Got an order of KP Aquatics live rock

_salty_ · 10/25/2018, 05:00 AM

Hi Reefers!
I got a shipment of 15lbs of live rock from kp aquatics yesterday. Very nice looking rock! Anyways, it’s been in a 20 gallon tank with a heater and power head for about 24 hours and it’s starting to smell and the water is getting cloudy. I have a power filter coming in the mail tomorrow with some type of filter pads and a charcoal filter so I hope that helps with all the floating algae, smell and clear up the water.

I only have 1 outlet where this small tank is at. Electrician is coming this weekend to wire me dedicated circuits for the big tank. My dilemma is I don’t have 3 outlets for the heater, power head and filter. Do I NEED the power head once the filter is up and running? Can any of these be used on an extension cord for 3 weeks or so?? 20 gallon tank with 15 lbs of rock and it’s not even filled up so maybe has 15 gallons of water.

Should I do a water change before I put the filter on? Should I fill the tank full when I water change??

Thanks in advance!!

tjm9331 · 10/25/2018, 06:54 AM

If you have an outlet close enough, simply plug in a power strip/surge protector and plug all your equipment into that. You're going to want your power head on so it can keep everything in the water column so your filter can pull it out.

You could certainly do a water change before you add the filter but personally I would see what the filter can pull out first. Topping off the tank would probably be a good idea.

Most likely the smell and cloudy water is just from die off during shipment.

mcgyvr · 10/25/2018, 08:19 AM

Yep.. thats what power strips are for..

The smell is normal..

If anything run without the filter.. At this point its going to do very little as this is mostly a chemical process and filters serve a mechanical function..

Per "OSHA" extension cords can be used for 90 days (temporary use) but a power strip is not the same as an extension cord and it can be used indefinitely.. not that osha applies here..

_salty_ · 10/25/2018, 08:57 AM

I expected the smell being shipped from the keys to St. Louis, totally fine and normal I’m sure. I’m scared there is going to be enough decay and die off to kill the rock via ammonia spike. I’m thinking that removing all these floaties via filter is going to get stuff out before it breaks down enough to be ammonia. Is this wrong? Since there is a carbon pack in the filter, won’t that help the smell? Is it going to smell more later? It’s only been in there for about 24 hours. Oh jeez, I thought I was prepared and would know how to handle this and wouldn’t panic but I’m kinda slightly panicked.

_salty_ · 10/25/2018, 09:00 AM

Will I have a better/stronger bacteria colony if I let this sort itself out and leave the filter off?

mcgyvr · 10/25/2018, 09:27 AM

Stop panicking.. There is no reason for that..
You are doing all you need to do..

You simply continue to monitor ammonia/nitrite levels and when they are zero then the rock is ready to go and the tank can be stocked..
Typically one would at that point perform water changes to drop nitrates to a reasonable level if they are elevated..
But you can certainly do water changes at any time.. Some feel that this only prolongs the cycle but there is really no proof in that.
I actually recommend them during cycling/curing if nitrate levels start to get really elevated just so its less work once the curing/cycling is complete..

_salty_ · 10/25/2018, 12:18 PM

Ok that makes me feel better, thank you! I can’t wait to get home from work and check on my rock!!

_salty_ · 10/25/2018, 05:18 PM

well when I got home today the rock stench dropped quite a bit and the water is more clear, big difference from 12 hours ago. There’s multiple shades of purple, pink, orange and red algae (I think it’s algae) all over the rock and the color is kinda fading. Should I put a light over them?

When can I start adding my dry rock to this?? A couple pieces at a time I imagine.

_salty_ · 10/25/2018, 05:20 PM

What kind of power strips is everyone using?? I’ve been told by the LFS to ditch the one I had because they’ve had multiples catch on fire. It went straight in the trash.

mcgyvr · 10/25/2018, 07:14 PM

For the most part any power strip is fine...Fires happen in this hobby when people dont think and put it too close to moisture/salt spray,etc... And never inspect them.

