Gulf Live Rock Die off and Cycling

[alpenreef]

I started a new 170 gal tank with Gulf Live Rock @Gulf Live Rock , about 350 lbs of sand and rock. Placed everything in the tank upon arrival. Lots of life (macro algae, bivalves, sponges, tunicates, corals, inverts) which I keep scraping off and removing as things die off. Bivalves and sponges and gorgonians went first, left most of the algae for now.
Ammonia is thru the roof and maxing out Hanna and api tests. How should I proceed?
I am performing daily 30 gallon water changes, does that make sense?
I have flow cranked up to the max, and mechanical filtration plus skimmer snd carbon reactor running.

 

[Jekyl]

@LiverockRocks
@Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[Uncle99]

You certainly can mange ammonia with water changes.
I think you’re doing that right.
It will pass.

 

[taricha]

flow, aeration, light, water changes, removing dead material. Fritz turbo start is also good at unusually high ammonia levels.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’d avoid doing anything to raise pH.

 

[alpenreef]

I’d avoid doing anything to raise pH.

Interesting. So less aeration? I made it a point to crank up flow and the slkmmer is drawing outside air. Still only at 7.8

Turns out I panicked for nothing. The tank ate the NH3 spike in 24 hours and it‘s back down to 1ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Interesting. So less aeration? I made it a point to crank up flow and the slkmmer is drawing outside air. Still only at 7.8

Turns out I panicked for nothing. The tank ate the NH3 spike in 24 hours and it‘s back down to 1ppm

I would not decrease aeration, but avoid high pH alk supplements, CO2 scrubbers, etc.

 

[Gulf Live Rock]

keep removing dead stuff and keep doing small water changes. The process take around two weeks. Thanks

 

[alpenreef]

keep removing dead stuff and keep doing small water changes. The process take around two weeks. Thanks

Hi Dan,

actually it just took 5 days, some of the bivalves, gorgonias, and sponges died and after a massive spike ammonia was zero. Now 3 week later my tank is full of fish and corals and it looks and feels like a much older tank. Attaching some pictures.

 

[Gulf Live Rock]

WoW!! Looks really nice! Thanks for sharing

 

[Gulf Live Rock]

Lmk when you want some exotic corals. I just started adding some nice frags on my site on the new specials page. Thanks Dan

 

[alpenreef]

WoW!! Looks really nice! Thanks for sharing

No thank you Dan, I can‘t believe how well your rock has worked out. It‘s the bomb.

 

[steveschuerger]

Yeah I’ve always gotten cool stuff with Gulf Live Rock rocks. These all came on GLR. I have a small mantis in the tank that I’ve kept in the main display cause it’s so neat from the last order I had.

 

[jabberwock]

Glad it turned around. Did you initially add it to an uncycled system?