Live Rock Disaster?

[fireykat04]

I recently set up a 65 Gallon reef tank. I had ordered the live rock (Hatian) online, it arrived looking and smelling fine. THEN I messed up (I think) I had put the rock in the salt water with live sand about 80 lbs of live sand and 65 lbs of live rock. I hooked up the protein skimmer and waited for it to cycle. I was under the impression that I didn't need a sump or filter at this point (according to a local store) then after a week the rock started developing this white fungus looking stuff and the water was not clearing up. I decided to take the rock out and wash it and when I pulled out the first piece it smelt like sewer. I took all the rock out and rinsed it in fresh water and put it back, panicked and went to another fish store and bought a Fluval 404 filter and hooked it up. The tank is now clear, the cycle seems to be proceeding. My amonia levels are zero, Nitrites are coming down as are the Nitrates. Did I kill any chance I had of anything alive on rocks surviving (like a feather duster or something)? Should I also have done a complete water change? Any thoughts or advice on my rocky start; as I should have or should do something else? Thanks in advance on any advice or input! One other thing, did I kill my live sand?

 

[mudplayerx]

You caused some dieoff by having inadequate water flow in the tank more than likely. Some dieoff was to be expected anyhow, so no big deal. All rock needs to be cured reguardless of what the pet store or shipping company claims. You are still cycling your tank. It will be done cycling when it no longer smells. Save your test kits until then.
Since you are going with a reef tank, make sure you have adequate waterflow from now on. Since you have a 65 gallon tank you need between 1,300 gallons per hour and 1,625 gallons per hour flowing through your tank. You can achieve this inexpensively through powerheads and hang on the back power filters.
Here is my Live Rock FAQ if you want to read it:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=157354

 

[slock]

yeah, you should have just let it alone, no fresh water wash. It will still do its thing though so get a lot of flow going, occasionally blow it off with a powerhead.
My house smelled like a sewer for several days and ammonia reached over 8ppm when I put in 150 lbs.
that was about 3 weeks ago, now amm is about 0, nitrites are still high as of two days ago.

 

[keith gray]

Mudplayerx, I also have a 65 and yout suggestion on waterlow cought my eye. Do you suggest a 20-25X turnover ? I have about a 10-12X turnover. I also have a new anenome. I have read somewhere on here that anenomes do not like too much turbulence. Is this true ? Would you suggest a powerhead for me as well ?

 

[fireykat04]

I do have power heads going in the tank. Do you think the live sand died? I had a reef tank several years ago and got out of the hobby due to lack of time. A lot has changed since then. No live sand back then just crushed coral and wet dry filters.

 

[sammiefish]

I would say the only real mistake was rinsing it in FRESH water... assuming that by "fresh" you meant no-salt... it will all be fine though... no worries. The LS will also be fine!!

 

[ophiura]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take the anemone back, they need mature systems (6 months old at least) and pristine water conditions! Also very strong lighting. YOu do not want a dead anemone in your tank, believe me!!!

 

[snipe]

LOL I agree a dead anemone is money waste not only in the invert itself but in the rest of your tank. The anemone can leach out poisons killing everything els in the tank.

 

[sammiefish]

where did the anemone come from...??? Are they the same guys?

 

[fireykat04]

I have no idea where the anemone came from. I'm still in the rock stage.

 

[fireykat04]

Since my tank is close to completing the cycle, if I threw a couple more pieces of live rock in there would it start the cycle over again? I'd like to add a couple more large pieces. :notsure:

 

[airforceb2]

Your choice, you can cure it in a different tank if you want and it wont do anything to your tank. It all depends if the rock you are getting is pre-cured or not.

 

[mudplayerx]

Its going take a good 30 days total for your rock to cure if it actually smelled bad. Rinsing the rock off in freshwater won't do much damage at all as long as it wasn't chlorinated. Hech, I've cured live rock in chlorinated water before so even then you are probably still ok.
Your best bet is to put the rock in the tank or a vat and just run your powerheads and filters for about a month.
You will definately need 20x-25x the volume of your tank flowing per hour. Reef tanks with less flow than this usually develope horrible problems like uncontrollable algae growth, dirty substrate, and areas of toxic detritus accumulation.

 

[pensky]

Originally Posted by Snipe
LOL I agree a dead anemone is money waste not only in the invert itself but in the rest of your tank. The anemone can leach out poisons killing everything els in the tank.
I have a pink tip anemone that has been through hell and back. It always seems to look different everytime I see it sometimes full and extended and other times shrivled smaller than a dime. I know this behavior is normal but what does a dieing anemone look like? How will I know if it is healthy or not?

 

[fireykat04]

Thanks for the response mudplayerx! Guilty, I did rinse it in chlorinated water. Strange only some of the rock with the white fungus looking stuff smelt bad. Not all of it, it was just a few of the pieces. I actually had an allergic reaction on my hands that I think came from that rinsing. When the rock arrived I originally scrubbed it in salt water. What do you think of having the Fluval canister filter on the tank? It's for a 100 gal tank and mine is a 65. Will the bateria take up residence in the canister filter instead of the Live Sand and rock? Like I said, I did this years ago and so much has changed. :notsure:

 

[sammiefish]

the issue with the fresh water on saltwater organisms is that it will exert huge osmotic pressure on cells... causing water to flow into cells (osmosis) and they will take on so much water they will burst or stretch to the point of "leaking" stuff beyond repair.... while this isnt a big deal to freshwater organisms it is indeed an issue for saltwater organisms.... the opposite effect is observed when we wash our mouth out with saltwater... water leaves our cells... (reduces swelling)...
The takehome is that if you want to preserve the life on your rock then dont wash it in freshwater... and of course chlorine works via a different method but the use of either will reduce the organisms you "save" on your rock. .... use of freshwater or chlorinated water will yield rock with less than what you started with...

 

[snipe]

The bacteria will grow any were it can so it will cover the sand rock and in the filter.
And to the other ? a dieing anemone will look likes its just falling apart. "so ive heard anyway"

 

[fireykat04]

I have decided I need to add another Power Head in the tank. Any thoughts on which power heads are preferred in the Salt Water Tank? I'm thinking a Zoo Med rotating? What's the consensus on which Power Heads are better or preferred :happyfish ?

 

[ophiura]

LOL, my bad....I got the posters confused. Thought there was an anemone in there now. But it is another poster (still, if it is a young tank, I'll keep begging )

 

[fireykat04]

ophiura, not your bad at all. I went back and read and Keith Gray did say he had a new anemone while asking about the water flow. I think we just all missed that part. SO there is an anemone involved.