Need Help from Pro reefers,

[MikesReef]

MikesReef - 10:14 AM
Hello pro Reefers need a little help try to ask myself something and can't find the answer. Can you help. yesterday I got some rocks from a friend of a friend. I have done this before but this time something went wrong i think. he said he had them in a tank for long time and they look good. I when home added then to my tank and the next day everthing in my tank was dead. Man I'm so mad and even the thought breaking down and getting out of the hobby. Thank you all of you whom can help me with some info on this. Maybe this will keep me in the hobby or not.

 

[albano]

need lots of info about your tank, how old it is, what was in it, what died, were the new rocks wet or dry...

 

[MikesReef]

I"m trying to up grade to an 80 gal so I needed some rock for my new tank. I when and got some rock so when i set up I will have them. my tank now is about 2 years, and had live rock and some corral not a lot most fish only. read when I check the other day when good. the new rock was wet, and i had a purple tank, some Danzel, 2 clown fish which i had for almost 10 years, two goby, wasser. tank is a 32 gal. every thing in it die.

 

[albano]

So you added (how much) new rock to the 32g...all fish died overnight?... Was the rock supposed to be directly from a 'healthy' tank? Did you see the other tank?

 

[MikesReef]

60 lbs and the tank did not look that healty. It look ok. one fish in the tank a rabbit tank i think....I saw some black and green algae on some of the rock but I did not take them I took some rock that look ok. 2 days latter all died.

 

[albano]

Strange...did you stir up your sand when you added the new rock? Was water cloudy after ?

 

[MikesReef]

nop

 

[jadakiss]

Mike sorry to hear about what happen to u but u should have taken that hint as a red flag, when u saw the condition of his tank... sucks balls! Don't give up.

 

[MikesReef]

I'm taking out all my rock and putting them in new RO water maybe I can save them. some of my corral still alive also maybe I can save them to. one fish survived which was a gobby I just found him with the bends I took him out and he doing ok now in the new ro water....the rock that I got form the other guy I remove and put them to dry out. I don't know if I should use them. what do you think. and what do you thing I can do with the sand.....

 

[albano]

Your 'readings' were good before, or after you added rock? Water still looks/smells good now?

 

[arnaldolex]

maybe the new rocks cause a amonia spike, ive nerver heard of something liked this happening and ive done that a few times.

 

[MikesReef]

thank lot of money you know win some lost some. that's what this hobby is all about. but I just cant get out. one day I say the hell with it and the other day I see my tank and say wow....

 

[MikesReef]

before good. water smell good I took a reading and the nitrate was through the roof. I don't know what happen......could be like arnaldolex said (maybe the new rocks cause a amonia spike, ive nerver heard of something liked this happening and ive done that a few times.) I check the ammonia it was at 0. Man I'm losting my mine........

 

[jadakiss]

Mike DO NOT USE HIS ROCK.

 

[MikesReef]

yelp, I Thanks you for your advice...


Do you think that I can kill the rock and them bring back to live? or take it back to the guy.......

 

[MikesReef]

do you think I can kill the rock and bring it back or not use them at all....

 

[marrone]

You could have very easily had a ammonia spike. In a tank that size, 32gals, and you added 60lb rock, which had live material on it, probably started to die and cause an ammonia spike which was large enough that the tank couldn't handle the large increase in ammonia all at once, resulting in things dying, which caused even more ammonia in the tank.

At this point you want to do a number of water changes and let the tank settle in for a while. Then check the levels to make sure everything is good and then add a small hermit crab or snail and see how it does. If it's ok then start to build back up or it's probably a good time to start on your 80gal tank instead.

 

[jadakiss]

^^^^ I agree 100%.. ur choice to give it back or throw it away . Just Don't use it.

 

[MikesReef]

but I check and the it was at o could it change and then go back to 0

 

[marrone]

It's zero now, as the tank converted it to nitrates, which is why they're so high, but it probably wasn't zero at some point and in a tank that small ammonia and nitrites at Ph 8 or above is very deadly.