How to "cook" your rock.

[SeanT]

Here is the process.

The purpose of "cooking" your rocks is to have the 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 do 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."
6. Saltwater, enough made up to follow the instructions below and to replenish your tank after removing rocks.

Here are the steps:
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 turns 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. Only one powerhead per tub is needed. Remember the powerheads main responsibility is the oxygenation of the water.
10. Cover the tub. Remember, we want TOTAL darkness.
11. Empty out buckets, restart circulation on main tank.
12. Wait.
13. 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 until the next water change.
You will be utterly amazed at how much sand, silt, detritus is at the bottom of the tub and every bucket. It is amazing.
At times the stench was so strong I gagged.

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 established. 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 would say that 85% of my exposed rock had Bryopsis (hair algae) covering it.
There isn't a single visible strand on any rocks my tank 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, recede 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.
Every time I do a water change they are there and plentiful.
Remember, once you place your rock back into your tank you will need a specialized cleanup crew.
I recommend Astrea's and Cerith's, 2 to 1.
-Astrea's are great at harvesting algae.
-Cerith's are great at harvesting other algae - and - astrea poop.
-Cerith's will make the astrea poop easier for you to harvest with a skimmer.


But remember, you do not need to run a barebottom tank to benefit from rock "cooking".
hth,
Sean

[Orion76]

I have recently completed the whole DSB to BB conversion and rock cooking process.

The rock cooking has been very beneficial indeed and I am glad I did it, but if I could do it again the one thing I would have done differently is instead of taking my existing rock and cooking it, I would have gotten new rock and cooked that leaving my tank untouched until the process had been completed.

Once completed I would have torn down the tank, dumped the old rock, dumped the DSB and built my new aqua scape with the new cooked rock in one breath. I think this would have caused a lot less stress to my corals (and me ).

Just another approach people can consider if they are about to make the conversion from DSB to BB and are trying to decide wether or not to cook their rocks .

[SeanT]

Good thoughts. That would be easier in the long run.

[trueblackpercula]

looking forward to joining the team soon. Just can't find the time to finish building the stand and sump.

[clockwork]

Hi guys. Hi SeanT.....

[SeanT]

Hi TBR.

[jlscrug]

Sean T,
Glad to have you here! I read your above post...over 'there'...back in August. Since then I have cooked one batch and am now on my second. Totally amazed how much organics are released in the process. I have a tank entered in the 'Nano Build-off' here on TRT that will be the recipient of all the fresh clean rock. Haven't put water in yet as we are in the process of moving, but the end result of 'cooking' is astounding. Thanks!

[SeanT]

You are quite welcome.

[Orion76]

Originally Posted by SeanT

Good thoughts. That would be easier in the long run.

The kicker is that for all the rock I cooked, I ended up using only about 30% in the new aquascape mainly the flat pieces. If only we knew the future

[realhiphop]

Just wanted to say hi all. I've followed Sean T's cooking process for some time, and after fighting bryopsis for too long, I've decided to cook my rock. I only have a 10 gallon, which probably made it a little easier. Boy does this process use up a lot of water. For some reason my RO/DI is only producing a full gallon around every 45 minutes. That problem belongs in another forum! Just wanted to say hi.

[dkh0331]

After a lengthy (7 months) of rock cooking, my tank will be back up and running in a few weeks. When I get everything back up and running, should I slowly increase my lighting period to avoid an algea breakout? Zero livestock (corals or fish)

And should I add my cleanup crew as soon as I start back up?

David

[SeanT]

Hi Realhiphop.

David, yes add a cleanup crew right away.
With nothing in the tank I wouldn't light it at all...waste of money.

Sean

[dkh0331]

Originally Posted by SeanT

Hi Realhiphop.

David, yes add a cleanup crew right away.
With nothing in the tank I wouldn't light it at all...waste of money.

Sean

Thanks Sean,
I ws planning on running the tank for a week or two w/o lights, but when I do get ready for corals, should I bring them on slowly before adding?

Thanks

David

[pwest]

Two questions on cooking: salinity and temperature. I assume I don't need a 1.025 salinity level for rock cooking. To save a little money on salt, how low can I go. Also what about the temp--should I shoot for 75 degrees F or so, or might something else be better?

Thanks,
Phil

[Orion76]

Sean might correct me on this but things happen faster at higher temperatures so I think between 80 and 82 degrees F would be ideal.