Reefer_Madness October 1, 2015 Share October 1, 2015 I am "cooking" some marco rocks in a Brute with a powerhead and some GFO in a media bag. How long do you think I should cook them for, before the phosphates are basically gone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness October 1, 2015 Author Share October 1, 2015 Also, do you think throwing a heater in there at a some high temperature would help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8 2 RISE October 1, 2015 Share October 1, 2015 (edited) Do you have some background on this? What type of rocks? Why do you think they have phosphates? Following EDIT: Woops, just saw they're marco rocks. If they're new, dry rocks, then they'll have next to no phosphates. You could do an experiment and test though, would be interested to see if you get anything different that. Edited October 1, 2015 by L8 2 RISE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness October 1, 2015 Author Share October 1, 2015 Just the dry rocks. Last time I used them, I had a spike in the phosphates. The leaked phosphates for about a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8 2 RISE October 1, 2015 Share October 1, 2015 (edited) Just edited the post above, but are you sure the phosphates weren't from something else (over feeding, etc)? I've used about two tons of marco rocks in dozens of tanks, and never had a problem with phosphates leaching. My theory as to why people think they leach phosphates is that they actually absorb phosphates very well and then leach them back out once you have the problem under control. If you always keep your tank well maintained with no extra added phosphates, you will never have a problem. We had a client WAY overfeed their tank (1-2 packs of rods food a week) for 8-10 months before we convinced them that the fish really weren't that hungry and the hair algae and phosphates weren't going to go away until they cut back. After the feeding was under control we continued doing all the right things (water changes, gfo, etc etc etc), and testable phosphates went away (it took a long time, 3-4 months- due to the leaching). After this point, there was still hair algae all over the rocks that we would scrub and siphon ever visit, but it always came back. We changed about half the rock to find that the new marco rocks never grew hair algae, while the old ones continued growing it for another few months. This was because (again, my opinion/theory) the old rocks were continuing to leach trace amounts of phosphates directly the the hair algae growing all over them, while the new rocks never had the opportunity to absorb phosphates. Like I said above, would be interested to see results of your tests on fresh marco rocks, and this is my theory (so would be happy to be proven wrong), but I don't think you will find any phosphates. You just have to be careful to keep your tank healthy and not let phosphates come up for too long of a time. Edited October 1, 2015 by L8 2 RISE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon October 1, 2015 Share October 1, 2015 2 weeks IMO using pure RO/DI water and 3 water changes in that period should do the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstContact October 1, 2015 Share October 1, 2015 I used RODI on Tonga branch, Fiji, and Pukani rock from BRS. If you have or borrow the Hanna Phosphate ppm meter you can measure the decrease. The ppm phosphate meter works with freshwater; whereas the ppb ulra low range meter will not. If you would like to borrow the ppm meter I could lend it to you; however, I am not in DC. Glenn Dale, MD. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thakki October 1, 2015 Share October 1, 2015 I used RODI too on my BRS pukani rock...but initially soaked them twice over night in vinegar...which basically got rid of all the dead tissue in it...later cycled them in a brute trash can for over 2 months with a heater and two power heads. I think I changed water twice in these two months...first time was bad...as the power heads cleaned remaining organic material off the rock...every time I changed the rock I ghost fed the can with few pieces of raw shrimp to initiate the cycle. After 2 months, the rock was all clean and ready for the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overklok October 1, 2015 Share October 1, 2015 I would use lanthanum chloride to do this, it will take the phosphate out of the water in a flocculant. Just drain the water containing the flocculant and repeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness October 11, 2015 Author Share October 11, 2015 (edited) I used RODI too on my BRS pukani rock...but initially soaked them twice over night in vinegar...which basically got rid of all the dead tissue in it...later cycled them in a brute trash can for over 2 months with a heater and two power heads. I think I changed water twice in these two months...first time was bad...as the power heads cleaned remaining organic material off the rock...every time I changed the rock I ghost fed the can with few pieces of raw shrimp to initiate the cycle. After 2 months, the rock was all clean and ready for the tank.This is what I have been doing, but I have GFO in my scenario. I have been doing a water change a week like Seth suggested above. Edited October 11, 2015 by Reefer_Madness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness October 11, 2015 Author Share October 11, 2015 I used RODI on Tonga branch, Fiji, and Pukani rock from BRS. If you have or borrow the Hanna Phosphate ppm meter you can measure the decrease. The ppm phosphate meter works with freshwater; whereas the ppb ulra low range meter will not. If you would like to borrow the ppm meter I could lend it to you; however, I am not in DC. Glenn Dale, MD. Good Luck! Been testing. Crazy swings in phosphates!! Once the get down below 5 or 10 I'll be putting them in the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keraxis October 11, 2015 Share October 11, 2015 I plan on using bleech and regular water when I do mine. Ill rinse in RODI. Iam also not planning on using the rock in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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