Cooking Live Rock The Right Way, not the wrong way

[@Mindboggle100]

Mel, very clear explanation of a confusing term! Thanks for taking the time to put this video together :-) It really helps when people like yourself go the extra mile, to help others... I appreciate it & have learn't the basics of reefing through KZbin.

[@MadHattersReef]

I heard of guys ending up in the ER because of boiling live rock on the stove. Great video Marc! Leave it to you to cover a topic no one has, here on KZbin.

[@melevsreef]

I wondered if anyone did it yet, but I didn't actually check.

[@HWolfe]

I lived in Florida and was by the seashore(not swimming of course) when it literally hit me..the 'it' being the air from Red Tide...the 'hit' a bad reaction...omgosh😣 I was a hot mess. Didn't wind up in the hospital but I was miserable for the rest of the night. I am glad this video was made by you. The sea has wonders but it doesn't play. Tfs!

[@gerrytrottier7098]

Hey Marc. I had four knee operations so I couldn't take care of my tank for over 18 months. Nitrates and phosphates were through the roof and I had turf algae everywhere. I cooked 125 pounds in a garbage can for five months before I was satisfied. I swished each rock 30-40 times in three buckets each before putting them in a dark can. I tested NO3 and PO4 regularly. Once I was happy I did not want to go through that again with the next 125 pounds, so I bleached the second half of my rock. The process worked but my situation was extreme. Great video. This process works.

[@melevsreef]

That was a lot of work indeed. How's your knee now?

[@gerrytrottier7098]

Both knees are 85-90% better. I am ecstatic with my recovery. Thanks for asking. I am a big fan. Keep up the good work.

[@dusk1947]

I just started getting my first Salt Water tank together and am so excited that I have my first pieces of live rock curing in the tank while I continue to build the sump and save for the lights. Unfortunately, I spent the three days following my purchase spending time identifying all the fun things coming out of it: Feather dusters, Aiptasia, and Asterina starfish.... Great start! Thank you for the excellent video. I'm gona go cook it

[@ReefSpy]

Every time I watch one of you videos I feel I learn something new. Thank you and keep up the good work!

[@melevsreef]

I'm glad for that. I always hope to include some small snippet that makes the viewing beneficial even to someone that has been in the hobby for quite some time.

[@andywoolloo]

So glad you made this video! From reading forums people really do think cooking is boiling

[@melevsreef]

Now you can share this video in any of those threads. :)

[@feedthatreefaddiction1508]

Wonder how many people will stumble on this bc they want to 'cook rock' lol

[@melevsreef]

+FeedThatReefAddiction lol

[@bfbaquaculture]

hehe

[@guser436]

well it happened im here i was looking for a video on cooking pyura chilensis but i guess this was interesting content too

[@Justthemow]

Red and black phosphorus petroleum either Pseudoephedrine

[@lootznbootz4588]

I laughed every time I heard him say "cooking live rock" because of this comment 😂

[@TheReefingWulf]

Extremely informative! Keep up with the great videos! Loved the blooper LOL!!

[@RogueAquariums]

Great how video Marc on how to preserve and keep your rock clean and cycle it in case you want to use it again.

[@BearNecessitiesOfLife]

I didn't know when I was going to get my 125 build - I got rock close to a year ago, it's been in a 40 gallon brute trash can with a power head and heater. I made some salt water and have topped it off every so often. I am planning on testing my water but I haven't seen any aptasia on it in the past month or so. The water looks crystal clear and I don't see any signs of life in there so im curious how the water parameters are. I got this from some random person on CL who used it in his tank. I am glad I went this route though and didn't use acid or anything else. Was simple and easy and worked out great for me who needed time to work on getting everything ready for the 125.

[@melevsreef]

You did exactly the right thing, and you're good to go. :)

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

Great video Marc, on how to clean and cycle live rock. Best always!

[@NanoJoe]

Great video! Very quick to the point and still informal and practical.

[@melevsreef]

Got it done in less than 30 minutes (of me talking) for once. lol

[@NanoJoe]

melevsreef hell yeah! *high five*

[@SharbucklesReef]

Great information Mark. Ive "cooked" my new rock for three months now. I think its time to set this new tank up!

[@melevsreef]

Do it! :)

[@DJ_LittlePea]

This was really informational you did an exceptional job .... the ending was awesome 🤗

[@hokemspitter]

I have a sump which is a 75 gallon tank, with some poorly constructed baffles. I would love to see a how to break down a sump on a running system and put in baffles with the least pain.