And you can add dry rock whenever you want...Sooner you get it in the sooner its populated with bacteria.

You can also put the lights over it for 6-8 hours a day if you want..

_salty_ · 10/25/2018, 07:25 PM

Thanks Mcgyvr!

jlmawp · 10/26/2018, 08:42 AM

Those colors you mention are coralline algae. The color will come back in time. It may die back a bit too, which is normal in your situation. It will grow back once conditions are more stable.

sde1500 · 10/26/2018, 01:47 PM

_salty_ · 10/26/2018, 08:00 PM

I tried to add pictures 3 times and it didn’t work. All I have is an iPhone. I can text you pichers to add for me?!

sde1500 · 10/27/2018, 05:29 AM

Download Tapatalk. Let’s you access forums through it and you can post pictures using it.

_salty_ · 10/27/2018, 07:11 AM

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

_salty_ · 10/27/2018, 07:14 AM

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

_salty_ · 10/27/2018, 07:15 AM

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

_salty_ · 10/27/2018, 07:20 AM

Will a couple hermits be okay in this? Ammonia and nitrites are zero, nitrate kit is MIA at the moment.

jlmawp · 10/27/2018, 10:26 AM

A couple of hermits and a cleaner shrimp would help with some of the material die-off for sure, and clean up the rock for you a good amount.

Nice looking rock too. You'll be finding cool stuff in there for a while.

_salty_ · 10/27/2018, 11:08 AM

I’ve fished out a couple small worms that didn’t make it. There was a starfish and pretty long worm when I first put it in and I can’t find them now so I guess they are alive for now. Snails are on the walls in the morning and I might have some sponges, tunicates or soft corals too; can’t really tell. Very satisfied with the rock and Phil with KPAQUATICS put this together last minute for me before they left for vacation, so that was awesome too! I’ll definitely be ordering more next spring when the weather warms up.

sde1500 · 10/29/2018, 08:51 AM

Very cool, that is some nice looking rock.

10/25/2018, 05:00 AM	#1
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	Got an order of KP Aquatics live rock Hi Reefers! I got a shipment of 15lbs of live rock from kp aquatics yesterday. Very nice looking rock! Anyways, it’s been in a 20 gallon tank with a heater and power head for about 24 hours and it’s starting to smell and the water is getting cloudy. I have a power filter coming in the mail tomorrow with some type of filter pads and a charcoal filter so I hope that helps with all the floating algae, smell and clear up the water. I only have 1 outlet where this small tank is at. Electrician is coming this weekend to wire me dedicated circuits for the big tank. My dilemma is I don’t have 3 outlets for the heater, power head and filter. Do I NEED the power head once the filter is up and running? Can any of these be used on an extension cord for 3 weeks or so?? 20 gallon tank with 15 lbs of rock and it’s not even filled up so maybe has 15 gallons of water. Should I do a water change before I put the filter on? Should I fill the tank full when I water change?? Thanks in advance!!

10/25/2018, 08:19 AM	#3
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Yep.. thats what power strips are for.. The smell is normal.. If anything run without the filter.. At this point its going to do very little as this is mostly a chemical process and filters serve a mechanical function.. Per "OSHA" extension cords can be used for 90 days (temporary use) but a power strip is not the same as an extension cord and it can be used indefinitely.. not that osha applies here.. __________________ Who me?

10/25/2018, 09:27 AM	#6
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Stop panicking.. There is no reason for that.. You are doing all you need to do.. You simply continue to monitor ammonia/nitrite levels and when they are zero then the rock is ready to go and the tank can be stocked.. Typically one would at that point perform water changes to drop nitrates to a reasonable level if they are elevated.. But you can certainly do water changes at any time.. Some feel that this only prolongs the cycle but there is really no proof in that. I actually recommend them during cycling/curing if nitrate levels start to get really elevated just so its less work once the curing/cycling is complete.. __________________ Who me?

