Need help.

[Mokrytzki]

HI, so I am new to saltwater. I have had many freshwater tanks. I now have a 90 gallon with 30 gallon sump. I filled my tank with Rodi water a week ago. The water has turned really cloudy, and smells acidic, burns nostrils to smell. I have not added salt as the water seemed to turn bad right away and I didn't want to waste $60 worth of salt. At first I thought the tank was cycling until the smell came. My entire main floor smells real bad from it. I need some advice. Should I drain it and start over? Do a major water change? The pH is really high and ammonia is about mid on the chart thing. The only difference from my old freshwater tank is the Rodi water and some second hand crushed coral, about 60 pounds.

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[Sniperhank]

If there was salt in the water, you wouldn't have to worry about the ammonia levels as you will have to provide an ammonia source to cycle your tank. You'll need to add salt.

[Mokrytzki]

So probably best to drain and start over, except this time add salt right away?

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[Mokrytzki]

And I have no fish to cycle as I've read I need to wait six weeks before adding fish. I do however have the bottle of bacteria additive from the lfs

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[coralbandit]

What else is in tank besides water?(substrate type) any rocks deco.....?
Where did you get the RO/DI?
All set up in one day or over how long?

[Mokrytzki]

60 pounds crushed coral. Nothing else. Rodi is from my six stage filter plumbed from my basement to the tank. Took about a week to fill as I'm not available to watch water levels while at work lol.

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[coralbandit]

My bad I see "second hand " crushed coral at end of post 1.
How well did you rinse it?
If not real well then run with Hank and add salt before whatever is in used CC is killed from wrong water.
He did mention you need ammonia anyways to cycle and I noticed you didn't mention your "six week" cycling plan?
You have very little control over such a time line without a good plan.
How are you going to cycle(grow proper bacteria?)
Get a resavior(44 g brute garbage can??) and float valve for that ro/di and fill easy!

[PB_Smith]

Originally Posted by Mokrytzki

and some second hand crushed coral, about 60 pounds.

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that is most likely the problem right there.
How clean was it?
how large is the grain size. A lot of crushed coral is too big to be good in a reef as it will allow to much junk to a settle in between the grains. A fine, sand type of grain is what you ideally want.

[54seaweed]

I would 86 the crushed coral and go with sand

[coralbandit]

60 lbs in a 90 is not that much.
It could easily have sand added to it and still use old CC to speed up cycle IMO.