[@dinglehammer]

Glad you made this video. palytoxin and maitotoxin are not things you want to expose yourself to, and boiling rock is a good way to potentially expose EVERYONE in your house to such compounds, pets included.

[@MarioNetasZz661]

I was torching the heck outta my live rock ..this was like 3yrs ago so I'm ok now ...great vid..

[@PaulBlaney]

Awesome vid very well done and explained things great couldn't have been better

[@gt500shelby9]

Yes, i agree. i dipped for six weeks with lugols twice, did not do much but killed all the color. Revive made them freak out. Bayer killed them. I toke them all to the edge of death. brown almost white. So i put them back into main tank not sure any thing was going to live. surprisingly everything is coming back very slowly. melanurus wrasse are my new best friend.

[@maineway1999]

On your question for the views that your channel gets, I think people like to see set up videos, build videos, updates and basically anything that has to actually do with the livestock and upkeep of your current tanks

[@00Mass00]

I wanted to confirm the part that you DO NOT want to boil or put a rock with Zoa's or Palythoa's in RO water. I know a guy who almost died from that (hospitalized at intensive care) , together with his son and even his dog.. Palytoxin is no joke. Personally I would never boil rocks, Just buy dry rock.

[@melevsreef]

Correct, don't boil it. Don't even scrub the rock indoors where your air is limited - you want lots of fresh air for a project like that.

[@00Mass00]

melevsreef Great video by the way!

[@Blackbookproduct10ns]

Wish I knew this before! I let some extra rock sit out in the sun and dry first. Now it's been doing exactly what you said for the past year almost. But it's totally dead.

[@Blackbookproduct10ns]

I didn't realize you can kill the unwanted stuff without killing the rock.

[@COOPERSCICHILDS]

Excellent video but it's there a such thing as live fresh water rock? great video

[@melevsreef]

I don't know, sorry.

[@kenhickey4730]

Thank you Melev, I have Hair algae and I am thinking it is due to Marco Rocks having Phosphate. I will place some of my smaller rocks in a bucket and try this process.

[@melevsreef]

Let me know how that goes. Can you set up a skimmer with that bucket somehow?

[@kenhickey4730]

No skimmer for the bucket, :-(

[@melevsreef]

You can give it a shot. Maybe dose the water with circulation, then let it settle with no flow, remove the rocks shaking them off well in the water, and place them in a new bucket of water. Or if you have a canister filter... Or if you can rig a filter sock (I sell the 10micron socks) to trap the flocculant, using a small powerhead to push water up into the sock and drain back down into the bucket.

[@ekimlicata8713]

Hey maybe you can do a video on your past tanks. That would be really cool. Nice yard by the way.

[@melevsreef]

I will do that in about two years. :)

[@justicemcclendon680]

I'm going to have a 32 gallon nano from coral life and I need wise live stock choices because I'm about to be a reefer and I have a 55 freshwater that been running for 2 years so I know about aquariums.

[@nyc42otoker]

Did u clean and treat the 55 gal blue bin before u use it if so with what i have two i wanna clean to use not sure what was in it but want to be sire

[@cyngravatt123]

Thanks, your response was super helpful. I can break up the rock and see if I can find people to take them. I don’t know anyone that has a reef and I live in an area that has no fish stores....except one over an hour away. How would I go about shipping it to private parties that want some. Will it die in the winter? Thanks for your help.

[@melevsreef]

If you wanted to ship corals to anyone, it would be handled exactly how the fish stores receive their orders. Carefully packed in bags of water, packed in styrofoam coolers with heat packs, shipped overnight to limit time out of the aquarium... Lots of work. I only tend to ship corals during spring and fall when the weather is the mildest.

[@mujacko2002]

would you recommend dipping also the "cooked" live rock in hydrogen perox or any chems to disinfect live rocks? Or just doing what you do is enough?

[@eldridgehenry2]

ok this is great if you have used rock but what about new rock. will this work with pukani as well?

[@frankl1024]

Thanks for another very informative video!

[@Cerg64]

This was an awesome video! Thank you! I may have missed it but will cooking my rock for an extended period rid it of majanos? We are moving next year and I want to keep my rock for my 125gal. I want to streamline my 75gal. Now for more space for better flow and coral display. Thank you !!

