How long can Acans and other stony corals survive in Temp Housing

[Klewis]

I fell pray to an impulse buy - I bought everything from an established tank. Rock, Sand, Water, Fish, Corals, protien skimmer and sump. Everything has been in 20 to 30 Gallon containers with Air pumps, Heaters and power heads, and I've been doing 1 to 2 gallon water changes every day. I picked up everything on Saturday.
I've had a 120 Gallon established BB RR tank with lots of rocks and mushrooms. I've swapped out the sump for a better one, Relocated all the rocks and mushrooms to another tank. I've shifted and rinsed the sand from the other tank with saltwater from a water change and placed it in the 120 last night. Tonight i'll be putting the NON mushroom rocks from the sale tank in to the 120.
Questions are:
1- How long can the corals ( Acans, Chalice, various SPS's torches, frog spawns etc.) survive without proper lighting or any lighting at all?
2- How fast and how big of a cycle should take place considering all Rock, Sand, and Water being used are from existing established tanks? (best educated guess appreciated)
3- From your experience is introducing any animals into this environment (from this type of relocation process) to soon completely detrimental to the animal?

If you have any answers to questions that I haven't asked please contribute from your experiences, or if you need any clarification to best answer me please ask.

Thank you
Keith

 

[daisy]

IMO - (worth less than you've paid to read it, I'm sure...)

1. Corals can go a few days with no lights without any detrimental effects - think of stormy days on the reef. What is important, though, is to make sure that in the absence of light, the water parameters are good, the water flow is appropriate, and that none of the corals touch each other (which can cause chemical warfare and coral death)...

2. the cycle will depend entirely on how much stuff on the rocks and in the sand has died, or will die because of the transition. Did any of the rock or sand smell BAD? Bad smell is a pretty good indication of death, and a very good indication that you're going to get a cycle. If nothing reeked or smelled particularly bad, perhaps you won't get too much of a cycle or too long of one, but you should test your parameters over the next several days and see what's happening.

3. In this hobby, the hardest thing is also the most important thing, and that is patience. I would not add anything to a new system that is not necessary to add at this point. Make sure your system is stable before adding anything that is not truly hardy, and if you're going to experience a cycle, then even the hardy stuff I'd consider loaning to friends to "babysit" for you until your new system is matured a bit.

...for what it's worth...

Best of luck!!!!

 

[rookie07]

Seems fine to me...I say go for it
You will have a spike in parameters, but it might be minimal, hard to off site estimate. A spike will only happen if there was die off(from whatever lives in rocks, etc), and there is no way to estimate how much die off you had, thus making it difficult to estimate what type of parameter spike you are going to have.....
I would do 10% water changes every day for about 2 weeks(total system volume, not just tank)

 

[rookie07]

I've shifted and rinsed the sand from the other tank with saltwater from a water change

That might cause a large dieoff...not sure...I recently moved my whole tank...which is not all that different from what you have done, except I put everything back into the tank asap...you have waited(im not sure which is better)

 

[da5speed]

Looks like it was a good thing i never came and looked at that 120 tank.LOL

When i setup my tank I had the water and filter running for 2 weeks before adding the LR and the rock was out of water for a total of 45 minutes for the ride. Didnt add coral for 2-3 months.
Theres no telling what could happen. How is the water conditions? How did you transfer the LR and LS and how long was it out of the water for. Were you able to take some of the established water with you? If dont think the Livestock will last and want to get rid of anything let me know im just around the corner in Huntington also,

 

[PolandSpring]

I did the same thing with a 90 gal.. bought a used set up and with the rock and sand ..but i let it sit for only 1 week, not just a couple days until i put a couple things in it..also i waited another 2 weeks before putting in frogspawns, gsp, and zoos...i think it will be fine to add your corals because after about 4 days without light you might be pushing the limit..my corals are doing fine in there and its only been about a month with the tank (i now have monticaps, frogspawns,hammers, candy canes, and zoos)

 

[Klewis]

Looks like it was a good thing i never came and looked at that 120 tank.LOL

When i setup my tank I had the water and filter running for 2 weeks before adding the LR and the rock was out of water for a total of 45 minutes for the ride. Didnt add coral for 2-3 months.
Theres no telling what could happen. How is the water conditions? How did you transfer the LR and LS and how long was it out of the water for. Were you able to take some of the established water with you? If dont think the Livestock will last and want to get rid of anything let me know im just around the corner in Huntington also,

Hehehe. I still have that 120 for sale. I have another 120 that has been set up and established. I'm replacing the rocks and adding the sand to my existing set up. I transported the rocks and the sand in buckets completely covered with water from the sale tank. The longest exposure to air is from moving it from tank to bucket.
The only bad smell came from two snails that were buried in the sand. Found them when i was sifting the sand. I also found some hermit crabs that were still alive.

 

[da5speed]

How are the new additions going

 

[reefman]

1. Corals can go a few days with no lights without any detrimental effects - think of stormy days on the reef. What is important, though, is to make sure that in the absence of light, the water parameters are good, the water flow is appropriate, and that none of the corals touch each other (which can cause chemical warfare and coral death)...

2. the cycle will depend entirely on how much stuff on the rocks and in the sand has died, or will die because of the transition. Did any of the rock or sand smell BAD? Bad smell is a pretty good indication of death, and a very good indication that you're going to get a cycle. If nothing reeked or smelled particularly bad, perhaps you won't get too much of a cycle or too long of one, but you should test your parameters over the next several days and see what's happening.

3. In this hobby, the hardest thing is also the most important thing, and that is patience. I would not add anything to a new system that is not necessary to add at this point. Make sure your system is stable before adding anything that is not truly hardy, and if you're going to experience a cycle, then even the hardy stuff I'd consider loaning to friends to "babysit" for you until your new system is matured a bit.

...for what it's worth...

Best of luck!!!!

agree

 

[Klewis]

The tank looks beautiful. The SPS's condition are still questionable. The LPS's, soft corals, clam, and fish are doing great. Thanks for asking. I'll be posting pics as soon as i get my computer working. Stayed late at work tonight so I can check out all the posts I've Missed. MR withdrawel sucks.