Lost Almost Everything..Need help!

[empire]

My tank was without power for 2-3 days. The tank got extremely cold which is when I noticed corals starting to die. I decided to move to a friends place and set up a 10 gal. This entire process caused me to lose 95% of my SPS, my red sea fridmondi, and a cleaner shrimp.

My display has been without power, heat, and flow since last Sunday-Monday. Granted I decide to stay in the hobby, do I just follow the normal cycle procedures? Should I start fresh from scratch with new rock and sand? What would be the best way to get my display back up and running? Like others, I am having an extremely hard time building up the desire to start up again. I feel like cutting my losses. SO much time and money was invested in my tank and to see it in the current state makes me depressed.

It's sad that we pay the highest taxes in our township yet we are last to have power.

Anyways, I wish all of you the best and hopefully the next upcoming storm doesn't hurt us in anyway.

 

[piranhapat]

I would take all the water out and start over.You don't need to replace live rock.

 

[Mattl22]

I'm in same boat bud keep ur head up just think what would u do with no tank that thought makes me sad! I'm gonna do something different this time run ecobak from day 1 so I'm excited for that

 

[House of Laughter]

there are a ton of things you can do to get the tanks back on track - the old school and cheapest way is to take out the dead animals, change water initially, run carbon and do weekly water changes like clockwork.

the sand and rock should be fine - once you get temps and stability back, get some sand sifters in there.

After the initial water change, you should probably do another one a couple of days after and change carbon twice that first week.

This is what i would do.

HTH,

House

 

[empire]

thanks for the help everyone. hopefully I can get power back asap.

 

[al0ha]

i lost everything too nothing to do but start over

 

[empire]

Sorry to hear that man it really sucks wish you the best

 

[Trainwreck]

Straight up do a 75% water change, massive flow in the tank, dose MB7 and add to the tank slowly. Forget the old school cycle bs. Put your skimmer on a timer to shut off for 4 hrs a day, at the beginning of that shut off is when you dose MB7. Run carbon or not doesn't really matter.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Straight up do a 75% water change, massive flow in the tank, dose MB7 and add to the tank slowly. Forget the old school cycle bs. Put your skimmer on a timer to shut off for 4 hrs a day, at the beginning of that shut off is when you dose MB7. Run carbon or not doesn't really matter.

Yeah forget all that old school bs that was told by a very experienced reefer. Write off the stuff that worked for decades before the technology a lot of people rely on to run their reefs was available.

Straight up.

 

[Trainwreck]

Yeah forget all that old school bs that was told by a very experienced reefer. Write off the stuff that worked for decades before the technology a lot of people rely on to run their reefs was available.

Straight up.

How about you actually read what someone says before shooting your mouth off, what I said was bs old school CYCLE. Did not say anything bashing house. If you understand the most basic concept of what cycling a tank does; organically cause bacterial development then you would understand that the bacteria is still in the tank but cannot quickly consume the levels of ammonia and nitrite in the water. That's what the 75% water change is for, diluting the level of organic pollution in the water column. And the technology that you're referring to (MB7) is simply a mixture of different types of bacteria to boost the bacterial repopulation in the tank. I'm just trying to avoid having the poor guy who just lost his whole tank get discouraged and decide to break his tank down completely since people will probably tell him to wait 6-10 weeks for the tank to "cycle" before considering putting anything in it. While you're on the subject of stuff that worked for decades before people started relying on technology, do you still use a hand crank telephone? How about morse code to communicate with someone across the country? Doubt it. How about you use manhattan reefs for what it was created to do, share opinions on reef tanks...not form little cliques that so desperately attempt to mock others, and fail miserably.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Bacteria boosters? More like snake oil. There is bacteria already in the tank on the rock, it is alive. Massive water change yes, run carbon, yes, test water, yes, run a skimmer, yes, turn your heater on yes, remove all dead fish, yes, add snake oil no.

 

[brunoboarder2444]

Bacteria boosters? More like snake oil. There is bacteria already in the tank on the rock, it is alive. Massive water change yes, run carbon, yes, test water, yes, run a skimmer, yes, turn your heater on yes, remove all dead fish, yes, add snake oil no.

I wouldn't say all boosters are snake oil, I can vouch for dr. tims one and only....i used it to start a fowlr when my ammonia spike was almost done and nitrites spike had just started and I poured the dr. tims in and the cycle finished in under 24 hours with both ammonia and nitrite reading 0 within 18 hours and stayed that way testing the next 3 days, added in a pair of clowns still no spike etc....so dr. tims I can say will cycle quickly however I would not say it was stabilized as for ph for another week or so....not major fluctuations but enough to mention


Sent from my PC36100 using Reefs

 

[Trainwreck]

If you have used it personally and followed the directions exactly and do not see any difference that's fine. Otherwise, stop jumping to the conclusion that everything you need to purchase is snake oil. Or get yourself a microscope to view the bacteria.

