HELP!!! Smelly water during cycling....

[KapoKidd]

Hi,

Im really desperate here and i need all you experts out there to answer my post......

Ok here's the situation...

I added live rocks sand and all the stuff into my new marine tank. Wanted to start cycling so i threw in a fish meat and waited for a few days...

Now the water is so smelly untill can vomit and it smells badly....So i took out the liverock thinking its the dying of the things in the rocks...Kinda bathed the rocks in a big pail and put bag in the tank after two days .

Now the water still smells badly and its cloudy.

HELP!!! My mother is now in the midst of cracking the tank if i dun reduce the smell.....HELP!!

[terryansimon]

you shouldn't have taken the rocks out to wash.

do you have water circulation in the form of powerheads or net water movement?

[KapoKidd]

Yup got one powerhead...i suspect its the rocks and all the worms in it...Need advice

[richng]

change water will reduce the strong smell but do not ever wash the rock again

[KapoKidd]

Sorry to ask again but why not?? I think they are uncured rocks

[ccplim]

Could the smell be from the fish meat that u have dumped in? Heard from some people that AC can help to remove the smell but not sure whether is it suitable to use it at this point of time?

[KapoKidd]

I think my last resort is too tear down the whole tank and start from scratch ?

[SBS_Transit]

can shop a pic of your tank ???

[KapoKidd]

Sorry no digi cam...

[SBS_Transit]

well, so is your rock cured or not ?

[reefer guy]

what's the filtration u r using to cycle the tank? can share ur specs pls

[triggerpuff]

i just began my project on my 3rd tank which is a 2 footer seahorse-to-be tank.

same experience - put in my LR after running water for 2 weeks. next day, I think my unflushed toilet bowl smells better than the tank water ! almost puked!! there was also a thick layer of film on the water surface.

must be the living organisms like worms and crabs etc died from transportation of the LR (no water) combined with new water conditions of the tank.

despite changing water, there's still some smell. I think need another 2 or 3 water changes before I am comfortable to put any LS inside.

[reefer guy]

shouldnt be the case if there is ample water movement and good filtration....

[SBS_Transit]

if all your tank like that, than i very worried my tank will be the same . i going to cycle my tank by end or this month, but i see u all like that , i dont feel like cycling it liao. if it stinks i die liao

[Achilles Tang]

Sounds like your LR is uncured. Lots of stuff still dying and adding in another ammonia source like the dead fish may have pushed your tank into a crash.

Suggest a 100% water change and restart the cycling.

Washing the rocks in FW may have killed off the useful bacteria anyway.

[Tanggy]

How much rocks do you have curing in the tank?? alot.

Like what big boss said. Your rocks got lotsa die offs liaoz. no need to add the fish meat. Do a major water change and remove the fish meat (or residue of it).

Tearing down your tank doesnt help. In fact might make matter worse: even more die offs. did you prepare/clean your rock of unwanted sponges, plants etc? This happen to me once got a few piece of LR and cured in container. One was bad and caused the smell to be really bad. If I left it with the other rocks, probably will cause even more die offs from the other rock. That rock got tons of die off. Didnt wanna risk the other rocks or crashing my tank so throw the piece away.

Now when I buy rocks, I machiam buy durian, do smell test before taking. If smell like rotten egg, die die dont take.

Add some bacteria culture to speed up the growth of the bact.

[AJ123]

do u have any white 'fungus'-looking, maciam spider web to ur LR prior from the smell? Cos, i'm cycling my tank right now... no smell, but very irritate to the white fungus that is covering the LR... i need advise too.. help.. :-(

[Tanggy]

do u have any white 'fungus'-looking, maciam spider web to ur LR prior from the smell? Cos, i'm cycling my tank right now... no smell, but very irritate to the white fungus that is covering the LR... i need advise too.. help.. :-(

Think you refering to white sponges is it? Can peel them off one wat. Thats wat I do to prepare the rock. Peel off any unwanted stuff.

[AJ123]

dun think its white sponge leh... cos, its seems to be 'growing' from one rock to another, just within one day... any idea, anyone? should i redo the entire re-cycle or leave it....? (the hitch hikers are living without issue)

[CalciumReef]

Its means there is not enough water circulation....Just put in a Powerhead and blow at the rocks

[KapoKidd]

Hi,

I have about 9kg of uncured liverocks in my tank and what should i do now plz plz advice .....thinking of tering down the whole tank.

But what bout the rocks..???HELP!!!

[SBS_Transit]

take the rocks out and cure it,

[terryansimon]

do not fret.

do what AT told you and you should be fine. try to create more net movement in the water so that the water doesn't stagnate. I've been cycling for 11 days now and I still don't have any rotting smell, even with four market prawns in the tank. (=

[alanyeo]

Don fret pal. It is normal if you use uncured LR. Even if they are cured at the shop before you bought them, you might still get a little fragrance after you bring them home. It all depends how long the LR were exposed to air.

Tip: during transportation wet a plastic sheet and cover over them to lessen exposure.

And don change water if possible....bear with it for a while unless your wife or mom start yelling. It tends to speed up the cycling process, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate will ^ increase faster than usual. Wait till the water clears and smell gone, then do a 80 or even 100% water change. Someone also suggested using powerheads to blow at the rocks, that's good!

[Lawrence]

The last when I cycle my tank but i was too anxious to add coral & fishes within a week & all died. My tank was very smelly & I use black carbon charcoal (in a tea bag type) & put it in my filter for 2 days the smell was clear away!!!

But do not put too long cos all the nutirent & bacteria will lessen, the LFS told me!!

Dun lose heart, learn from your experience & you will get better!

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My Humble 2Ft Tank:

- 1 x 55w PL blue

- 1 x 25w FL white

- 1 Jebo Side Overflow Filter

- 1 AA brand Protein Skimmer

- 1 three stripes damsel

- 1 fire goby

- 1 coral beauty

- 1 skunk shrimp

- 1 Green turtle weed

- 1 Greenish Mushroom

- 1 Green Yuma

- 1 Green jewel coral

- 1 Brown tubeworm

- 1 white tubeworm

- Temp 26-27C

- Amonia 0mg/l

- Salinty 1.020

- 10kg LR