LR smelly...water tests fine ???

[aqua_chick]

I have recently purchaced almost cured LR and have had it curing in a separate tank for about 3 weeks. I tested the water and all my test came out...
pH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
...yet the rock still smelled quite bad . I have not added it to my tank b/c I have some fish and inverts in it. The tank has been set up for about 2 years and I have needed more LR and finally had the $ to get more. Is it safe to put the LR into the tank? I wouldn't think so with the smell, but this is the first time I have bought more LR to add to my tank.
Help is appreciated!

 

[kpogue]

How many days has it tested zero? It should be no less than five days in a row AFTER the cycle.

 

[aqua_chick]

the water has tested 0 for 3 days now. The rock has been curing for about 3 weeks now. This is just new to me, curing LR to be added to an already established tank. Thanks for the help.

 

[kpogue]

Do not rush it whatever you do. The last thing you would want to do is add rock that is still cycling to an established tank. Again, I would wait until you have zero's for 5 days then add a little at a time. Although, it shouldn't smell.......

 

[cj]

I PUT NEW ROCK IN MY 2 YEAR TANK, AND LOST EVERY THING.
AND GOT GREEN HAIR ON HALF OF MY ROCK. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE HELP.

 

[kpogue]

Excuse me for being harsh, but you've had a sw tank for 2 years and don't know any better than to put new LR in it!?
Well, it's a bit late now. But, I would pull it out and let it cure in a seperate container w/ movement an NO light in an effort to get rid of the hair algae. Read the above posts for more info.

 

[broomer5]

aqua_chick
( cool name - sounds like a super hero )
Have you done a water change on the curing tank ?
Whenever I've cured some rock, the water stinks to high heaven, and the rock smells pretty nasty too - even after the readings drop zero.
If you haven't changed the water, you may want to consider doing so. This may wash off some of the "stink" and get the rock ready for your tank.
If you've already done the water change - then I'd wait a couple more days - do another one - then see how the curing water measures and rock smells.
I still like to add just a few pieces of new rock to an established tank. It'll most often be fine in the curing tank if the saltwater's warm/circulated.

 

[aqua_chick]

Thanks for your help kpogue. I am deffinately not rushing it, its just that this is the first time i have done this b4. I had just recently moved my 75 gallon out of my bedroom into the living room (lots of work) and have been waiting for the live rock to cycle so i don't have to keep moving around my fish's home. i deffinately will not add it to the tank until i am certain it has cycled, i know better than to add uncured, uncycled rock to an established tank. thanks again and one more question you might be able to answer...or anyone else... (might have to post this as a new thread).
I have had my 54g corner set up for about 8 months now and it had started growing some brown, long alge on the LR and little bit on the LSB. I have snails and hermits and everytime i do a good cleaning i reach in and pull as much of the alge off the rocks. It looks really bad. What kind of alge is it and how can i get rid of it???

 

[aqua_chick]

Broomer5, I have done a couple water changes so far. I also scraped off a couple things that i knew were dead to help it cure faster. I only have 3 decent size pieces curing. It is located in my basement in a rubbermaid container with a couple powerheads. I am planning to bring it upstairs since my tank is up here and put it in my 10 gal with a filter and a light, would this help it cure/cycle faster?
thanks for the help....and yes i am a super hero

 

[kpogue]

As far as the algae goes, what type of water do you use? RO/DI or tap? It sounds like some sort of hair type algae or cyno. I'm not really good w/ algae stuff because I buy RO/DI and have never had a problem with it. All I have is the ocassional green algae that grows on the glass and is easily cleaned off.

 

[aqua_chick]

I use tap water...what is RO/DI? I have 2 tanks and only one has the alge problem.

 

[kpogue]

Reverse osmosis/deionized water. It is a several stage process that filters and removes ALL the bad things from water. And I do mean ALL the bad things. I'm making it simple, but it is complex. You can buy ro/di units to make your own, but it's not worth the hassel to me, so I buy mine $3 per 5 gal (if I pick it up myself) from a reputable water co. in my area. Trust me, it makes all the difference in the world. When it comes to this hobby IMO the 2 things you CAN NOT skimp on is water and lighting.
keith

 

[jonthefb]

the algae that is growing(sounds like diatoms, or some kind of cyano bloom, is it slimy?) is most likely feeding off of excess nurtients, one source of which could be your tap water. if you have a phosphate test kit, test your plain old tap water, im betting its from this (if not at least contributing). i would definately look into using ro/di water, heck you can even purchase it from like wal-mart or albertsons, or most major grocery chains. its at a station that you can go to and fill up water. if you need water in a hurry and dont have any ro/di around, the least you can do is run your tap water through like a brita filter, as thiss will help even a little. also how often are you feeding and what is your bioload like, as excess organics from food. poo, etc provide food for the nuiscance algae that are likely growing in your tank. yet another possibiliity is if the tank is in direct sunlight for a period of time, there are lots of possibilities for your algae bloom, and many places to look.
good luck, and keep us posted!
jon

 

[aqua_chick]

Thanks Jon
I knew using tap water would probably be a risk, but i have well water which is quite better than town or city water (live on a mountain in the woods ) yet i do probably have high phosphates. Have a freshwater and the pH is too hight for fresh water and the phosphates is a little high
Yes the alge is slimy and hard to get out of the tank using my fingers, slides out and floats around the tank. I will check out my local walmart and also ask my LFS owner what she uses, she lives next to me and has given me a lot of help. We both have the same well water. I might invest in the biggest brita i can find, need to save some $. (very expensive hobby...yet congrats to me, just got a job at Marine Scene... www.marinescene.com )
Yes the alge is slimy and hard to get out of the tank using my fingers, slides out and floats around the tank.Yes the alge is slimy and hard to get out of the tank using my fingers, slides out and floats around the tank.
I feed my fish 2x a day a mixture of marine flakes and brine shrimp, sometimes formula one and squid. I don't think i am overfeeding them, i hope not. The tank is not in direct sunlight at all, it is in the dinning room in a corner (54g corner tank).
Thanks again for all the help...all you guys/gals