First PROBLEM !

[Charlie]

Trying to do a fishless cycle on my 46gl tank. Put in a large fresh shrimp two days ago and threw in 5lbs of LR yesterday. LR had plenty of coraline and looked good. It went directly from lfs to my tank within 5 minutes.

Tank is @ 79deg, AC300 running with sponge, Chemi-pure and bio. Eheim wet/dry running with Ehfisubstrate only.

The tank STINKS 8O and so does my office. Pee You :? What is causing this and what should I do to correct it.

Never expected this problem

 

[Devilishturtles]

What does it smell like? Rotten eggs or The Ocean by any chance?

 

[Charlie]

If I had to pick one it would be rotten eggs. Rather foul as soon as you open the office door. Everyone noticed as they walked by.

They probably thought it was caused by something I ate.

I opened the hood and the smell was definately coming from the tank. Shrimp had its shell starting to come apart. Could it be the shrimp?

 

[Devilishturtles]

It's likely your curing liverock then, in conjunction with the shrimp. Nasty huh? A water change with fresh mixed saltwater may help alot. FYI, cured liverock will smell like the ocean, uncured (thus with some dead critters on it) will smell like rotten eggs.

 

[Charlie]

The LR was in a well established 200gal tank that was loaded with coraline, coral and other inverts. Entire aquascape was tank down and the (cured?) LR was put into the LR tubes for sale.

The lfs then start a new aquascape with some cured rock and lots of new uncured rock.

Should not have caused any problems going from lfs to my tank in the 5min it took me to get there.

Regarless of the cause; is there a way to get rid of the odor, other than a water change?

I will be away Friday but come Saturday I think I may be doing a large water change.

 

[tbonem91]

decomposing shrimp stink

carbon helps a little bit but the best would be a water change and some good smelling candles or something - does your office have a window you can open to vent the air? If it gets too bad, you can remove the shrimp and switch over to pure ammonia for the cycling process.