Smelly Tank..

[DavidGallant]

Just set up the nano, and today it was very stinky. I am thinking it is 1 of 2 things. Either the very porous marcorock, or could it be a dead snail? one of my hermits got mad at a snail for hanging onto its shell and killed him overnight, leaving a bit of him left. I did a 20% water change, and got rid of what was left of the snail. Any suggestions?
Thanks

 

[S Hunter]

Did you soak the rock before you setup your tank?

 

[fanaglethebagle]

Its the marco rock

 

[DavidGallant]

Negative on the soaking. My mistake. I did clean the water though. I was scooping the crap off the surface of my water with a cup.

 

[TomD]

Just let it cycle now. It will not smell after a few days

 

[DavidGallant]

That's the plan. I want it to cycle for a while, to get good and infested with icky creatures that go bump in the night. I got some live sand out of a great system today. Between that and some good LR from someone else, I should be very set. 3 crab's and a peppermint shrimp are still digging around somewhere in the tank. I haven't seen the peppermint since I threw him in. Thanks for the quick responses.

 

[Behrmon]

If this was just set-up today w/ new H2o & dead rock you prob should not have added any critters yet.

 

[DavidGallant]

Friday was setup.

 

[Behrmon]

Still pretty early to be adding critters, the dead rock will cause a spike and inverts, shrimp and such are fairly sensitive. Was it all dead rock and was this water from an established system? Not trying to bum you out, just think you may have jumped the gun adding the shrimp and snails if it's only been up for two days and with all dead rock.

 

[nichols]

Friday was setup.

You might want to consider talking the rock back out of the tank and rinsing as much of the crud as possible from the Marco rock. I have a lot of Maco's rock. Awesome rock, but a lot of crap in it which needs to be cleaned. If you just let it decay in the tank the smell will be around for awhile.
Also if you just set up the tank it needs to cycle before you add any critters. I highly doubt the shrimp will live. The crabs may or may not make it.

 

[S Hunter]

i let my Marc rock soak for 4 weeks, changing the water every week before i added it... 2 weeks fresh RO - 2 weeks Salt / with a power head running in the tub... you may want to plan on a bunch of water changes

 

[MichaelJ]

I through all my rock in and didn't put anything in for a good month and a half.
Did my water changes and regular testing..... then after it cycled and well after it cycled did I start with a small cleaner crew.

 

[JohnK]

I agree with the suggestions so far.

Just to add another,
Pull that rock, rinse it really well, and then keep it in a rubbermaid tub of saltwater with a powerhead and a heater until it's cured. Meanwhile let the display just hang out with the shirmp and sand. This way the shrimp have a much better chance of survival and you may not lose anything.

And another...
Also, whatever you decide to do, some carbon filtration in that water will help to remove some of the stinkies (pollutants/die off) that are already in there now. That would help a lot if the rock is removed for cleaning and seperate cycling, but if the rock is still in there it will continue to pollute the water for at least a little while.

Marc's rock rules, but dead rock still needs cleaning/cycling dead stuff time.

 

[qazplm25]

2 days! that is way to quick. I waited a month before I added my clean up crew. As said above shrimp are very sensitive to bad water conditions and chances that it is dead is very high.

 

[NHLIVES]

Just did 100# of Marco. The wife was ready to throw me out of the house (along with my 120 of course). Was really stinking up the place. I did a partial water change and added some carbon to the sump. That calmed things down a bit. (and my bride of 35 years) 2 weeks later and there is absolutely no smell.

BTW, I am three weeks into it and still have not added anything alive.

 

[JavaJones]

Get some live rock from a friend in exchange for your Marco Rock. Also get some live sand as well (a cup from a fellow reefer). That would jump start everything. If you felt like a trip to Boston, I'd be glad to give you what you need. Otherwise you should expect a real cycle time of 4 - 6 weeks (at minimum)

 

[TomD]

Get some live rock from a friend in exchange for your Marco Rock. Also get some live sand as well (a cup from a fellow reefer). That would jump start everything. If you felt like a trip to Boston, I'd be glad to give you what you need. Otherwise you should expect a real cycle time of 4 - 6 weeks (at minimum)

OH! I missed that you already added inverts..bad move but fixable...Live and learn. I would take them back, or sell/give them to someone.

Then just take it slow and test until you are cycled.

Once you have 0 amonia, and 0 nitrite, do a good (40-50%_ waterchange)

As mentioned, 3-6 weeks is usually the norm. You may not think so but most inverts can be even more sensitive than most fish, especially to a huge rise in nitrates that will come at the end of a cycle.

Although established LR and LS will help boost, there should be enough die off from Marcos to cycle the tank.

It is not a bad idea to get a cup of LS from a "good" tank and some rubble/chaeto to introduce some life that will become noticable later.

Good Luck. Take it slow this time and things will good.

 

[NHLIVES]

Although established LR and LS will help boost, there should be enough die off from Marcos to cycle the tank.

More than enough on the Marco

 

[DavidGallant]

UPDATE. A day since the water change and the smell is gone. Carbon has been running for about 48 hours. The crab's are fine. One snail died obviously, and the other is in another tank. I think the crabs will be fine, since they are still going nuts chowing down on the rock. I packed a cup of sand in the corner of my tank from a local reef system. Thing should be all set. Thanks for the help with the smell issue.

 

[DavidGallant]

Update #2. Everything is great. The crab's are doing fine, and the smell is just about gone. Carbon and the 20% water change did the trick.