Advice needed...Urgent

chicki · #1 07/04/2002, 10:34 AM

Yesterday I bought some hairy mushrooms. They were on a fairly large piece of rock. Added them to my tank. This morning my ammonia is up .10 or .15. Should I now take the piece of rock out and dip it or wash it. Or should I just leave it and watch the ammonia. ??? Thanks...a little worried

Randy V · #2 07/04/2002, 10:41 AM

I would guess that if you dip it or wash it it will actually make it worse. It essentially needs to re-cure. You don't say what other animals are in your tank but if you have animals that can't take that level of amonia then I would try to seperate the mushroom rock in a seperate tank until the rock has re-cycled.

Reefcrazy · #3 07/04/2002, 10:42 AM

I'd do a water change and keep checking your amonia levels every 12 hours or so. Sounds like your having a bit of a cycle going on.

jersey · #4 07/04/2002, 10:45 AM

I agree with Randy. I would also do a water change to dilute the ammonia.

Bob

chicki · #5 07/04/2002, 10:50 AM

Thanks guys, I'll remove it and put it in a 5 gallon tank. I'll do a water change as well. I should have clued in yesterday when I took it out of the bag as it had a bad smell to it, but I guess I wasn't really thinking ... (usual for me!) anyways thanks again

DrkShadow · #6 07/12/2002, 12:19 AM

You didnt add the water from the bag to your tank did you? I had a habbit of that but the critters tend to fowl up that water quickly while in transit. Now I don't add that water anymore if I can remotely help it.

chicki · #7 07/12/2002, 11:20 AM

NO! I didnt!

Jimbo327 · #8 07/13/2002, 03:16 AM

Bad smell = decomposing matter

The mushroom rock is uncured...

You are doing the right thing, remove rock and cycle in seperate tank, and do several small water changes in your main tank to dilute the ammonia. You should be fine...make sure you do water changes on the mushroom rock tank also. 2 weeks later, it should be ready...just pick it up and smell it.

Next time, if it smells bad, then something is decomposing and will introduce ammonia into your tank.

Jim & Ratna

Frick-n-Frags · #9 07/13/2002, 08:52 AM

Don't forget about the shrooms on the rock you are cycling in the other tank, they don't like ammonia either. Mushroom rock is awesome for tube worms, sponges and critters. Too bad you couldn't ride it out and leave the rock in the main tank.

chicki · #10 07/13/2002, 10:16 AM

Thanks guys, well yeah I would have noticed the smell originally but I had my daughter acclimate it as I was busy. I couldn't believe that the LFS didn't notice it when he bagged it

It's been about 10 days now so it shouldn't be much longer and I'll be able to put it back.