Dead Hippopotumus(sp?) my tank

emtguy

emtguy

Member
I have to have one dead in my 28g HQI somewhere under my LR !!!!
Dang a shrimp to start a cycle, i use african safari animals.
I set up my tank last night. I have 20lbs of carrib sea LS and 30lbs of premium fiji cured LR ( was overnited to help with die-off). Once the LR got here it was rinsed and scrubed. I then put LS in tank then LR and then put my water that had been mixing for 3 days.
My levels are outa site !!!
Ammonia 8.0+
nitrite 5.0
nitrate 50
ph 7.4-7.8
SG 1.025
temp 79
Im using API master test kit and with this hight of spike in a tank thats 24 hours old i just guessed i had a hippo decomposing in there somewhere....should i just leave it be and keep checking readings everyday?
I have had no lights on or anything. Using DI water.Only filter media i have is stock sponge and ceramic balls but have filter floss and purigen and chemi pure elite coming tommorow.
 
steelgluer

steelgluer

Member
Take it out your tank is cycling dont put no fish or anything else in it till its done cycling. Also while it is cycling look through threads do a lot of reading dont just jump in.
If you do you will find it will kill your wallet..
 
rcoultas

rcoultas

Member
I think the first thing you should do is take a sample of your water to your LFS and have them verify your test results - I suspect your test kit
If your parameters really are that insane then you need to do some radical water changes and will probably need to introduce new bacteria and begin a cycle all over again.
 
ejensen

ejensen

Member
Don't change your water. Get a book a do some reading. Let your tank cycle and don't use live stock.
 
t316

t316

Active Member
Originally Posted by burch2006
uhh guys... he was speaking metaphorically calm down with the dead fish idea. Did you read the post?
Iv'e read it 3 times. I don't think any of us misunderstood his post. Unless you thought we really assumed a "hippo" was in there.
 
emtguy

emtguy

Member
im confused. do i need to do a water change or let it be? my LFS is a hour away can't just get my water checked real easy.
leave chemi pure elite and purigen and filter floss out or add it?
 
t316

t316

Active Member
Don't add anything. Just sit back and let the tank cycle and do what it's supposed to do. Your readings will level out on their own. Don't even check the parameters for awhile, just let it do it's thing.
 
emtguy

emtguy

Member
Ok. I'll give it a few days then check em again. My wife thinks i am stupid for sitting and watching rocks all night but i am enjoying the heck out of it. Patience on this is not hard for me. I bought all top of the line stuff so i want it to work right the first time and be as easy maint. as possible.
My theory is do it right the first time, buy the best stuff out there that comes reccomended by others that are in the know(not LFS highschool help)and WAIT ! Thanks for the info, i'll just sit back with my hidden decomposing hippo and wait.
 
ejensen

ejensen

Member
I think your LR is causing a spike. Even though you overnited it, you will have alot of die off. When I cured my LR I started it in plastic tub in the garage. If it smells bad then your rock in not that fresh. When It stopped smelling I put it in the tank to finish curing process and cycle the tank. I would do a large water change if it smelling up the room. This could take a month or so to finish.
 
t316

t316

Active Member
Originally Posted by emtguy
Ok. I'll give it a few days then check em again. My wife thinks i am stupid for sitting and watching rocks all night but i am enjoying the heck out of it. Patience on this is not hard for me. I bought all top of the line stuff so i want it to work right the first time and be as easy maint. as possible.
My theory is do it right the first time, buy the best stuff out there that comes reccomended by others that are in the know(not LFS highschool help)and WAIT ! Thanks for the info, i'll just sit back with my hidden decomposing hippo and wait.
Ooooohh...been there. You got the right idea. Let the tank stabilze for a couple weeks. DON'T add any live fish for awhile. Take it from experience, you will just be peeing away $$$$.
 
tarball

tarball

Member
If water conditions are still way out of parameters after 2 weeks.
i would toss a peanut butter & jelly sandwich in the tank. It will absorb all pollutants & stabilize the tank.
If it was a fully grown hippopotamus, it may take 2 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.
I hope this helps..

Good luck....
 
emtguy

emtguy

Member
My LR did not smell bad and still does not smell. I do agree that it had alot of die-off apperantly so i will just sit and wait and stare at rock.
elephants eat P&J sandwhiches. This is a Hippo and besides he's dead i guess so i'll just let him finish rotting. LOL !! Thanks
 
mikeyjer

mikeyjer

Active Member
Originally Posted by emtguy
My LR did not smell bad and still does not smell. I do agree that it had alot of die-off apperantly so i will just sit and wait and stare at rock.
elephants eat P&J sandwhiches. This is a Hippo and besides he's dead i guess so i'll just let him finish rotting. LOL !! Thanks
You should of fed the Hippo Sweet Potatoes!!! That's what they feed the one on TV! lol......Just be real careful once you have it ready, since it's a small tank, you don't have much room for error!!!!
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
What test kit do you have?
Normally, I would say sit back and watch, but that ammonia is real high...so high that not a lot would survive in it (eg LR critters). That makes me a bit worried. Can you test some other water - say newly mixed saltwater, and make sure it doesn't have an ammonia reading?
 
emtguy

emtguy

Member
I tried 2 test kits. API's. The ammonia is now showing it is at 1.0 so its coming down. I have some purigen and chemi pur elite and filter floss. You guys think its ok to put those items in my filter box now? Right now all thats in there is stock sponge and ceramic balls.
PS. on unrelated topic. Can a sexy shrimp and fire shrimp be put in same tank and if so is a 28g large enough for 2
 
swaddicts

swaddicts

Member
My 2 cents:
You're a new hobbyist; I can understand you want to start small and do everything right but it's going to be reeeaaallly hard for you to not want to "do stuff" to your tank when you start adding people (by that I mean fish and stuff) and things start to fluctuate - and they will, especially if you don't add people one at a time. If you want to "do it right the first time" than I say you get yourself a 55 gal. That's a good size to where you can start with a few critters and then add some more later when you get more experience. You have a good amount of water in there so your levels don't fluctuate as rapidly or as much. It will be easier for you. Plus, I guarantee you'll want to upgrade your tank in about 6 months anyway so do yourself a favor and just buy it now!
And oh - you should just let your tank be. I think you may have started out with a lot of living rock that just died when your ammonia and stuff spiked like that. It might take a few weeks but it will get better.
Just tryin to help!
 
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