Advice For Restarting A FOWLR After Die-off

YukonJet · 07/16/2016, 03:14 PM

***DISCLAIMER*** I did post this in another forum but figured that it was more appropriate here. I wish I could delete the other posting!

Okay, so I lost almost everything because I misdiagnosed Velvet for Ich. All but 2 Kupang Damsels died. These damsels are moved now to a hospital/QT and are being treated with copper and doing seemingly well.

So now I have my 90 gallon display COMPLETELY empty. It is up and running but no fish, no inverts. I have had some beautiful coralline growth that I do not want to lose but I don't know what to do with this tank during my fallow period. This is where I need your advice. Should I add a clean up crew? Or any other inverts? Should I just keep adding food to keep the cycle going?

After my 72 day fallow, I plan to starting restocking. Which means that about a month, I will start buying fish for my QT tank so that when my display is ready, I can start stocking immediately.

My biggest concern though is keeping my display tank alive during the fallow period and not losing my cycle.

I appreciate any and all responses. Thank you for your time!!!

Matt

BigBlueTang · 07/16/2016, 03:26 PM

Ghost feeding should be fine. Every couple days some pellets should do the trick.

Or you could drop a couple drops of pure ammonia every so often. If you have no life in the tank other than algae, this may work better.

dkeller_nc · 07/16/2016, 04:09 PM

If you wish, adding inverts would be fine, including crabs, snails etc..., presuming they'll be compatible with your intended fish list.

While it's not a bad idea to go for 72 days w/o fish, realize that this is based on the lifecycle of the cryptocaryon irritans (ich) parasite. Amyloodinium ocellatum (marine velvet) is a bit different.

You do have a few alternatives to a 72 day wait because you have a FOWLR. One's to take the tank down, bleach the rock, and start a cycle. That's an extreme measure, however. Another's to take the tank down, bleach the rock, and start over with the "real deal" live rock. That last alternative could be fairly pricey, but you'll enjoy the benefits of real live rock and all of the critters that abound on it, and presuming that you buy it from Tampa Bay Saltwater, there will be very little cycle, and you can stock properly quarantined fish rather soon. Way sooner than 72 days.

07/16/2016, 03:14 PM	#1
YukonJet Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 10	Advice For Restarting A FOWLR After Die-off *DISCLAIMER* I did post this in another forum but figured that it was more appropriate here. I wish I could delete the other posting! Okay, so I lost almost everything because I misdiagnosed Velvet for Ich. All but 2 Kupang Damsels died. These damsels are moved now to a hospital/QT and are being treated with copper and doing seemingly well. So now I have my 90 gallon display COMPLETELY empty. It is up and running but no fish, no inverts. I have had some beautiful coralline growth that I do not want to lose but I don't know what to do with this tank during my fallow period. This is where I need your advice. Should I add a clean up crew? Or any other inverts? Should I just keep adding food to keep the cycle going? After my 72 day fallow, I plan to starting restocking. Which means that about a month, I will start buying fish for my QT tank so that when my display is ready, I can start stocking immediately. My biggest concern though is keeping my display tank alive during the fallow period and not losing my cycle. I appreciate any and all responses. Thank you for your time!!! Matt

07/16/2016, 03:26 PM	#2
BigBlueTang Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Boulder, Colorado Posts: 1,430	Ghost feeding should be fine. Every couple days some pellets should do the trick. Or you could drop a couple drops of pure ammonia every so often. If you have no life in the tank other than algae, this may work better. __________________ 75 gal, 20 L using as sump, MP40Qd , Eheim 1260 Return,Royal Exclusiv Bubble King Mini 160,Kamoer FX-STP Calcium Reactor Setup, ATI Sunpower 6x54W

07/16/2016, 04:09 PM	#3
dkeller_nc Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Central NC Posts: 5,062	If you wish, adding inverts would be fine, including crabs, snails etc..., presuming they'll be compatible with your intended fish list. While it's not a bad idea to go for 72 days w/o fish, realize that this is based on the lifecycle of the cryptocaryon irritans (ich) parasite. Amyloodinium ocellatum (marine velvet) is a bit different. You do have a few alternatives to a 72 day wait because you have a FOWLR. One's to take the tank down, bleach the rock, and start a cycle. That's an extreme measure, however. Another's to take the tank down, bleach the rock, and start over with the "real deal" live rock. That last alternative could be fairly pricey, but you'll enjoy the benefits of real live rock and all of the critters that abound on it, and presuming that you buy it from Tampa Bay Saltwater, there will be very little cycle, and you can stock properly quarantined fish rather soon. Way sooner than 72 days.