Is this normal?

[TrevorL]

So I bought a dead rock structure that one of my local saltwater stores had made. I have put it in my tank and now my ammonia,Nitrite,and nitrate levels are high. My ammonia is about 2.0ppm, nitrite is between 2.0-5.0ppm, and my nitrate is about 15ppm. There is some color starting to come back to the rock so I didn’t know if this is good or bad?

 

[Cell]

Normal. Assuming it was formerly live rock it will have a lot of built up organics on it. You typically want to cure rocks like this in a separate container until phosphate stops leaching and all organic matter is broken down.

 

[Albertan22]

Is your tank cycled with livestock in it yet or is it a new setup? If new I wouldn’t worry about it, if there is livestock then you may need to do something like adding some prime to neutralize the ammonia and maybe adding some bottled bacteria.

 

[SifuMemphis]

Is this a new tank? Seems fine. You might be going through a cycle. The dead rock structure probably had some stuff that died off etc.

 

[TrevorL]

Is your tank cycled with livestock in it yet or is it a new setup? If new I wouldn’t worry about it, if there is livestock then you may need to do something like adding some prime to neutralize the ammonia and maybe adding some bottled bacteria.

My tank is new I have no livestock in it. I’ve been waiting to get either live or dead rock before putting any livestock or corals in.

 

[TrevorL]

Is this a new tank? Seems fine. You might be going through a cycle. The dead rock structure probably had some stuff that died off etc.

Yes it’s a new tank. No livestock in it right now.

 

[johnsonkobe24]

I use dead rock to set up my tank and it is normal I would say. I have been through the same process, just keep adding bacteria regularly as dead rock doesn’t produce it like live rock

 

[Albertan22]

I wouldn’t worry then. As mentioned, the rock may have been previously wet and have some organic matter in it. It’s just kick started your cycle.

 

[Cell]

Yes it could stay in the tank. But depending on size/amt of rock and amt of detritus, I might still recommend moving the curing to a brute or other separate container. You might have to do several rounds of water changes over the course of the curing and the water can get pretty stinky and nasty depending on the amt of organics. If I had a brand new nice tank, I wouldn't want to run the yellow pee water through my pristine system.

 

[TrevorL]

I wouldn’t worry then. As mentioned, the rock may have been previously wet and have some organic matter in it. It’s just kick started your cycle.

Yeah when I was talking to one of the workers in the store I bought it from he said that they use it from their live rock selection that they have so it has been wet before.

 

[TrevorL]

Yes it could stay in the tank. But depending on size/amt of rock and amt of detritus, I might still recommend moving the curing to a brute or other separate container. You might have to do several rounds of water changes over the course of the curing and the water can get pretty stinky and nasty depending on the amt of organics. If I had a brand new nice tank, I wouldn't want to run the yellow pee water through my pristine system.

Water is really clear and it smelled bad when I first put it in a couple days ago but the smell went away within an hour of putting the structure in.