Since I'm a newbie again, here's a newbie question

[One Eye]

OK, so I set up the tank. I used all dead nasty rock. After the crash of 2 years ago I just let all the water evaporate from the tank and left all the rock and dead coral sitting there. I mean, after the tanks crashed all I did was pull the power plugs and pretend I didn't have tanks for 2 years.
It went through a phase of just nasty, stagnant water with a nice brown film over the top to a dry tank just from evaporation. The rock had dried salt all over it, coral skeletons everywhere.
All I did was put the tank on a stand, add a little sand and the nasty rock, never cleaned the tank or the rock, and filled it with water.

Here's my question. Why doesn't it stink? There is NO odor at all??

 

[APISTOBORELLI]

2 years is a long time. It's possible that whatever decaying material that WAS on there is no longer present.

 

[NateHanson]

WELCOME TO THE BRS One Eye!!

I think you'll find the club a useful resource for all your newbie questions.

What an interesting user name. How did you come up with that?

Anyways, how long ago did you fill the tank? Is it possible that the putrid stinking female-repelling mess is still getting warmed up?

 

[APISTOBORELLI]

Anyways, how long ago did you fill the tank? Is it possible that the putrid stinking female-repelling mess is still getting warmed up?

Good point.

 

[JeremyR]

They decay may have been fairly well over by the time it turned into the dead sea, and then the dry dead sea... but the organics are still there so be prepared for a wicked-bad algae bloom.

 

[biggyclops]

maybe it sealed the stink in

 

[Aquadiva]

I'm thinking you should not leave your windows closed when you leave for work. One of these days, you're gonna come home to a surprise...

Are you running a skimmer?? Is it pulling anything out??

 

[One Eye]

I,m mixing up more salt water now to fill the sump. The skimmer is in the sump. So no, the skimmer isn't pulling anything....yet.

I expected this to be like making beef broth from bullion cubes. Add water, heat it up a little and enjoy the aroma.
Guess I just need more patience

 

[jbishop]

Give it time it will be stinky

 

[Aquaman_68]

Are you playing a game with people, Darren?

It's not April first....How did you live with that stink? That had to be super ripe for months!!!


If you are telling the truth as Jeremy stated...you will have a major bloom from the trapped organics once they start to leach out!!

Good Luck...

That rock will need at least a couple months to "cook"

 

[One Eye]

The day I came home to the dead tank...ya, that stunk. I aired the place out and believe it or not, after that, it didn't stink.

 

[One Eye]

Maybe enough fresh water had washed through the system to kinda "cleanse" it?

 

[MAReefer1]

what happened to your tank two years ago?

Donal.

 

[One Eye]

I had just moved, wanted to build new stands so I set everything in tanks on the floor. I didn't have my top off set up. I was running some rodi water into the tanks and got called to work. Forgot about about the rodi....for like 2 days or so. Flooded the whole thing with fresh water

 

[ReeferMedic]

Might want to get a phosban reactor going on that tank also darren. Like Jeremy said, there are going to be alot of nutrients left over from all the death. Did you leave the dead fish in there also? Any traces of them if you did?

 

[One Eye]

Did you leave the dead fish in there also? Any traces of them if you did?

Yup, kind of a mass grave. I haven't look for fish bones, but now I'll have too....thanks.

 

[ReeferMedic]

Dude, you are too funny. Is there any carbon running?

 

[One Eye]

I told you I was forgeting something!

 

[Greg Hiller]

Well....certainly not the way I would have restarted. I hope it works for you, but as stated you may have some serious nutrient issues for a long time. You might not want to turn any lights on for a while. If it were me I'd make my way down to the supermarket and get a few gallons of bleach. I'd take all the skeletons and rock out and bleach them in buckets; they can all be reused, but I'd soak them for a week or so, rinse, and then let the bleach smell evaporate in the sun. I'd take all the sand out and toss it.

 

[One Eye]

The sand is new

I expect a serious cycle. I don't plan on putting anything in the tank for a long time.

It should be fun to watch.