[@melevsreef]

The longer the rock simmers in total darkness, the fewer any pests can survive. Manjanos are a real pain, but they are attracted to light. You might be able to rig a small light shining through a hole in the lid, which in theory they'd move to get to. And if that worked well, you could even move the light to shine on the wall of your container perhaps so they'd migrate to that area for easier removal. Regardless, they will definitely climb to the highest point to get to light, so perhaps they would gather on a single rock. The rest would be manjano free, and you'd focus your efforts on that one rock.

[@Cerg64]

melevsreef Perfect! Thank you for the help!

[@jameshamelin2969]

Awesome video, just a quick question. I did everything you said and it's been over 8 weeks, can I use this rock in a established reef tank?

[@melevsreef]

Yes!

[@BearNecessitiesOfLife]

This is amazing information. I am curious though. for the saltwater, should it be RODI mixed with salt or would tap water/dechlorinated be okay for this process? Going to assume that i'd want RO to remove anything from the tap. But thought I would ask any ways. Again thank you, I was close to just tossing it all in some vinegar.

[@melevsreef]

I would use RO/DI & salt to make 1.026sg saltwater. The more pure your water, the better. You are trying to drop the nutrients trapped in the rock, so using water that contains chlorine or phosphate or nitrate would be working against the process.

[@XtraKargo]

Does anyone know if the brittle stars could survive this, or would they starve out? I have some cyano, bubble algae and some Texas Trash pallies I'd like to see gone, but would hate to waste a good live rock. Thank you!

[@melevsreef]

They would live for a while, but the cooking process eliminates food and light usually, so they likely would starve out. If you added food, aiptasia, manjanos etc would continue living.

[@malawimaya]

How can I kill vermitid snails on live rock without killing everything else on it @melevsreef???

[@leeandmandybattersby5958]

Loved this video you should do more like this 👍👍👍👍

[@duffy1298]

Would you mind explaining your take on starting a reef tank? As far as cycling and first animals you'd recommend? Thanks

[@melevsreef]

+duffy1298 Did you watch the cycling video yet?

[@genehall8895]

I have a barrel of old live rock that has been dead and dry for years .Is it safe to use ,and if so how should it be cleaned and or processed before i can use it for base rock?

[@tsurro8086]

Usually do something similar to this , but I new build I used pukani rock and is leaching phosphates like crazy in my display while still cycling like .68!

[@DeeFromBrooklyn]

Great video Mark, I've definitely vinegar treated to get rid of an aiptasia infestated rock..

[@pamkonen8593]

have rock thats been sitting out in dark basement. I cooked it for 3 weeks just as u showed, can I put in tank I'm starting brand new tank....need to cycle....

[@davileett1224]

I cook live rock with bleach water. Rinse well and soak in water with a lot of dechlorinator. Rinse and repeat a few times.

[@melevsreef]

It's really not cooking at that point, you're giving your rock a bleach bath. And after it's been bleached, there's no life left and it will need to be re-seeded with pods, bacteria, and coralline algae.

[@rrrreefer9721]

How can I get a call with you on some advice. I have a new tank just set up, running tank with all of my livestock, and a 40 gallon QT that's not set up yet. I need my live rock out to aquascape the new tank but have nems and coral everywhere. The fish won't have live rock to handle the ammonia. Just really need your help on possible logistics of handling the livestock and setup. Thanks and love your channel.

[@melevsreef]

Send me your phone number via Contact Us on my website, and include a good time of day to speak. I offer consultation as well, if you need more than a few questions answered.

[@thingwhatever]

I just bought some coral from the pawnshop. Not sure if it’s live or not. But it’s going to be put in my 90gal freshwater tank. Will this process in the video make the coral safe for freshwater⁉️ Thanks‼️

[@melevsreef]

Odds are it's dead, pawn shops don't sell livestock. You can leave it in the sun for a week or so, then soak it in tapwater before you put it your aquarium.

[@daveonbass79]

Great video as usual. Just one silly question...why is "ELECTRICITY" backwards on your shirt?

[@melevsreef]

;) That's how it is when you mix the two. www.melevsreef.com/node/1769

[@daveonbass79]

melevsreef Interesting...i never looked into that. thanks.

[@MHoran86]

so the process would be the same for dry rock/Marco Rock I just aquascaped? Better to cook it in a bin for 6-8 weeks, then in my tank? Assuming this means once I transfer the cooked rock over, with some added biomedia from an already running tank I have, the cycle process should be somewhat short?

