Microbe-Lift Gravel & Substrate Cleaner

[Gouldian]

Just wanted to share a product I find helps in cooking LRs.

Recently, I removed all my LRs to be placed in a 30g plastic drum while I finishes some work on my tank.

As the work on the main tank has been delayed, I decided to cook my rocks as well.

Herewith is the Instructions of cooking Live Rock by SeanT of RC.

Instead of laboriously taking our the LRs one by one to swill, I wonder whether there is a better way of doing so.

In the recent Marine Exhibition, I managed to meet with Wilson of Rein Biotech who is the current distributor of Microbe-Lift products in Singapore. He gave me a small booklet of some of the products by Micro-Lift and in it I saw Microbe-Lift Gravel & Substrate Cleaner which arouse my interest and began researching about it.

I have been very pleased with Microbe-Lift products especially Special Blend and Nite-Out II, these 2 products have served me well and I am curious whether GSC will be able to effectively cooked my rocks.

According to Microbe-Lift, The Gravel & Substrate Cleaner contains natural cellulose matter, selected biological accelerators and special microbes that biologically degrades organic sludge and muck with minimal disturbance therefore effective in aquarium sludge reduction.

As the objective of cooking LRs is to have the bacteria consume all (or as much) organic material and PO4 stored amongst them, I feel that GSC will be able to do the job effectively.

I bought a bottle yesterday and will be observing the the LRs as we go along.

Please feel free to comments and advice.

[Milch_Tan]

wow bro, brand new tank?! looking forward to it man! upgrade to a bigger tank? think some is selling giant live rock (3x2x2ft!) u can use

[Fishyfish]

Just wanted to share a product I find helps in cooking LRs.

Recently, I removed all my LRs to be placed in a 30g plastic drum while I finishes some work on my tank.

As the work on the main tank has been delayed, I decided to cook my rocks as well.

Herewith is the Instructions of cooking Live Rock by SeanT of RC.

Instead of laboriously taking our the LRs one by one to swill, I wonder whether there is a better way of doing so.

In the recent Marine Exhibition, I managed to meet with Wilson of Rein Biotech who is the current distributor of Microbe-Lift products in Singapore. He gave me a small booklet of some of the products by Micro-Lift and in it I saw Microbe-Lift Gravel & Substrate Cleaner which arouse my interest and began researching about it.

I have been very pleased with Microbe-Lift products especially Special Blend and Nite-Out II, these 2 products have served me well and I am curious whether GSC will be able to effectively cooked my rocks.

According to Microbe-Lift, The Gravel & Substrate Cleaner contains natural cellulose matter, selected biological accelerators and special microbes that biologically degrades organic sludge and muck with minimal disturbance therefore effective in aquarium sludge reduction.

As the objective of cooking LRs is to have the bacteria consume all (or as much) organic material and PO4 stored amongst them, I feel that GSC will be able to do the job effectively.

I bought a bottle yesterday and will be observing the the LRs as we go along.

Please feel free to comments and advice.

Bro, sounds interesting...whee to buy these products?

[Gouldian]

Bro, sounds interesting...whee to buy these products?

Microbe-lift products can be found in Green Chapter (West), Pet Mart (East) and Fresh n Marine (Online).

On Sunday a bro (Grateful) came over to my place to help scoop out the sandbed from my main tank and he was pleased with the clarity of the water in the plastic drum.

Upon inspection, I also notice that the LRs surfaces are cleaner compared to the time when it was in my main tank. For those who knows me, my main tank have been running without lights for more than 6 months as I contemplate how I should solve my tank leaking problem. So technically, the LRs should already been very clean but with the addition of the GSC, I think the gunk have been bio degraded further by the microbes found in GSC.

I intend to continue using the GSC until I managed to seal the leak, and when that happens, I am going to take a picture of the bottom of the drum which I believe will not have much gunk left.

Will update again.

[MarcoVan]

Microbe-lift products can be found in Green Chapter (West), Pet Mart (East) and Fresh n Marine (Online).

On Sunday a bro (Grateful) came over to my place to help scoop out the sandbed from my main tank and he was pleased with the clarity of the water in the plastic drum.

