Cooking live rock ??????

[MattDaReefer]

I have about 90lbs. of live rock from my system. It has some pests that I want to get rid of. I'm starting a new tank and want to use it in the new build. I have read and watched several things on the subject. I'm looking for any real world experience.

Thanks for your response

 

[cpschult]

I have about 90lbs. of live rock from my system. It has some pests that I want to get rid of. I'm starting a new tank and want to use it in the new build. I have read and watched several things on the subject. I'm looking for any real world experience.

Thanks for your response

I soaked some of mine in bleach. Killed everything. Worked well. Then used prime to counter it and rinsed in ro water.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I soaked some of mine in bleach. Killed everything. Worked well. Then used prime to counter it and rinsed in ro water.

Yeah but then it's not live rock anymore

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I have about 90lbs. of live rock from my system. It has some pests that I want to get rid of. I'm starting a new tank and want to use it in the new build. I have read and watched several things on the subject. I'm looking for any real world experience.

Thanks for your response

What kind of pests?

 

[MattDaReefer]

That is what I don't want!

 

[MattDaReefer]

What kind of pests?

Shrooms, Nems, vermint snails, aptaisa mainly.

 

[aSaltyKlown]

A bleach bath will work fine or muriatic acid. I'd go with a bleach bath. Then cure it for a few weeks before putting it into the new tank.

You could put it in a plastic storage bin with tank or fresh salt water and leave it in darkness for a few weeks, keeping it topped off and checking for ammonia. But this is not guaranteed to get rid of everything like bleach or acid.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Shrooms, Nems, vermint snails, aptaisa mainly.

Those are definitely tougher ones... regarding the aiptasia, the one thing I've found that actually works amazingly well is squirting concentrated kalkwasser into them...they just melt away. You could take each piece out and put them in a bucked so you can pick the rock up and more easily squirt the paste in their mouths. If you're talking more about manjanos, I've noticed that they will migrate to the highest light source so if you stack the rocks in sort of a "peak" they'll almost all migrate to the one highest rock which you can treat or just simply remove with the majority of them on there. Aiptasia doesn't seem to respond the same way unfortunately.

 

[taricha]

Shrooms, Nems, vermint snails, aptaisa mainly.

Why not just store it circulating in a dark tub for an extended time?
Those pests will fade and you'll end up with something better than brand new rock.

 

[Rmckoy]

If this is a new system you’re starting and planning on using these rocks .
I would set it up and run prior to adding any livestock .

aptasia is easily taken care of with kalk paste .
The rest I would leave in the system

 

[Cell]

If this is a new system you’re starting and planning on using these rocks .
I would set it up and run prior to adding any livestock .

aptasia is easily taken care of with kalk paste .
The rest I would leave in the system

Undesirable shrooms and pest nems in your new system?

 

[Cell]

You can do what Taricha suggested, which will maintain your live rock but it would require more maintenance, ie periodic water changes, and something may slip through anyway.

The quicker way would be soaking in bleach 1:10 for a week or so, followed by a good rinse and allow to fully dry. This will reset the rock and kill everything.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

You can do what Taricha suggested, which will maintain your live rock but it would require more maintenance, ie periodic water changes, and something may slip through anyway.

The quicker way would be soaking in bleach 1:10 for a week or so, followed by a good rinse and allow to fully dry. This will reset the rock and kill everything.

That is what I don't want!

I could definitely be wrong but based on OPs earlier post that i just quoted i think he intends to use the live rock because it's live

 

[lopez052308]

Make sure there no palys or zoas on your rock.

 

[jimk60]

Make sure there no palys or zoas on your rock.

Why?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Why?

I'm curious as well...

 

[Rmckoy]

Make sure there no palys or zoas on your rock.

I believe the term cook isn’t meant to actually boil them but to cure them ?

because palytoxin is real . I would assume no one would actually boil or aerosolize in any way .

 

[fish farmer]

I would think the vermetids would survive in a dark vat, I've seen them in pvc pipes.

Would a high or low saline bath coupled with a dark period work, maintain the bacteria and nuke everything else?

 

[cpschult]

Shrooms, Nems, vermint snails, aptaisa mainly.

So you want to remove the pests and keep it live rock? The darkness will work for most pests. It will take a long time. As others mentioned darkness + spot treatments with kalk might work. Doesn’t guarantee you will get all the pests. If I had rock with a lot of aptasia I’d nuke it personally. If it’s just a few aptasia you can treat but it’s a pest I’ve struggled with once it starts to multiply.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I still think unless you're just completely overun with aiptasia and everything else under the sun Kalk is the way to go...just take care of the primary and worst pests and let the tank evolve how tanks do...you're going to reintroduce the pests one way or another regardless.