 

[Trainwreck]

And btw I did say that there is still bacteria in the tank.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

A pinch of fish food will do the same thing as all of those snake oils. Nothing in this hobby says anything good happens when you rush things.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

:link:

How about you actually read what someone says before shooting your mouth off, what I said was bs old school CYCLE. Did not say anything bashing house. If you understand the most basic concept of what cycling a tank does; organically cause bacterial development then you would understand that the bacteria is still in the tank but cannot quickly consume the levels of ammonia and nitrite in the water. That's what the 75% water change is for, diluting the level of organic pollution in the water column. And the technology that you're referring to (MB7) is simply a mixture of different types of bacteria to boost the bacterial repopulation in the tank. I'm just trying to avoid having the poor guy who just lost his whole tank get discouraged and decide to break his tank down completely since people will probably tell him to wait 6-10 weeks for the tank to "cycle" before considering putting anything in it. While you're on the subject of stuff that worked for decades before people started relying on technology, do you still use a hand crank telephone? How about morse code to communicate with someone across the country? Doubt it. How about you use manhattan reefs for what it was created to do, share opinions on reef tanks...not form little cliques that so desperately attempt to mock others, and fail miserably.

Yes I understand and you could have saved your in depth expert cycling explanation.

I did read it tough guy. You want to get pissed and type out a 50 line rebuttal that's on you. Yet another member on here that when someone puts an opinion that you don't like you get pissy. Don't get your panties in a bunch I merely stated and will state again that old school worked then and does now, it's not bs.

Respect is a 2 way road, it's earned. You basically shot your mouth off calling an experienced reefer, more experienced than you and I put together most likely and his advice on one solid way for the original poster to get his tank back on line bulls$&t. So I just said way to go. Gave you the old attaboy.

Also the technology inwas referring to isn't bacteria you dope. I was referring to skimmers, apex and the other 50 types of controllers as well as dosing pumps and electronics, not additives. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

I do use it for exactly that I dont have 3 years of ballbreaking posts but I will state my feelings as well. It is what it is. I've helped more than I will ever bash on here.

 

[James]

Straight up do a 75% water change, massive flow in the tank, dose MB7 and add to the tank slowly. Forget the old school cycle bs. Put your skimmer on a timer to shut off for 4 hrs a day, at the beginning of that shut off is when you dose MB7. Run carbon or not doesn't really matter.

I can't speak on probiotics or mb7 to cycle a tank quickly as I have never done it but there is a reason people still cycle their tanks the old school way... To call it bs is ignorant at best. The reason is because a full cycle is imperative to maintaining a system that can sustain higher bio loads in the future. There is no short cut that erases a cycle or speeds it up to the point where you can just add stuff immediately as you seemed to imply, sure damsels and other hearty fish can survive through cycles... Doesn't mean you are doing it correctly. You always add livestock slowly in an unestablished tank. There are "technically" shortcuts to shorten the cycle process but as I said before, I cannot speak with any authority on them but it seems most people use them in a pinch when there was an accident or a move and they need somewhere to put fish ASAP. That isn't the situation here, if this poor OP does want to start over, I would suggest he listen to the people on the thread with proven success. Btw OP, I have a frag for you if you decide to stay in. Happy turkey day to all.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I also just to put it out there DO NOT and NEVER WILL believe in the cycle in a bottle additives and such.

Empire I hope you get up and running and better than before.

 

[BKLYN REEF]

Many ways to cycle a tank. I have even heard a recommendation to pee in your tank to get the bacteria going! My point is basically everyone has an opinion
I prefer the raw shrimp method but this is not a new tank.

Do some water changes , remove all dead livestock, run some carbon and give it some time. You will be back in business before you know it. Good luck!!

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

The real issue is too much dead stuff decomposing. Adding more bacteria is not going to help much, the tank already has a bacteria bloom (bacteria reproduce VERY fast)

The #1 thing he can do is nutrient export. Many large water changes, kick start his skimmer (if it is not running it needs to be "coaxed", add ONE drop of 50% diluted clorox in front of the skimmer intake pump, this will do the trick), take out EVERYTHING that is dead that you can reach... The ammonia and nitrite will stop spiking as soon as there is nothing left for the bacteria to feed on.

Alfred