Upon inspection, I also notice that the LRs surfaces are cleaner compared to the time when it was in my main tank. For those who knows me, my main tank have been running without lights for more than 6 months as I contemplate how I should solve my tank leaking problem. So technically, the LRs should already been very clean but with the addition of the GSC, I think the gunk have been bio degraded further by the microbes found in GSC.

I intend to continue using the GSC until I managed to seal the leak, and when that happens, I am going to take a picture of the bottom of the drum which I believe will not have much gunk left.

Will update again.

Fantastic!

Honestly, if you had not used this product, god the smell of cooking rocks is horrendous! I had my office stunk out that time when I cooked my 15kg of LRs to remove hair algae. The muck, scum and sand at the bottom of the styrofoam box was immense! :S

Anyway bro, do supply us some pictures of your cooking process. I think this process is necessary for all of us here to pick up. Otherwise "cooking" will forever be misunderstood as leaving the rocks under the sun to kill off all bacteria and liveform instead of the correct process which is just soaking in a tub with powerhead under room temperature to increase bacterial metabolism rate in consuming nutrients and breaking down organics

Cheers!

[Gouldian]

Fantastic!

Honestly, if you had not used this product, god the smell of cooking rocks is horrendous! I had my office stunk out that time when I cooked my 15kg of LRs to remove hair algae. The muck, scum and sand at the bottom of the styrofoam box was immense! :S

Anyway bro, do supply us some pictures of your cooking process. I think this process is necessary for all of us here to pick up. Otherwise "cooking" will forever be misunderstood as leaving the rocks under the sun to kill off all bacteria and liveform instead of the correct process which is just soaking in a tub with powerhead under room temperature to increase bacterial metabolism rate in consuming nutrients and breaking down organics

Cheers!

Hi bro,

I will try to post some pics when I have some time over the weekends.

Like you mentioned, cooking LRs can be a hassle if not done correctly but it is also not something that is very difficult if we know what it entails. So far, the water remains clear and I am not experiencing a foul smell.

For my cooking process, this is what I did:

1) I did not use any skimmer - To remove the dissolved organics, I use bacteria and microbes

2) I did not use any powerhead or wave maker - For Aeration and Movement, I use Air-pump

[Gouldian]

With regards the above way of cooking LRs, I am basing on the Activate Sludge treatment concept commonly used in the sewage industry.

"The activated sludge process is a wastewater treatment method in which the carbonaceous organic matter of wastewater provides an energy source for the production of new cells for a mixed population of microorganisms in an aquatic aerobic environment. The microbes convert carbon into cell tissue and oxidized end products that include carbon dioxide and water. In addition, a limited number of microorganisms may exist in activated sludge that obtain energy by oxidizing ammonia nitrogen to nitrate nitrogen in the process known as nitrification.

Bacteria constitute the majority of microorganisms present in activated sludge. Bacteria that require organic compounds for their supply of carbon and energy (heterotrophic bacteria) predominate, whereas bacteria that use inorganic compounds for cell growth (autotrophic bacteria) occur in proportion to concentrations of carbon and nitrogen. Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria may exist in the activated sludge, but the preponderance of species are facultative, able to live in either the presence of or lack of dissolved oxygen.

Fungi, rotifers, and protozoans are also residents of activated sludge. The latter microorganisms are represented largely by ciliated species, but flagellated protozoans and amoebae may also be present. Protozoans serve as indicators of the activated sluge condition, and ciliated species are instrumental in removing Escherichia coli from sewage. Additionally, viruses of human origin may be found in raw sewage influent, but a large percentage appear to be removed by the activated-sludge process.

The success of the activated-sludge process is dependent upon establishing a mixed community of microorganisms that will remove and consume organic waste material, that will aggregate and adhere in a process known as bioflocculation, and that will settle in such a manner as to produce a concentrated sludge (return activated sludge, or RAS) for recycling. Any of several types of activated sludge solids separations problems indicate an imbalance in the biological component of this process. In the ideal "healthy" system, filamentous organisms grow within a floc (a large aggregate of adherent, or floc-forming, microorganisms, such as bacteria) and give it strength, with few filaments protruding out into the surrounding bulk solution. In such a system, there is no interference with the compaction and settling rates of the activated sludge prior to its recycling."

Source:

http://www.college.ucla.edu/webproject/micro7/studentprojects7/rader/asludge2.htm

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/wm/ww/tech/biol.htm

Please feel free to comments and enlighten...