[@melevsreef]

You can definitely get the rock going now before it goes in the tank, submerging it in saltwater with good flow. Add some Live Rock Enhance (available on my site) to seed the rock with beneficial bacteria. Do some water changes because dry rock often times contains phosphate. Then once the tank is ready to set up, you can put that rock in the aquarium with some life. You can use the Dry Rock Starter kit (Brightwell product; also on my website) to do a quicker cycle.

[@andrewgonzalez3970]

Hey man you think this option would work for a vermitted snail outbreak??

[@rebeldeasupoder92]

Do you use ZEOvit Media in your aquarium? Why or Why not? and If you do, What would yo suggest after the media is used? Can it be "recycle" some how?

[@melainkinney7213]

Great video i got 60 pound live used rock some had aiptasia on them those i tossed away . but being scared it was in the tank . i set the 60 pounds i kept outside in the sun /cold it's winter time here cleaned it with ro di water . i hated to do that but aiptasia scared me so much the tank had these tiny aiptasia believe there tiny star fish looking .. . so set it out doors for 4 weeks brought it in 2 week ago and began mix ixing and cooking it in bucket (per your video ) of fresh salt water room temp circulating . Plan to leave it covered 2 more weeks that is were i love it when you said u store it forever in your own home .. so can i expect that any hitch hikers will not be there when i'm ready in 2 to 4 weeks to use this rock . it was a grab these rock now the guy was moving take it all deal free .. came with fish there fine shape normally i resist impulse . guess my bottom question should i cure the rock even longer since i know history of the rock or cut my loss just enjoy nice tangs i got and be happy ?

[@tkiefer72]

For bad aiptasia infestation would you recommend killing/sterilizing/sun drying the rock for a couple weeks/or something similar to kill all spores (just to be safe), then "cook" cooking the rock or after the drying out process should you just cyre/cycle the rock? Basically what is the best way to make sure there is no aiptasia? I have no problem being patience on the back end to re-cycle the rock as long as i know that darn pest is gone! Especially if I am completely tearing down the tank to move... I would want to make sure I started fresh. Thanks

[@melevsreef]

There are a few predators you could put in a vat with the rock during the cooking process. Peppermint shrimp for example. I just ordered a new laser last night to replace the one I bought three years ago, and this one is 4x as strong. Can't wait to cook any aiptasia I can find, and do an update video. :) Aiptasia X would work, Berghia nudibranchs are another method... I don't really see the benefit to drying out rock in the sun ever. Those 'spores' you mentioned can hibernate pretty well, only to return later once water conditions are back to normal.

[@adiroy265]

Quick question, when do you generally introduced the rock to an established aquarium? I am it's been a month since my 40 pound rock is curing , still have high nitrate, do you look for absolutely zero in everything then introduce to the tank or any other way, thanks--

[@Dean_O.]

Marc, would changing the water more frequently speed up the cooking process? If the rock is sitting in water with high ammonia, phosphate etc., would it make sense to change the water more frequently? thanks.

[@melevsreef]

Actually, if the rock is high ammonia, you don't want to change the water at all because it is going through a cycle. You need it to go through the A-N-N stages, then you can change water weekly if you wish.

[@Healeyjet]

Would you ever risk putting new live rock direct from the ocean into a new aquarium? I am willing to wait for hitchhikers to appear and deal with them but is the risk of other pests worth the reward?

[@daniel69284]

I have a question please .. What about cooking rock in a garage during summer in TX ( 100 degrees out side). I am cooking rock now and the water in my Brute trashcan is Hot.

[@melevsreef]

Some bacteria will likely die due to the higher water temperature, but it won't kill it all off. It should be okay, just make sure you maintain circulation. Maybe install a fan to blow on the water to help cool it?

[@victorfox9623]

Love the thumbnail.👍 Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a smooth simmer, and wait 30 minutes. Add 2 pinches of salt and 1/4 cup of chaeto. Then serve over a shallow sand bed.

[@melevsreef]

Victor Fox 😂 you are so wrong!

[@stefanbates923]

Mel I've got some marco rock being delivered in the next few days that's never been In a tank can I do the exact same thing as you describe in your video to cook / cure the rock? Thanks Mel

[@BodyworkASMR]

my live rocks are plagued with mini vermetid snails. I don't have any other bad pests and bad algaes. Should I cook my rock.

[@jenkinscrew]

Great info! Thanks Marc!

[@NanaReefer]

Kind of off topic a little, still concerning rock though 😉 Marc, do you or not recommend keeping LR in the fuge area of our sumps?

