of the rock...