Smell?

[havrda]

I have a new tank. It smells...well actually stinks. Is this normal? Will it go away? Is there anything I can do for it now?

[Nano_Steve]

how long have you had it set up? what do you have in it?

-steve

[havrda]

Just set it up yesterday. I have 120lbs of sand (40 live sand) 158 lbs of rock (20 lbs live) two green chromis and 2 red legged crabs. Thats it

[Nano_Steve]

is the rock cured or uncured? where did you buy all of your stuff from, an established tank or brand new from the store? it may be your tank just going through a preliminary cycle or it may be that some life died off of the rocks when you moved the rock from wherever you bought it from. if it smells like sulphur id be willing to bet it was a sponge or something that kicked the bucket after being exposed to air.

test your water parameters and if everything checks out i wouldnt worry too too much, the smell should go away if your tank is properly cycling, you did afterall set it up yesterday. id say give it about another week to really tell.

hope it helps, steve

[havrda]

Rock is cured. Bought it at Jim's sell off yesterday. I put the stuff in the tank immediately. Everything looks like it is doing well. At least you have given me hope that the smell will eventually go away. Thanks.

[StephenA]

It should only smell if the rock is uncured. If it is uncured rock it smells like rotten trash or Red Tide. The most you should have with cured rock is a low tide smell.

[Ram_Puppy]

would bet there was sponge on the rock, there was some on my rock (uncured) when I started the tank... stinky. :) came up about 2 dsays after I got it, but passed in a day or so though.

[StephenA]

Mine smelled for over a week. I used 85lbs of uncured rock shipped directly from fiji. The family hated me!

[GaryP]

Did the Live sand come from Jim's tank too? I would be willing to bet that is where it is coming from. Hydrogen Sulfide can build up in the deep layers of a sand bed. I had the same problem the last time I moved my tanks.

Gary

[havrda]

No live sand is the fiji pink carib sea stuff

[cvonseggern]

Are you skimming? Using a protein skimmer will probably cut down the smell. Deb and I have almost no odor from our currently-cycling tank with 50 lbs of rock that has given off plenty of detritus. The skimmer cup, on the other hand, just about knocks me down with the stink when I go to rinse it out.