another LR question

[fishman]

I have another LR question. I recently got some LR from LR.com and checked the levels last night and the ammonia was 3. My question is I placed a towel over the top of the rubber maid bucket to keep the smell down the first night. The towel dipped into the water for less than a minute but I wanted to know if this will harm the water/rock being that it was a towel that had been washed in the past(of course)?? I doubt it would but I did do a 50% water change just to make sure and then did another one the next day. It smelled really bad even when I took it out of the box…Nice looking but VERY stinky!

 

[Brad]

Towel problem

You're right, the towel isn't good. But I would be more concerned about the ammonia. I would suggest some significant water changes ASAP. There's some things on the rock that have died and they are producing the ammonia as they decompose. The high levels of ammonia are toxic to the things that are still alive.

Water change will reduce the ammonia levels and gives you a chance of keeping more things alive on the rock.

 

[fishman]

Yes I have done 2 water changes of 50-75% and will check the level again tonight. and of course there is no trite or trate showing up yet....I was just concerned with the ammonia as well as the towel....

 

[fishfreek]

This is the very reason why I avocate QTing the rock prior to adding it to the tank. I would rather see the ammonia in a QT enviorment than in your display tank.