[@melevsreef]

No. If I would put rocks in the refugium then those would remain there forever. Macroalgae will take root in the rock, and I won't move it into my display after that. Unless I cooked it for about 3 months first. Just like any rock used in a QT would remain in the QT from then on since it may absorb medications or other problems from new arrivals.

[@BONESYOU]

So your return lines are coming from the bottom middle of the tank? What do you have for a fail safes?

[@melevsreef]

Here's the blog with the return lines: www.reefaddicts.com/entry.php/28974-The-400g-is-officially-running-(Blog-500!)?bt=45774

[@melevsreef]

And here's the reverse check valve video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipW4g6KkpKiskK8

[@dsanford12]

So curing it is the same as cycling it and cooking it is getting rid of the pests and unwanted stuff ?

[@melevsreef]

Cycling is the process of converting foul-smelling rock (due to decay of living matter usually caused by shipping out of water for a few days), getting it through the A-N-N *cycle* until it can be used. Cooking rock is a method of re-vitalizing used live rock to help export all the trapped detritus within it, and to help kill off algae primarily. The longer it cooks, the more likely pests will wither away due to a lack of foodsource.

[@capnjerkface7220]

@melevsreef Would this be the best method of removing invasive zoas on a rock?

[@phillipowens7711]

Will this process that you speak of in your video, remove Cupermine from live rick. If not do you have any ideas that will. I have 3 large flat pieces that I would like to reuse in my reef.

[@melevsreef]

I doubt it. Any rock that is placed in a system with any version of copper is only used in a QT or hospital tank, never to be used in a reef again.

[@tentyme1]

I have a question i'm hoping you can help me with. I have some really nice what used to be live rock in my freshwater aquarium for the past 7 years. What is the best way and how would I get this rock ready to be used in a saltwater aquarium? Thx for your help Mel !!

[@melevsreef]

I don’t know. Some rock may be fine in freshwater (lace, lava) isn’t suitable for saltwater. We try to avoid using rock that may have metals in them. Previous medications used could have infused that rock too. So it comes down to the history of that rock: what has it been through and what is it made of to know if it is safe to use with a saltwater tank.

[@davismcmoney5342]

Would the same method work for dead rock that has dried up?

[@soempaing2436]

How much calories does a 1lb live rock has? Does it provide enough vitamins and fiber?

[@BALD8BIL]

I hope you can help me out I lost my butterfly fish yesterday and My local saltwater store told me to remove the rocks out of the aquarium for 3 or 4 days setting in the sun to kill all of the aiptasia off my rocks then put rocks back in aquarium ? or put the rocks inside freshwater ? He also said in the 30 years he's never seen aiptasia this big before and for the rocks that has corals on they keep inside tank and he will give me a new butterfly fish to take care of them. I have a filefish and 2 peppermint shrimp that not working. So right now I have my rocks in ro-di water outside. Would I need to set my rocks inside new saltwater before I put them back in the aquarium?

[@melevsreef]

I saw your post in Club Melevsreef and already replied.

[@BALD8BIL]

Thanks for your help after he told me I need to pull the rocks out of my tank and set them outside I started searching up how to do that and I came across this videoand if it wasn't for this video they would have been sitting outside and inside of no water to for the sun that cook them up now I will look for the video cycle rocks before installing them back in the aquarium

[@postaljeepdave]

i'm needing to reboot my tank. had a major outbreak of macro algae mainly bubble algae. my plan was to acid kill and then re cure the rock. would cooking rock like this kill off the spores in the rock from the algae. i would hate to go through the trouble of cooking the rock only to instantly have an algae problem return.

[@melevsreef]

If you cook the liverock for a few (at least six) weeks in darkness, yes the bubble algae will weaken, fade and probably die off. You will be able to easily remove what remains. And if you are skimming the water, changing the water, or using Phosphate Rx to remove phosphate from the water, that took will help you solve this issue.

[@dcbrixxton2113]

Now that I know the difference from curing to cooking, I can go about deciding on rock the informed way. I wanted live rock for the instant color but not the potential hitchikers, and cheaper the better. Now I think ill buy from established tanks off of CL and cook any potential nuisance off. Is this method good at minimizing bad hitchhikers?

[@melevsreef]

That's definitely one method, the one I use. However, you might look up Real Reef rock if you desire color and shapes... it's not alive though. I saw their booth today at MACNA, they had a lot of dry rock on display with the deep purple look.

[@sermanley7395]

What should I do with my rock that has been sitting in my shed with no water for 3 years , essentially dead dry used to be live rock lol, can I still use it, and if so what's the process of curing or cleaning it for tank use?

