BRS Dry rock - OMG the smell!!!!

RRaider · 01/10/2011, 05:29 PM

Wow, I'm setting up a new tank and ordered some dry rock to add to some clean live rock I'm planning to use so last night I put the dry rock in a brute with a power head and heater thinking i'd soak it for a couple of days then rinse it and stick it in the new tank which has to cycle anyway. Boy am I glad I didn't put it in my tank like I've read some people suggest. It smells so bad the whole house stinks to high heaven even with the can in the back bedroom. I opened the lid of the Brute and almost threw up. I'd normally probably just move it out side but with temps hitting the single digits I'm not sure that's a great idea.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. Really thinking about throwing it out and ordering some live rock.

chimmike · 01/10/2011, 05:31 PM

you really needed to let that rock cure for more than a couple days. It needs to be rinsed in RO then cured in saltwater for probably a couple weeks before adding to a tank.

d0ughb0y · 01/10/2011, 05:49 PM

Clean dry rock will not smell. What you described would happen to rock previously colonized with bacteria then dried out. You can scrub it and continue running it with a skimmer, or you can just toss it out.

Chris27 · 01/10/2011, 05:54 PM

Close the lid and let it sit with the powerhead on for another week or two, the smell should subside. It's really just left over junk that is breaking down into ammonia....should make for a good solid bio-filter when the cycle completes.

ocellaris123 · 01/10/2011, 06:01 PM

I bought some of the BRS dry rock and just rinsed it and put it in my aquarium. I didn't notice any unusual odor from the rock

64Ivy · 01/10/2011, 06:10 PM

I don't recall mine coming in with any smell either. Nevertheless, I soaked them in bleach for several days, then in buckets of tank water (with powerheads, of course), before letting them air dry for a few more days. From there, they sat in my sump until needed. Haven't yet had any problems

jwoyshnar · 01/10/2011, 06:28 PM

Mine didnt have any smell either. It may be something else

quincy2008 · 01/10/2011, 06:38 PM

I used 200 lbs and had no problems. Rinsed it and then let it dry. No smell at all.

gabew · 01/10/2011, 06:41 PM

Does anyone know if the "reef saver" rock smells or not. Because as others said the rock only smells if it has had life that has allowed to dry and die. The "reef saver" rock is mined not taken from the ocean so is has no dead life and it is pre rinsed. That would be my guess as to why some rocks smell and some don't.

mkart · 01/10/2011, 06:59 PM

Out of curiosity what type did you buy? I was about to order 200lb of the Dry Fiji rock but my whole reason for buying dry rock was to not deal with the smell. It's to cold here to cure rock outside. Maybe I should buy the reef saver instead?

mkart · 01/10/2011, 07:04 PM

Out of curiosity what type did you buy? I was about to order 200lb of the Dry Fiji rock but my whole reason for buying dry rock was to not deal with the smell. It's to cold here to cure rock outside. Maybe I should buy the reef saver instead?

RRaider · 01/10/2011, 07:05 PM

I bought the shelf rock.

foxrazr · 01/11/2011, 01:27 AM

I also purchased 200 lbs for my 180 gallon and did noticed the smell. I rinsed it and placed it in the display. I had to run carbon and do water changes until the smell was tolerable. My wife wasn't complaining so i guess the smell wasn't that bad. Also I got an ammonia spike which help to cycle the rock. Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates were off the chart by the way.

bsg · 01/11/2011, 01:33 AM

I recently ordered 60lbs split between "reef saver" and Pukani. 2 days in RO then into saltwater, By the third day same issue. 2+ weeks and multiple water changes and the ammonia is still off the charts.

Mkart - The reef saver was very clean and amazing looking rock. I don't think you'll have the curing issues with it.

James404 · 01/11/2011, 07:11 AM

There is a difference between the rock types, the "Reef saver" rock is very clean with little to no organic matter since it hasn't been in the ocean for a long time. The "pukani" was more recently in the ocean and has much more organic matter, including dead starfish, crabs etc...

jeff@zina.com · 01/11/2011, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gabew

Does anyone know if the "reef saver" rock smells or not.

It does not.

There is no reason dry rock should smell.

Jeff

jwoyshnar · 01/11/2011, 07:52 AM

That's what I got was the reef saver

TP123 · 01/11/2011, 09:31 AM

The "dry" part really doesn't effect whether it will smell.

If it has dried up organic stuff on it, it will smell. If it was recently (relatively speaking) live rock, there is still a bunch of stuff that can decompose. When dried out, things decompose very slowly.

If it's cleaned of all organic stuff, it will not smell as there is nothing to decompose.

