Strange Rock, Possible Poison?

[HumuhumuFan]

My 75 gallon FOWLR has been running since 2014. I started with 50 pounds of dry rock and 3 pieces of live rock. 2 were from Petco, the third may have been but it may have been from a LFS. Today I was looking at the tank and noticed something that just didn’t look right.

It looks like quartz or other chunks of rock in cement that just don’t look like they belong in the ocean. I just did some research and found that a lot of Petco LR is poured cement with other rock mixed in.

Since I’ve had my tank I’ve had several fish that started out healthy and then in year 3 or 4 wasted away. My last triggerfish did this after 3 years. He seemed to go blind. He tried to eat and would miss. My melanurus wrasse was the most recent. Started spitting out food and eventually just faded away despite my best efforts. Looking at my spreadsheet I just noticed they both died after 3 years and 3 months in the tank.

Could something in this rock be slowly poisoning them? A heavy metal perhaps?

 

[dwest]

My 75 gallon FOWLR has been running since 2014. I started with 50 pounds of dry rock and 3 pieces of live rock. 2 were from Petco, the third may have been but it may have been from a LFS. Today I was looking at the tank and noticed something that just didn’t look right.

It looks like quartz or other chunks of rock in cement that just don’t look like they belong in the ocean. I just did some research and found that a lot of Petco LR is poured cement with other rock mixed in.

Since I’ve had my tank I’ve had several fish that started out healthy and then in year 3 or 4 wasted away. My last triggerfish did this after 3 years. He seemed to go blind. He tried to eat and would miss. My melanurus wrasse was the most recent. Started spitting out food and eventually just faded away despite my best efforts. Looking at my spreadsheet I just noticed they both died after 3 years and 3 months in the tank.

Could something in this rock be slowly poisoning them? A heavy metal perhaps?

I’d be concerned. Did you ever do a triton ICP test on your tank water?

 

[HumuhumuFan]

I’d be concerned. Did you ever do a triton ICP test on your tank water?

No, I have not. I always wondered if something was poisoning them, especially after watching the trigger fish die the way he did. On the other hand, I couldn't think of anything that would explain poison either. I just thought of this rock being the culprit when I was looking at the tank earlier.

 

[dwest]

No, I have not.

@saltyfilmfolks @Randy Holmes-Farley What would you do?

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Sorry to hear about your trouble. I’m only guessing but if it was the rock it would have happened sooner. I would look at other causes.

Have you tried a chemi pad or meta or cuprisorb. They may change color depending on the contamination. Not 100% but cheaper than mailing it off.

 

[HumuhumuFan]

I took it out and just noticed something really strange. A square area in the rock that has numbers carved in it. After scrubbing it down it appears to be made of metal!?!

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Yikes, can you post a pix. Interested

 

[HumuhumuFan]

 

[Mastiffsrule]

It was man made for sure. I have read petco does that. What about the metal, that is new to me?

Edit, actually I take back my for sure after looking at the numbers

 

[Dolelo96]

I can only find one other person, (on another forum)that said it happened to them, but it was from 2009. Although, that doesn’t mean there aren’t more. Maybe they just haven’t caught it?

 

[HumuhumuFan]

I can only find one other person, (on another forum)that said it happened to them, but it was from 2009. Although, that doesn’t mean there aren’t more. Maybe they just haven’t caught it?

The post by the Alaskan guy on nano-reef.com? Yeah I found that as well.

 

[Dolelo96]

Can you pry that piece out of the rock? Just curios if Petco put the number on it or it’s a piece of “junk” they add to make the rock

 

[Mastiffsrule]

The rock itself does not concern me as much as the piece of metal. I als found a thread where someone found metal in it. But also, if it was metal any coral would have succumbed to it long before the fish imo. Depending on the metal it may not be at toxic levels.

Is there any other ideas you may have as to cause

 

[HumuhumuFan]

Can you pry that piece out of the rock? Just curios if Petco put the number on it or it’s a piece of “junk” they add to make the rock

I was able to do this just with my bare hands, which is a little crazy.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Is there any black spots that was on the inside of the rock?

#reefsquad

 

[Flippers4pups]

Good thing to have pulled that crap out!

 

[Dsnakes]

That’s very weird. I have not idea what’s going on with that.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Put a magnet on it.

 

[Mariette]

I don’t know what caused the deaths but that metal certainly didn’t help. I’d do w big water change, run carbon, and cross my fingers. Make sure fish are being fed a high quality diet w garlic and vitamins added to keep them in top form. Good luck

 

[Dolelo96]

I was able to do this just with my bare hands, which is a little crazy.

That’s bad..unless your really strong! That piece almost looks like some kind of plate