[@melevsreef]

Fill up a trash can with saltwater, add a big pump, a heater and all the rock. Let it simmer in the barrel for a few weeks, covered. Change the water, shaking off the rock in the old water first. In a couple of months you’ll have some nice live rock to use. I recommend storing rock like this at all times so you have some ready to go when there’s a need.

[@MoneyMarcMes]

Will this kill tube worms in the liverock as well?

[@melevsreef]

They would starve them to some degree and lessen their population, but no it won't eliminate every last one.

[@SolomonKane71]

Do you use any additives (MicroBacter7, etc.) when you cook rock?

[@battyjoe]

Will the same method work well for some old live rock, that was left in the sun and dried out for a week? It was thus now dead, but still covered in old aptasia and other rubbish

[@melevsreef]

Definitely. Do the exact same cooking process and get that rock ready for your next tank. The longer it cooks, the better the yield.

[@battyjoe]

I have them in a big bin in the shade in the garden now, covered with clingfilm and the bin lid on. There is just a pump running to keep it simple. The temperature here reaches into the mid to high 40C in the summer (115-120F) so a heater is not required. They have been there for around a week now and the water is a mess! No hurry on them, the next tank will be a 650 peninsula next year, so at least I will have plenty of rock by then :)

[@IS-db6pn]

What about vermetid snails? How can I get rid of those pests in my rock? Will cooking rock help avoid them in the first place?

[@melevsreef]

Not really. If you see them on your rock, I'd cut them off with bone cutters (a type of reefing tool most people own). At the very least, break off their tubes and add blue leg hermits to the tank to devour the worms within.

[@johncabral4394]

Will this work on vermetid snails? If not what will?

[@jamescarter485]

I had a quick question? I am going to get a 40 gallon breeder in April but am not going to actually set it up till august. I was curious if I got my dry rock in july how can I best save it till august when I set up the aquarium?

[@melevsreef]

As soon as you get that rock, put it in a barrel of saltwater and get it circulating. After a few weeks, measure the water for phosphate, odds are it'll be up. You'll likely do a few water changes before using the rock.

[@jamescarter485]

o ok thx

[@magwarblood]

Do you ever have any issues with bubble algae Mel ?

[@melevsreef]

Not in my main reef, but typically yes in my frag tanks. Emerald crabs can help keep them under control. The Naso tang and Foxface also will eat valonia, but you need a tank large enough for fish of that size. I never really was bothered by it in the tank, it's just something shiny and green. When people would react with OMG, I'd joke that I needed it in the pictures I shot for color correction purposes. ;)

[@andrebrazil7307]

if you remove a majority of you rock to cook it, is there enough beneficial bacteria remaining in your tank to sustain a small bioload through the process?

[@melevsreef]

This process is really for used rock you purchased, or if you are breaking down your tank to move to a new one and know it'll be a couple of months before you're ready. For example, you're moving from one place to another, so you break down the tank and move everything to the new place. But since you are busy moving in, focusing on getting everything just right, you really won't have time to set up the tank yet -- or you want to take your time getting the plumbing and wiring just right this time. All that time the rock could be cooking. One other thing you could do is remove a couple of pieces of rock at a time and cooking them, rotating through system gradually. But messing with your aquascape every so often may be too annoying. But if you purchased quite a bit of rock from a guy getting out of the hobby, cook it all and then one day attack your tank and set it up fresh with all the cooked rock, and put the used rock from the tank in the barrel and let it simmer until you need it some day. :)

[@kevinm1728]

Can this process be used for a crushed coral/sand reef bed?

[@melevsreef]

I'd suggest you rinse the crushed coral sand with tap water. Here's that video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJOQZKGknbetkLs

[@demariosreefaquarium7475]

Will this be good for ridding my rock of bristle worms... I have seen videos where reefers use Muriatic acid...

[@melevsreef]

How bad is the infestation currently? If you cook the liverock for months with no food source, the lack of new food will starve off the population. More food, more worms. Less food, less worms. A longnose Hawkfish and/or an Arrow Crab hunt bristleworms, controlling their population.

[@demariosreefaquarium7475]

melevsreef Once the lights are off ,there all over my live rock.. and some even are out when the lights are on.. EOD I sift my sand bed with a net to catch some. Right now using a bristle worm trap and mesh media bag with a piece of shrimp inside them. It's just an eye soar .. Will look into that fish and invertebrate at my LFS. Was just going to dip in that acid and dump my sand and go bear bottom. I am way beyond frustrated.