BADGUS · 01/11/2011, 10:07 AM

I bought 100lbs of Dry pukani rock and ammonia was insanely high and did have a funky smell.3weeks later it cycled and ammonia went down.All is well now.Will never ever ever do this again.

swabe3618 · 01/11/2011, 10:16 AM

Hot water and bleach bath for 24 hours then a very good rinse and let it thoroughly dry out then another good rinse and repeat the process minus the bleach until the rock has no odor. Then keep in saltwater for a week or two. This is what i do and have had no problems. Good idea to check the ph and amonia, nitrate levels too while it is curing in saltwater. Best to play it safe if you ask me.

khalid · 01/11/2011, 10:26 AM

I have 100 pounds of BRS dry rock curing right now and no smell here as well.

dublo8 · 01/11/2011, 10:42 AM

I have 60lbs curing as we speak. no smell of any type. I did soak it in a ro/vinegar solution for a couple days before I started the curing process. After the vinegar I rinsed them with ro for a couple days and then just started adding my left over water change water to the tub they are in. No problems, no smells.

JG1 · 01/11/2011, 11:15 AM

Any idea how long it takes to get PO4 under control using dry rock?

I'm using the BRS dry fiji, tank has been running for 6 weeks, the last 3 of those using zeovit, and I can't get the P04 down at all. It hovers around .27ppm

Not feeding the tank anything, RO/DI measures .00ppm (PO4).

PO4 won't budge.

Chris27 · 01/11/2011, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JG1

Any idea how long it takes to get PO4 under control using dry rock?

I'm using the BRS dry fiji, tank has been running for 6 weeks, the last 3 of those using zeovit, and I can't get the P04 down at all. It hovers around .27ppm

Not feeding the tank anything, RO/DI measures .00ppm (PO4).

PO4 won't budge.

My guess is that the zeovit media isn't mature enough yet to remove it. If you want to remove the phosphate now, just run some GFO/other media in a fluidized bed filter, it will be gone in a few hours.

romanr · 01/11/2011, 12:01 PM

What is the possibility of a rodent having slipped into the rock either @ BRS or somewhere in transit or even at your home prior to you putting the rock in the water?

01/10/2011, 05:29 PM	#1
RRaider Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 703	BRS Dry rock - OMG the smell!!!! Wow, I'm setting up a new tank and ordered some dry rock to add to some clean live rock I'm planning to use so last night I put the dry rock in a brute with a power head and heater thinking i'd soak it for a couple of days then rinse it and stick it in the new tank which has to cycle anyway. Boy am I glad I didn't put it in my tank like I've read some people suggest. It smells so bad the whole house stinks to high heaven even with the can in the back bedroom. I opened the lid of the Brute and almost threw up. I'd normally probably just move it out side but with temps hitting the single digits I'm not sure that's a great idea. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. Really thinking about throwing it out and ordering some live rock.

01/10/2011, 05:31 PM	#2
chimmike oxygen abuser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 5,089 Blog Entries: 2	you really needed to let that rock cure for more than a couple days. It needs to be rinsed in RO then cured in saltwater for probably a couple weeks before adding to a tank. __________________ -Mike Tankless wonder Geaux Noles!

01/10/2011, 06:10 PM	#6
64Ivy B'rer Reefer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Greenwich, CT Posts: 3,194	I don't recall mine coming in with any smell either. Nevertheless, I soaked them in bleach for several days, then in buckets of tank water (with powerheads, of course), before letting them air dry for a few more days. From there, they sat in my sump until needed. Haven't yet had any problems __________________ Be Kind To The Elderly. Life Without Parole Means Nothing To Us. ToTM 3-03 Current Tank Info: Between tanks. Searching for a home

01/10/2011, 06:41 PM	#9
gabew Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 413	Does anyone know if the "reef saver" rock smells or not. Because as others said the rock only smells if it has had life that has allowed to dry and die. The "reef saver" rock is mined not taken from the ocean so is has no dead life and it is pre rinsed. That would be my guess as to why some rocks smell and some don't. __________________ -Gabe Current Tank Info: Coldwater/temperate setup: 55 gallon DT, 30 gallon sump, 20 gallon refugium, Iwaki WMD-30RLXT return pump, 1/2HP chiller, Reef Octpus NW110 skimmer, BRS carbon reactor, two Koralia Evolution 1400s, Odyssea 216w quad T5 HO light with 6500k plant bulbs

01/10/2011, 06:59 PM	#10
mkart Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 1,313	Which type of BRS rock? Out of curiosity what type did you buy? I was about to order 200lb of the Dry Fiji rock but my whole reason for buying dry rock was to not deal with the smell. It's to cold here to cure rock outside. Maybe I should buy the reef saver instead?

01/10/2011, 05:49 PM	#3
d0ughb0y Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: sf bay area Posts: 5,165	Clean dry rock will not smell. What you described would happen to rock previously colonized with bacteria then dried out. You can scrub it and continue running it with a skimmer, or you can just toss it out.

01/10/2011, 05:54 PM	#4
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	Close the lid and let it sit with the powerhead on for another week or two, the smell should subside. It's really just left over junk that is breaking down into ammonia....should make for a good solid bio-filter when the cycle completes.

