sick of it (STARTING COMPLETELY OVER)... I THINK

[snowmansnow]

yup.... im REALLY REALLY REALLY close to starting my tank again. Same equipment.. same tank, but replacing the substrate and cooking the LR again.

I got home from vacation today to find RTN is STILL grabbing corals.. along with another cyano outbreak! WTHECK!

At this point I feel like there is too much "buildup under the rockwork in the substrate, and in the LR and that cleaning it up will just prolong the issue that will later come back with an attitude.


I think I'm going to plan.... buy some extra brutes... put corals in temp containers... bake what LR doesn't have encrusted corals (and some that probably does)... vac out water.. scoop out the sand.. house the fish in a temp tank(s)...

remove the display... WASH IT WITH HELLFIRE

and start over with new substrate and 2-3 week baked LR

I think I can do all this within a month.. I just have to figure out how to make it work with fish and live corals.....

I'm going to start prodibio right off the bat to establish a benificial bacterial strain, instead of trying to replace the nasty ones that are there atm.

If you have any thing that will help send me a pm... man I hate this, but I think its either this or just quit and sell my stuff.

Here is an equipment list so that you'll know what I have to start over with:

SKIMMER: Bubble King MINI 200
LIGHTS: Aquactinics Constellation (possibly up for sale for an upgrade .. pm if interested)
DISPLAY: MRC Acrylic 120g tank 24x24x48"
CONTROL: RKL
CIRCULATION: 3x MP40w (2ES 1 old mod)
CA SUPPLY: KALK STIRRER

I guess thats the important stuff....

again, any help is greatly appreciated.

B

Edit: BTW... the current setup is at the 5 yr mark I think.... if that matters.

 

[mvm]

I woulld replace all of the rock with dry/dead marco rock. There is no need to "cook" that stuff IMO.

 

[snowmansnow]

I have about 3 5g buckets full of rock that may be usable... never used CU or anything... just rock that Ive pulled out at one time or another that has been sitting dry.

I hate to pull out 50LBS of VERY nice LR and toss it.... its getting cooked to kill off cyano.... and any nasty algae that may be sitting around.... ... I may pressure wash it

Edit: also, I do want to keep some filtration going... to hopefully circumvent a complete cycle process, since I do have live animals laying in wait.

B

 

[gnashty]

I have a 100 gal rubbermaid stock tank you can use while you make the switch...Im prolly too far from you though.

I can also provide you with 75 or so gallons of established tank water from my tank if it would help you at all...

 

[snowmansnow]

gnashty;654987 wrote: I have a 100 gal rubbermaid stock tank you can use while you make the switch...Im prolly too far from you though.

I can also provide you with 75 or so gallons of established tank water from my tank if it would help you at all...

Thanks G.. I'll keep that in mind.

As far as water goes I think I can just keep fresh water in the coral tank(s).. maybe a partial change every other day, and they should be ok.

 

[buddyro]

I'm planning a total breakdown also... Wish you the best!!!

 

[crewdawg1981]

Could your issues at all be related to doing the zeovit system?

 

[snowmansnow]

Well, I had the cyano previous to that... however the RTN set in following the 5 day power out we had after the tornados.

I've done everything i can to get things up to snuff.. and thought I had, but its like the rtn just won't go away....

 

[dan30097]

What risks lie if you don't make any changes? Are you sure there aren't minor things that you can do before doing something so drastic...

 

[snowmansnow]

dan30097;655177 wrote: What risks lie if you don't make any changes? Are you sure there aren't minor things that you can do before doing something so drastic...

IF I wait it out I'll loose more coral. I lost a double fist size Ora Pearl berry today.... and I have a stag that is literally the size of my 1 yr old baby girl that will be completely dead in a few days.

I THINK I'm going to go middle of the road. I'm going to be replacing SOME of the rock, and either going BB or replacing the sand.... at any rate the old sand will be out of my tank. I really feel like a lot of the issue is in there.... just a feeling.

I just don't know if I like the BB look. I suppose a zoanthid substrate would look nice.

Edit:

dan30097;655177 wrote: What risks lie if you don't make any changes? Are you sure there aren't minor things that you can do before doing something so drastic...

you know after I thought about it I guess my reasoning is that I don't see how I can loose more by making a drastic change. In my limited exp once a downward spiral like this starts its really REALLY hard to reverse it when it catches momentum.

I believe I can setup a better more efficient system (over the long haul) by making a few changes now that I have a reason too. If I loose some coral... well It was going to happen anyway. At least this way there is a chance of saving some.

B

 

[snowmansnow]

another option is to do a 50 g change or so and vac the heck out of the substrate whilst the LR is out.

B

 

[smallblock]

what size tank is that snow, are you going to try a different tank or reuse this one if you start over?

 

[smoothie]

What are your phosphate at in your current tank? Are you running a fuge or anything besides your skimmer?

 

[ichthyoid]

Sorry for your troubles. You have grown beautiful corals in the past. This is a travesty.

Here are a few articles about RTN/STN and bacterial causes, you may find helpful.

http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/e_borneman_051098.html">http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/e_borneman_051098.html</a>

[IMG]http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0498/0498_2.html">http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0498/0498_2.html</a>

[IMG]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17564618">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17564618</a>

[IMG]http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/c_bingman_040697.html">http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/c_bingman_040697.html</a>

FYI- chloramphenicol use around young children is contraindicated (not advised).

 

[snowmansnow]

Smoothie;655214 wrote: What are your phosphate at in your current tank? Are you running a fuge or anything besides your skimmer?

Need to test phosphates. No fuge. Very very small sump.