[@melevsreef]

They are beneficial, they clean up the reef at night. I don't know your situation, but it doesn't matter what happens after lights out as long as your livestock isn't being harmed.

[@demariosreefaquarium7475]

melevsreef But after seeing your video on the proper way to cook live rock,I am going to get a 30 jug/ container from loews . But I might just dump my old sand or wash it out .. only issue is I have a 3 -4" deep bed in the tank.

[@demariosreefaquarium7475]

melevsreef that's my major concern.. notice them on my soft corals as well..

[@leeverink32]

so after this video i still wanna now. ( I already did the stupid thing of cooking it on the stove and i did that because its completeley covered with aiptasia brisstle worms and beard algae. there are still some not done. To get things strait i can put them in a closed container no light no heating and a small pump every thing bad will die? but how do i now the worm is gone? the dead rock i have i put in to a nother container with a power head and a piece of new life rock from the store it has been out off the water for almost 24 hours not realy dry and some starter collony will that work?

[@melevsreef]

First off, you got lucky. Congrats on that one, seriously. :) Yes, get a barrel or rubbermaid bin and fill it up with the rock, saltwater, a powerhead or a couple of larger pumps to move the water well throughout the bin, and yes I'd add a heater to keep it around 72F or so. A lid on top should be good to help starve the algae of any light it could use to grow. Shake that rock well every couple of weeks, moving it to a new container with new saltwater and after a couple of months of this, you'll have rock ready to use in your tank. Put the new rock from your LFS in there as well, it will help get bacteria to the other rocks as they 'cook' quietly in darkness.

[@markster5719]

Will this method kill mantis shrimp and bristle worms

[@brandywine3235]

Mark is it the same process with "dead rock"?

[@melevsreef]

Dead rock that used to be live needs to be cured. Once submerged, it will released the trap ammonia within it from the dead organics. You'll have to keep it in saltwater circulation for at least 3 weeks, maybe longer. Once it has completed its cycle -- which you'd ascertain from daily water tests of ammonia-nitrite-nitrate --- only then would it be ready to use in the display. Can you cook the liverock after it has cured? Yes.

[@arrowheadsf]

will cooking the rock also get rid of vermitid snails?

[@melevsreef]

Eventually yes. It would take six months or so.

[@cyngravatt123]

I have a 75 gallon tank that is full of Xenia mushrooms and Kenya. I moved all the rock to the left in April and thought I would add other corals to the right side of the tank. But everyday I find little babies floating around trying to attached to the rock on the right that has no corals yet. My rocks are also encrusted with black sponges, so I would guess nobody would want these rocks and animals. If I pull all the rocks out and cook them like you describe here I think I will end up with a horrible huge dead mess of animals. Any suggestions on what I can do? I certainly don’t want to give them to any unsuspecting beginner that doesn’t know any better. Thanks

[@melevsreef]

You might break up the rock so you have rubble with corals attached, and that way you can share them with people that actually want those living things. Or maybe get some store credit at the local fish store? They always look for soft corals to sell to new hobbyists.

[@imghaniff]

Hi Mark, how does this method really kill aiptasia? I always thought that when the aiptasia anemone does, even if one cell is alive it can come back. I want to get rid of bubble algae, vermatid snails, and some aiptasia. Do you think nuking the altogether is preferred or use the mentioned method you discussed here? :) thanks

[@melevsreef]

If you don't provide any food and the rock stays in a barrel for a very long duration, aiptasia will starve itself to death. It would be a very long process, probably 6-12 months more than likely. I had rock in a barrel for years, and drew out pieces to use, putting others back into the barrel that I didn't need. I never ran pulled a rock out that had aiptasia on it, despite that it was live rock from previous setups. I'm a very patient guy though, and don't waste anything... so it makes sense that I'd have rock that was devoid of pests in a barrel of circulating saltwater ready to use whenever I finally needed some. ;)

[@jaygorny]

What if i have a bunch of old live rock thats been sitting in basement in a storage bin for a few years, loaded with phosphates and gha? Would this process fix it and bring it back to life?

[@melevsreef]

+jaygorny Absolutely.

