New Tank Cycling

[Dylan_89]

Hey all,

Starting up my first ever SW tank, after keeping FW for a long time.

Going for a nano 40L (10g) setup, probs just gonna have a pair of clowns or something with some nice corals.. havent really thought about it too much... just wanted to get the thing cycling - and thus began my problems



I got some liverock from a LFS (I live in australia btw, dont see how this is relevant but whatever).. and i've followed every guide i can find on cycling correctly.. however.... my live rock STINKS SO BAD that is actually making me physically ILL just being near the tank... this cannot be normal... There are 100's of worms and I've been taking out dead ones whenever I see them... but this is seriously disgusting... could I have some "bogus live rock"??? I've been doing water changes (as big as 80%) to try and get the smell to go away but it just wont..

Nearly all of my water parameters are screwed... Ammonia is through the roof!

pH, temp + salinity seem to be the only safe/normal ones.. but this smell is ridiculous..

The water is also cloudy, no matter how much i change... there has to be something wrong... it shouldn't be like this, am i wrong?

PLEASE HELP!!

 

[ALW]

While the rock is going through its cycling process it will stink. Stop doing water changes as this prolongs the process. The bacteria in the rock feed on the ammonia so by doing water changes you are reducing the ammonia available. It is advised that curing is done outside to avoid the smell indoors. It can take months to cure the rock or as little as weeks. The best thing to do right now would be test the ammonia level, make a note. Leave the tank alone for a week test again and make note, hopefully the levels will show a drop. Leave for another week test again, if the levels are still dropping do a 25-50% water change. Test the levels after the water change and leave a week and test again. Again repeat this process until your ammonia is at 0. Then once at 0 leave a week test again if still at 0 then you are good to go.

 

[Dylan_89]

Thanks for the reply! I will definitely just stop trying (as it sounds) and just let it run...

1 more quick question (for now anyway):

My LR is getting what i can only describe as "white fur" all over it.. I've heard different things.. what do i do with it?

Scrape off what I can get too? take it out scrape it off put it back in? leave it?

What is the cause of this white fur? I've read it may be a lack of calcium, but I've done tests and it's sitting (if anywhere) a bit high

Cheers!