Care to enlighten me? (cooking LR)

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by untamed

I think this should be an absolute last resort to get something useful from rock which has become overrun with algae and otherwise useless ....because when you are done you have biological filtration rock...not live rock anymore (sorry, my opinion only)

For me...good live rock should be treated with as much respect for the life on it as you might with a new fish. Goodness knows it costs enough! LR is (by a factor of 10) the most expensive live thing that I've put in my tank.

I do respect that everybody wants something different from their tank. Me..I expect a lot more from my live rock.

Live rock is merely rock that is loaded with bacteria. when you cook rock you end up with rock that is loaded with bacteria, pods, worms, and other critters.. all you lose is the vegetation. so in essence it is "clean, renewed live rock"

Steve

[vanreefer]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

Live rock is merely rock that is loaded with bacteria. when you cook rock you end up with rock that is loaded with bacteria, pods, worms, and other critters.. all you lose is the vegetation. so in essence it is "clean, renewed live rock"

Steve

That will prevent the harvest of more from nature...seems to be a good idea to me

[fkshiu]

You'll only lose photosynthetic organisms such as algae when you cook rock. Everything else stays alive because you're keeping the water heated and circulating.

After cooking my rock there's still an abundance of pods, worms and other critters including fan worms, hydroids, sponges, baby brittle stars etc. There was even a sabon shrimp hitch-hiker that I had never noticed before until I was returning the rock to the display tank and it literally jumped out at me!