Is this what live rock should look like? (Pics)

[amyandbrandon2]

I purchased 55 lbs of liverock from this website. It had a little trouble in shipping...instead of taking two days, it took 3 its pretty cold here...well really cold. I've never bought live rock and I'm not quite sure if this is what it is soposta look like. I purchased Ultra Premium Fiji Live rock. Here are a few pics. I think this pic is brain coral or what usta be brain coral...anyone know if theres any chance it will live? Its hard, or slimy. Here's two more pics of my other rock pieces. Are those spots soposta be there? They are hard and do not scrub off. I checked my parameters this morning of the water after scrubbing them last night and placing them in a new rubbermaid with Saltwater, and I got these results:
Ammonia 8.0
Nitrite 5.0
Nitrate 20
pH 8.8
Everything is pretty much sky high...should I re scrub the rock and place it in some new water. Its currently in a rubbermaid with heater and two powerheads.

 

[nycbob]

thats what lr look like. the whole cycle will take 2-3 weeks. thats pretty high for ammonia. if it remains high after 2-3 days, do a water change.

 

[scsinet]

Looks like NICE live rock!

Looks like some bubble algae in the second picture? Pop an emerald crab in there when your cycle completes and he'll take care of that for you.

 

[snipe]

just looks like it is full of holes to me no algea.

 

[scsinet]

Maybe. I can't see too clearly.

 

[rcoultas]

Ammonia 8.0
Nitrite 5.0
Nitrate 20
pH 8.8
That Ammonia reading must not be right - nothing can survive that high of a level. If it is near, at or above 1.0 you need to do a water change to prevent the bacteria from getting killed off.

 

[al mc]

IMO it looks like good rock to me. If you have not already done so I would scrub it. I usually use a pail with some salt water in it and scrub with a plastic bristle brush. Use an old knife or scr..ew driver to remove any soft spots/sponge. Then put it in a new batch of salt water for curing. That is a very high ammonia level and I personally would do a complete water change after the scrub.

 

[snipe]

bacteria wont be killed off. See the amonia will produce a large amount of amonia eating bacteria that will produce nitrites that will produce another type of bacteria that will eat it and will produce nitrates then again a bacteria will eat it and expell it into a gas state that leaves the tank via the top of the tank with surface agitations.

 

[rcoultas]

there likely will not be enough dissolved oxygen in the system to allow the processing of that much ammonia - the nitrosococcus and nitrococcus bacteria will compete for the oxygen and thus not allow a sufficient population to grow. In that process the ph will also lower dramatically further inhibiting the process. Addition of sodium biocarbonate or PH up and reduction of the ammonia levels will make the cycle go much smoother and faster. Even if you introduce the supplements necessary for that much ammonia to be processed it would be an exercise in futility since the bacteria will die off once the levels drop.

 

[amyandbrandon2]

Okay..sorry it's taken me this long to reply! I just cleaned the rock again, poked around in quite a few of the holes/crevices and found a few worms (dead of course) and some sponge which I'm sure was creating quite a bit of amonia. Now it is again circulating with two powerheads and I threw in a heater. I'm going to get a new test kit, I thought the amonia would be high but not sky high! Okay those brown spots in pic #2 isn't holes, its like raised brownish spots. It didn't come of when scrubbing.
Now anyone have any ideas about the Brain Coral (if that's even what it is) I pulled quite a few dead worms (or what appeard to look like worms) out of the sides of those two pieces. Alive, Dead? Will it lose it's color if it is indeed dead? I have some pics that I will post in a few minutes of what my rock now looks like!

 

[snipe]

just a big cycle. The rock will be fine just let it do its thing. Water changes wont hurt but the only way to let the die off go away is to let it do its thing and rot away. You will never get all the worms and such out of the rocks just to many holes believe me lol. But it will be fine just let it cycle and do its thing and you will be good to go.

 

[amyandbrandon2]

Okay I can def. let it do it's thing. I was really just a little worried that the amonia was soooo high! I was in a total panic! So should I just not test the water for a few days and see what happens?
Is this a good way to "re-cure" the rock? All of the rock is covered with saltwater that has a salinity of 1.025 and has two power heads and a heater.
The rock is not piled on top of each other enough room for circulation.

 

[dennis210]

Looks great, just let it run in tub with heater and power heads, after like a week change 25 - 50 % of the water and let it go another week. Then do a final water change and let it go a week. If during the curing process you find "white" areas or decaying globs scrub then off. If you were to srub off everything on all rocks you might be loosing things you will want to grow!

 

[amyandbrandon2]

Thanks, I can do that! I can't wait to get the rock up and running in my tank! Do you have any ideas on the suspected "brain coral"? is it completely dead? It's not slimy, or soft, it's pretty hard actually...pulled quite a few worms our of it actually. If it is dead will it still keep that color? What should I do with it?

 

[snipe]

Its most likely dead it just make a cool live rock piece.

 

[amyandbrandon2]

Sad that it's dead, but it really will make a cool live rock piece.
When the rock is finnished its thing how should I start introduing the rock to the tank? I have 2 blue legged hermits, 1 scarlet hermit, and 1 sea star.