lava rock?

[dwinzent]

i just bought a 30 g aquarium that has been set up for fw for about 10-15 years and taken down dry for 1-2 years that i was building a fuge out of. When i bought the tank it came with an amazing piece of rock that looks like lava rock but i am not sure. any way to determine what it actually is? since it had been in the tank would it be safe for my sw aquarium? i have heard that it has heavy metals in it that can kill fish but wouldnt they have washed out after 15 years in an aquarium? ph and i almost forgot, i bought some more LR today and one of the rocks has an oyster on it at least thats what the LFS guy told me and he said it was still alive. How do you care for them or is there actually anything i can do to feed it?

 

[dcantucson]

I think after 15 years the lava rock would be fine, but others will chime in. The shellfish will get nutrients from the water.

By the way Welcome to the site!

 

[tankedchemist]

You could always soak it in a bucket for a few days, then test for copper. and perhaps iron.

 

[ckckck]

the rocks should fine especialy if they have been used for 15 years give them a good clean.the oyster is a filter feeder

 

[Piggy]

Can you post a pic of the rock? If it's been in a freshwater tank that doesn't mean it's safe for SW. I wouldn't put it in my saltwater tank if it's lava rock because they contain metals. If your not sure what type of rock it is soak it in water for a few weeks then test it for metals. My take with my tank is if I don't know what it is it doesn't go in the tank.

 

[dwinzent]

thanks for the answers guys i will try to soak it in sw first. i also have another question. i have been adding my cleaning crew for about a week now but it is not very large yet i have 6 dwarf hermits, 2 turbo snails, and a fighting conch. recently i have noticed my nitrates and nitrites have been going up but the ammonia 0 and ph is a little high at 8.4 but i was wondering if the nitrates are high because i have been adding critters to fast. i kno that i should only add like 1 fish per month but does the rule apply for cleaners to? also i scraped the walls of my tank last night for the first time since it has been set up and i just let all the algae go into my sump could that be causing my nitrate problems? it was covering the back wall of my tank and was about 1mm thick.

 

[Piggy]

From what I understand you just set up your tank. If this is the case your tank needs to cycle first. You should not add your CUC until the tank is done cycling.

 

[dwinzent]

my tank has been set up for about a month and i already went throught the cycle and used several test kits to make sure because it was done in about 3-3.5 weeks. so its already finished.

 

[tankedchemist]

nitrAtes accumulate over time if you don't have something to take 'em out... like macroalgae growing in your sump. I like chaetomorpha personally. NitrItes are a sign that stuff is goin bad! After adding animals, your bacteria need to grow enough to keep up with the ammonia and nitrite-- different bacteria for each phase of the cycle. So, your system appears to be a bit short on the bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrate. add slower in the future-- especially at the beginning of getting a tank going-- to give the bacteria time to adjust to the new load.

In the immediate time, do 10-20% water change once or twice a week to keep those nirites & nitrates down.

 

[yote]

The nitrites and nitrates could also be coming from adding live rock.Especially if it wasnt fully cured.

 

[dwinzent]

thanks guys i was wondering about the live rock i put in but the lfs guy told me that this live rock i bought was actually man made and never removed from the water from when they ship it to when i bought it so it has always been cured. idk what kind it acually is but thats what two of the people there said. also i am building my fuge so what should i add to keep nitrates low? i have heard that fuge mud, sand and plants are what i should have. how long should i expect it to take for my nitrates to go down?

 

[Bifferwine]

Have you been feeding your tank? If you have been adding food, that could be what's causing nitrites and nitrates to rise.

 

[dwinzent]

i was sorta thinking that as well my dad thought it would be a good idea to feed my conch and he put about 5 sinking dried shrimp pellets in it. and another night he put two i think not really sure.

 

[Bifferwine]

Your cleaner crew shouldn't need supplemental feeding at this point. Especially as much as your dad put in. That may be why your nitrites went up -- the food is rotting in your tank. It's not a big deal, it can just be harmful to your animals. What it means is that your tank doesn't seem to have completely cycled yet. If it had, it would be able to handle waste input.

 

[dwinzent]

thanks for the Info biff there anything I can put in my fuge to keep my nitrates at least lower? if that is really the case. I saw a guy on craigslist selling "microalgae" is that even possible? if it is would that keep my nitrates lower? also my LFS sells some stuff that looks like a big chunk of knotted up hair but thicker would that help or would it just die?

 

[Bifferwine]

The big chunk of knotted up hair stuff sounds like chaetomorpha, which is one of the best algaes you can put in your fuge. As long as you have a light over your fuge, adding some macroalgae would be an excellent idea. It will help your water quality.