My tank went kaput and I need advice

linkedsilas · 04/29/2016, 06:19 PM

So, I had my tank running for 2 years. I stocked it 3 months ago.(yes, I know I'm slow). Anyways, I wake up to my 30 gal tank leaking and the seam busted. So all my stock went into a 20 gal. I have 2 clowns, snails and some coral.
I bought a new 57 gallon.
The live rock I have in the 20 gal is starting to get all funktified. Hair algae/cyano.... You name it it's probably now on that.
So I plan to cycle the new tank with some of the rock while my critters are in the 20 gal. What can I do to kill of these suckers and still seed my tank?
How do I prepare that? Will the Uncycled water just kill it off? Do I need to dip it, brush it, convince it to stop?
Im bummed because things were going well and now this.
I just started getting coraline in there too

heathlindner25 · 04/29/2016, 06:51 PM

Why would bleach it and start over, but I love a fresh start

nibor75 · 04/29/2016, 07:19 PM

There is not really such a thing as cycled or uncyled water, the bacteria colonise surfaces.

I would transfer some of your rock into the new tank and then cover it over and run it blacked out for a while to kill off the photosynthetic pests. Do a water change or two and then stop the blackout. Move your fish and coral across and see how it goes.

Once you have moved the fish and coral across, repeat the blackout with the 20 to clean that rock up. Once that is done, move the rest of the rock into your new tank.

Make sure to use RODI if you don't already. This problem is driven by nutrients, you need to cut them out wherever you can.

linkedsilas · 04/29/2016, 07:23 PM

I do use ro/di
I think a huge problem is
I'm running the tank now like its a 30 gal and not a 20.

linkedsilas · 04/29/2016, 07:24 PM

I guess I could
Do that. I glued my corals down to the rock but im sure I can pluck them off

PatW · 04/30/2016, 04:56 AM

You could just scrub the rock. Put it into a brute trash can with new salt water and a power head. Keep it dark. After a week, scrub again, and put is new salt water. If you do that a couple of times, your rock should be defunkied. It should be easy to tell. The rock will get cleaner and cleaner and less crud will come off with each new scrubbing. Then you can pitch it into the DT and it should not have to be recycled.

Luke Schnabel · 04/30/2016, 06:16 AM

Honestly if you take everything out and start over your doing just that, starting over. Algae and everything like that comes with a new tank. It happens, so your going to experience it again and again. You have come a long way to just start over.
I would put all your rock and stuff back in and do a 3-4 days lights out. I've also learned one very important thing: water changes help with almost anything!! Do about 20% water changes every 2-3 days and you'll nip everything in the butt. Once it's all gone do 20% every week no expectations. All your doing is removing the polluted water and replacing it with new water so algae doesn't have the nutrients to grow.

linkedsilas · 04/30/2016, 11:24 AM

So, do this with the fish and coral in there as well.
the coral are on rocks right now, do i feed my clowns within those 3 days? i read the sticky regarding this...its a tiny bit of cyano.
I think I will try this for 2 days and see how it goes. My coral have been very finicky due to the complete change and are doing good one day and ticked off the next. I have been reading that cyano feeds of carbon? I had a little filter with carbon running because I have had high nitrate and phosphate levels in this tank. I am doing water changes. should I remove the carbon?
I will do a water change, feed my coral and fish and then black out for 2 days

Sk8r · 04/30/2016, 06:38 PM

Everything alive has carbon it in. SUggest a thorough read of the SETTING UP red arrow sticky, which will tell you a lot about chemistry.

Right now your tank has a lot of extra stuff (nutrient) you need to get rid of. You need a good skimmer, and patience, water changes, GFO reactor (to get rid of green algae) and the lights out WITH a good skimmer should help get you back to good operation. If you don't have a good skimmer, that's a place to start.

