very high ammonia in new tank during cycle.

[mgann]

Got a question for a friend here. He broke down his tank and let the liverock he had sit in a buckett for like a week or so with now water. Set the tank back up with new sand cleand the rock with Kent rock prep. The tank has been up now for five days and has very very high ammonia reading. I assume there must have been lots of decay from the rock. Ther water smelled for like two days, now no more smell. I tested the water for him today again ammonia is still very high, I mean very high, nitrates read at .05 now. I told him the cycle might take a bid longer couse of the high ammonia, was I right? Or is there way to much decay on the rock and to scap it and get some new rock?

 

[essop3]

There was probably a lot of die off from the rock. You can still use it though. Just do water changes to keep ammonia around 1.0. That's enough to get a good cycle but it will spare some of the life that my still be on the rock.

 

[michaeltx]

it will take more time to cycle because there will be alot of stuf inside the rock that is dead and will go away I wouldnt scrape it though, just be patient and it will go away. it will be good base rock you will need to get some good Live rock to seed that rock.
Mike