01/10/2011, 06:01 PM	#5
ocellaris123 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 2,123	I bought some of the BRS dry rock and just rinsed it and put it in my aquarium. I didn't notice any unusual odor from the rock

01/10/2011, 06:28 PM	#7
jwoyshnar Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: 18441 Posts: 1,531	Mine didnt have any smell either. It may be something else

01/10/2011, 06:38 PM	#8
quincy2008 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 148	I used 200 lbs and had no problems. Rinsed it and then let it dry. No smell at all.

01/10/2011, 07:04 PM	#11
mkart Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: St Louis, MO Posts: 1,313	Which type of BRS rock? Out of curiosity what type did you buy? I was about to order 200lb of the Dry Fiji rock but my whole reason for buying dry rock was to not deal with the smell. It's to cold here to cure rock outside. Maybe I should buy the reef saver instead?

01/10/2011, 07:05 PM	#12
RRaider Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 703	I bought the shelf rock.

01/11/2011, 01:27 AM	#13
foxrazr Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Laredo,Texas Posts: 256	I also purchased 200 lbs for my 180 gallon and did noticed the smell. I rinsed it and placed it in the display. I had to run carbon and do water changes until the smell was tolerable. My wife wasn't complaining so i guess the smell wasn't that bad. Also I got an ammonia spike which help to cycle the rock. Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates were off the chart by the way.

01/11/2011, 01:33 AM	#14
bsg Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dublin, CA Posts: 102	I recently ordered 60lbs split between "reef saver" and Pukani. 2 days in RO then into saltwater, By the third day same issue. 2+ weeks and multiple water changes and the ammonia is still off the charts. Mkart - The reef saver was very clean and amazing looking rock. I don't think you'll have the curing issues with it.

01/11/2011, 07:11 AM	#15
James404 I <3 Acros Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 2,523	There is a difference between the rock types, the "Reef saver" rock is very clean with little to no organic matter since it hasn't been in the ocean for a long time. The "pukani" was more recently in the ocean and has much more organic matter, including dead starfish, crabs etc... __________________ 80g Deep Blue Rimless - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2651295 225g Reef Savvy SPS Dominant - Retired http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1945361

01/11/2011, 07:52 AM	#17
jwoyshnar Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: 18441 Posts: 1,531	That's what I got was the reef saver

01/11/2011, 09:31 AM	#18
TP123 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 205	The "dry" part really doesn't effect whether it will smell. If it has dried up organic stuff on it, it will smell. If it was recently (relatively speaking) live rock, there is still a bunch of stuff that can decompose. When dried out, things decompose very slowly. If it's cleaned of all organic stuff, it will not smell as there is nothing to decompose.

01/11/2011, 10:07 AM	#19
BADGUS Moved On Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Chitown Posts: 2,038	I bought 100lbs of Dry pukani rock and ammonia was insanely high and did have a funky smell.3weeks later it cycled and ammonia went down.All is well now.Will never ever ever do this again.

01/11/2011, 10:16 AM	#20
swabe3618 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: United States Posts: 105	Hot water and bleach bath for 24 hours then a very good rinse and let it thoroughly dry out then another good rinse and repeat the process minus the bleach until the rock has no odor. Then keep in saltwater for a week or two. This is what i do and have had no problems. Good idea to check the ph and amonia, nitrate levels too while it is curing in saltwater. Best to play it safe if you ask me.

01/11/2011, 10:26 AM	#21
khalid Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Broadlands, Va. Posts: 120	I have 100 pounds of BRS dry rock curing right now and no smell here as well.

01/11/2011, 10:42 AM	#22
dublo8 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morgan Hill, Ca Posts: 3,225	I have 60lbs curing as we speak. no smell of any type. I did soak it in a ro/vinegar solution for a couple days before I started the curing process. After the vinegar I rinsed them with ro for a couple days and then just started adding my left over water change water to the tub they are in. No problems, no smells. __________________ 10g IM fusion. Zoa and SPS dominant, Apex monitored, Ai Prime, MP10, sicce return.

01/11/2011, 11:15 AM	#23
JG1 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Sicklerville, NJ 08081 Posts: 2,256	Any idea how long it takes to get PO4 under control using dry rock? I'm using the BRS dry fiji, tank has been running for 6 weeks, the last 3 of those using zeovit, and I can't get the P04 down at all. It hovers around .27ppm Not feeding the tank anything, RO/DI measures .00ppm (PO4). PO4 won't budge. __________________ -John Current Tank Info: 100g Rimless Starphire

01/11/2011, 12:01 PM	#25
romanr Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ocala, Florida Posts: 1,568	What is the possibility of a rodent having slipped into the rock either @ BRS or somewhere in transit or even at your home prior to you putting the rock in the water? __________________ Raul Roman Marion Ocala Reef Enthusiasts (MORE) member Check us out on FB and RC. Current Tank Info: 150 DD cube mixed reef, 30G sump, Eshopps S-150 cone skimmer, 400W Radium MH, 156W Wavepoint T5, Internet accessible ACIII controller , Vortech MP10 w/ Icecap battery backup, Mini-Arctica chiller, Katalyst fueled reactor fed to Octopus BH800S skimmer

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