my rock alive?

[pogiboy67]

hey everyone i made the mistake of doing some slow shipping for my 2nd batch of 25# LR... was in transit for about 7 days.... there still bacteria on it?? or is it totally dead?? my nitrates, and nitrites are HIGH... but ammonia is starting to drop...

 

[Konadog]

Yes, there is still bacteria on it, along with lots of dead stuff. It may take a while longer for that rock to cycle. IMO, I would do some extra water changes to remove the decaying material faster.

 

[pogiboy67]

there wasnt a lot of dead stuff on it...... but thanks!

 

[Konadog]

Unfortunatly, you can't see all the dead stuff (worms, etc..) in the rock.

 

[TekCat]

Use toothbrush (someone else's ) to brush off visible dead matter. Use turkey baster to flush out dead junk out of holes and pores.

hth

 

[pogiboy67]

k. finally used a turkey blaster.. WOW... a lot of stuff came out..... now its time to siphon the stuff out...

 

[javajaws]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6521900#post6521900 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pogiboy67
k. finally used a turkey blaster.. WOW... a lot of stuff came out..... now its time to siphon the stuff out...

...and to be repeated every few days until it ends. I also find a small powerhead to be very usefull instead of the turkey baster...I just blast the rocks with the PH in my hand. Also, using a filter sock on your overflow really helps to pick the stuff up. If you have a sand bed, you may want to do this outside of the tank if possible.