04/29/2016, 06:19 PM	#1
linkedsilas Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 56	My tank went kaput and I need advice So, I had my tank running for 2 years. I stocked it 3 months ago.(yes, I know I'm slow). Anyways, I wake up to my 30 gal tank leaking and the seam busted. So all my stock went into a 20 gal. I have 2 clowns, snails and some coral. I bought a new 57 gallon. The live rock I have in the 20 gal is starting to get all funktified. Hair algae/cyano.... You name it it's probably now on that. So I plan to cycle the new tank with some of the rock while my critters are in the 20 gal. What can I do to kill of these suckers and still seed my tank? How do I prepare that? Will the Uncycled water just kill it off? Do I need to dip it, brush it, convince it to stop? Im bummed because things were going well and now this. I just started getting coraline in there too

04/30/2016, 06:16 AM	#7
Luke Schnabel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Canton. Ohio Posts: 288	Honestly if you take everything out and start over your doing just that, starting over. Algae and everything like that comes with a new tank. It happens, so your going to experience it again and again. You have come a long way to just start over. I would put all your rock and stuff back in and do a 3-4 days lights out. I've also learned one very important thing: water changes help with almost anything!! Do about 20% water changes every 2-3 days and you'll nip everything in the butt. Once it's all gone do 20% every week no expectations. All your doing is removing the polluted water and replacing it with new water so algae doesn't have the nutrients to grow. __________________ In wall 125 gallon display and 48g frag tank w/ 75gallon sump Apex Controlled, 2xMP40, 1 MP10, Ecotech M1 return, reef octopus x5000, 4x Ecotech Radion G2 with T5 supplament(Display), 2x AI Hydras (fr

04/30/2016, 11:24 AM	#8
linkedsilas Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 56	So, do this with the fish and coral in there as well. the coral are on rocks right now, do i feed my clowns within those 3 days? i read the sticky regarding this...its a tiny bit of cyano. I think I will try this for 2 days and see how it goes. My coral have been very finicky due to the complete change and are doing good one day and ticked off the next. I have been reading that cyano feeds of carbon? I had a little filter with carbon running because I have had high nitrate and phosphate levels in this tank. I am doing water changes. should I remove the carbon? I will do a water change, feed my coral and fish and then black out for 2 days Last edited by linkedsilas; 04/30/2016 at 11:35 AM. Reason: info

04/30/2016, 06:38 PM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Everything alive has carbon it in. SUggest a thorough read of the SETTING UP red arrow sticky, which will tell you a lot about chemistry. Right now your tank has a lot of extra stuff (nutrient) you need to get rid of. You need a good skimmer, and patience, water changes, GFO reactor (to get rid of green algae) and the lights out WITH a good skimmer should help get you back to good operation. If you don't have a good skimmer, that's a place to start. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/29/2016, 06:51 PM	#2
heathlindner25 Moved On Join Date: May 2012 Location: flowery branch georgia Posts: 3,644	Why would bleach it and start over, but I love a fresh start

04/29/2016, 07:19 PM	#3
nibor75 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: French Riviera Posts: 54	There is not really such a thing as cycled or uncyled water, the bacteria colonise surfaces. I would transfer some of your rock into the new tank and then cover it over and run it blacked out for a while to kill off the photosynthetic pests. Do a water change or two and then stop the blackout. Move your fish and coral across and see how it goes. Once you have moved the fish and coral across, repeat the blackout with the 20 to clean that rock up. Once that is done, move the rest of the rock into your new tank. Make sure to use RODI if you don't already. This problem is driven by nutrients, you need to cut them out wherever you can.

04/29/2016, 07:23 PM	#4
linkedsilas Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 56	I do use ro/di I think a huge problem is I'm running the tank now like its a 30 gal and not a 20.

04/29/2016, 07:24 PM	#5
linkedsilas Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 56	I guess I could Do that. I glued my corals down to the rock but im sure I can pluck them off

04/30/2016, 04:56 AM	#6
PatW Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 275	You could just scrub the rock. Put it into a brute trash can with new salt water and a power head. Keep it dark. After a week, scrub again, and put is new salt water. If you do that a couple of times, your rock should be defunkied. It should be easy to tell. The rock will get cleaner and cleaner and less crud will come off with each new scrubbing. Then you can pitch it into the DT and it should not have to be recycled.