[@armour590]

I know this video is a little older, but still hoping to get a reply. I have old live rock that has been sitting in saltwater in a rubbermaid bin with the lid on it for over a year, but has zero circulation. The same water has been in the container for the full time also. Never changed the water. Would this process revive the rock and make it safe to use again or should I clean it some other way. I just want to make sure that I am not fighting another problem with it later and get it cleaned right the first time. Trying to get my tank going again after failing the first time. Love the videos. Thanks

[@GuidoNtheMix]

Armour since no one has replied , it’s a couple months process but you can take bleached rocks and if you mix some live rocks within your tank with the non live rocks eventually the rocks will start developing the bacteria and grown it needs to substantiate your ecosystem. Hope that helps!!

[@brodyballew925]

I’m getting what was once live rock from someone’s old tank it’s now dry rock it’s sat outside for a good bit so if I just mix saltwater to 1.25 and add a power head for about a month it should be good to go for cycling my new tank?

[@melevsreef]

Yes, that sounds right to me.

[@Jheat64]

I have 32g brute trash can with about 100 lbs of rock. it's been cooking for about 6 months now.

[@melevsreef]

That's great. Do you ever change the water in there? Might want to do it now while you're thinking about it.

[@Jheat64]

melevsreef I don't change it often, about 6 to 8 weeks. Last water change was mid-October. I do top it off once a week.

[@melevsreef]

That's pretty much what I did as well. I had a barrel filled with rock for years - maybe four years. lol Didn't have to top off much because I had the inverted lid on top to keep the moisture in the barrel.

[@Jheat64]

melevsreef I probably should have inverted the lid. I just snapped it on normally. After a few weeks in the summer heat, it warped pretty badly.

[@cyngravatt123]

I also don’t frag I don’t like cutting live corals. Throwing them out in the sun sounds horrible too

[@ballcardz]

Hey Marc, My question has to do with unwanted pests on LR. My current tank has a problem with asterina stars and predatory whelks. I have around 200 lbs of LR and would rather it stay live. I want to start a new tank and use this rock. Is there a way to safely eliminate these undesirable pests? Will this "cooking" be enough?

[@melevsreef]

Both of those pests removed manually. Whelks are visible after lights out as they are more active nocturnally. Asterinas can be reduced with a Harlequin shrimp or two. When you see many asterinas, their food source must be plentiful. Forceps for both extractions.

[@ballcardz]

Thanks for the reply. The whelks are easy enough to pull out. Pull them out as soon as I see them. Always seem to pop up again. The asterinas are my biggest nuisance. All my zoas were decimated. They outlived two harlequins (3 years) and are manually removed in droves every 3 weeks during water changes. ~200 gallon total system volume.

[@melevsreef]

Nardoa starfish eat asterinas too. I've never had a problem with asterinas.

[@jorgebear93]

Can you reuse the pump on a aquarium ?

[@melevsreef]

Sure.

[@jdsevereide]

Cn you cook live rock and cure dry rock at the same time?

[@pramodm6500]

Nice video Mark. But i have a question here. If we fully cure live rock for 4 to 8 weeks, it means we are making ammonia to zero. This means the water is cycled. So when we put the fully cured live rock into our new aquarium tank, how will it help the water in the tank to cycle?

[@melevsreef]

Cooking the live rock is to rejuvenate it. It's not about cycling it or curing it, per se. If you ended up with a cycle and it reached zero, it would be ready to transfer into a new tank. Assuming you keep it fully submerged at all times, other than physically lifting it out of the water only long enough to put it in the tank full of water, it should be ready for *some* new life. But putting a bunch of cured rock in a tank doesn't mean you can hit it with a heavy bioload. It's not really about the water although we do want stable parameters. The Cycle is really about bacteria. As it converts from Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate, the bacteria in the system will build up in numbers to absorb and process what the livestock produces and wastes. Fish waste is ammonia based, but the constant number of bacteria in the system quickly converts it to nitrite and nitrate all the time.

[@timmiegray7212]

my LFS told me.to set in sun for 2 weeks then put in tank to cycle is that wrong?

[@deadstead1123]

Can I do this with rocks that I've saved from an old tank ??

[@melevsreef]

+DEAD STEAD Absolutely

[@rafaelsoriano5365]

So basically your just curing the rock....

[@melevsreef]

No, curing liverock is when you take uncycled rock and toss it in a vat of water for it to cycle. This is how you resolve nuisance algae as well as rejuvenate rock to get all the trapped detritus out and release the phosphate bound up in the rock.

[@Albertoamigon]

the end was aw3some!!! lolzzz

[@TDepatie]

What do you do if the rock is out of water for a week or two? Is it the same idea?

[@melevsreef]

Yes, get it back in saltwater.