10/25/2018, 07:14 PM	#10
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	For the most part any power strip is fine...Fires happen in this hobby when people dont think and put it too close to moisture/salt spray,etc... And never inspect them. And you can add dry rock whenever you want...Sooner you get it in the sooner its populated with bacteria. You can also put the lights over it for 6-8 hours a day if you want.. __________________ Who me?

10/26/2018, 01:47 PM	#13
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	__________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

10/25/2018, 06:54 AM	#2
tjm9331 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 340	If you have an outlet close enough, simply plug in a power strip/surge protector and plug all your equipment into that. You're going to want your power head on so it can keep everything in the water column so your filter can pull it out. You could certainly do a water change before you add the filter but personally I would see what the filter can pull out first. Topping off the tank would probably be a good idea. Most likely the smell and cloudy water is just from die off during shipment.

10/25/2018, 08:57 AM	#4
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	I expected the smell being shipped from the keys to St. Louis, totally fine and normal I’m sure. I’m scared there is going to be enough decay and die off to kill the rock via ammonia spike. I’m thinking that removing all these floaties via filter is going to get stuff out before it breaks down enough to be ammonia. Is this wrong? Since there is a carbon pack in the filter, won’t that help the smell? Is it going to smell more later? It’s only been in there for about 24 hours. Oh jeez, I thought I was prepared and would know how to handle this and wouldn’t panic but I’m kinda slightly panicked.

10/25/2018, 09:00 AM	#5
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	Will I have a better/stronger bacteria colony if I let this sort itself out and leave the filter off?

10/25/2018, 12:18 PM	#7
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	Ok that makes me feel better, thank you! I can’t wait to get home from work and check on my rock!!

10/25/2018, 05:18 PM	#8
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	well when I got home today the rock stench dropped quite a bit and the water is more clear, big difference from 12 hours ago. There’s multiple shades of purple, pink, orange and red algae (I think it’s algae) all over the rock and the color is kinda fading. Should I put a light over them? When can I start adding my dry rock to this?? A couple pieces at a time I imagine.

10/25/2018, 05:20 PM	#9
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	What kind of power strips is everyone using?? I’ve been told by the LFS to ditch the one I had because they’ve had multiples catch on fire. It went straight in the trash.

10/25/2018, 07:25 PM	#11
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	Thanks Mcgyvr!

10/26/2018, 08:42 AM	#12
jlmawp Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 595	Those colors you mention are coralline algae. The color will come back in time. It may die back a bit too, which is normal in your situation. It will grow back once conditions are more stable.

10/26/2018, 08:00 PM	#14
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	I tried to add pictures 3 times and it didn’t work. All I have is an iPhone. I can text you pichers to add for me?!

10/27/2018, 05:29 AM	#15
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	Download Tapatalk. Let’s you access forums through it and you can post pictures using it. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

10/27/2018, 07:11 AM	#16
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

10/27/2018, 07:14 AM	#17
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

10/27/2018, 07:15 AM	#18
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

10/27/2018, 07:20 AM	#19
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	Will a couple hermits be okay in this? Ammonia and nitrites are zero, nitrate kit is MIA at the moment.

10/27/2018, 10:26 AM	#20
jlmawp Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 595	A couple of hermits and a cleaner shrimp would help with some of the material die-off for sure, and clean up the rock for you a good amount. Nice looking rock too. You'll be finding cool stuff in there for a while.

10/27/2018, 11:08 AM	#21
_salty_ Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: St. Louis Missouri Posts: 52	I’ve fished out a couple small worms that didn’t make it. There was a starfish and pretty long worm when I first put it in and I can’t find them now so I guess they are alive for now. Snails are on the walls in the morning and I might have some sponges, tunicates or soft corals too; can’t really tell. Very satisfied with the rock and Phil with KPAQUATICS put this together last minute for me before they left for vacation, so that was awesome too! I’ll definitely be ordering more next spring when the weather warms up.

10/29/2018, 08:51 AM	#22
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	Very cool, that is some nice looking rock. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.