When Your Tank Reaches A Point Of No Return?

[agate]

When it is time to start over with a tank that has had it's problems with the keeper as well as outside influences, do you toss the substrate and live rock? Can you bleach both along with the tank and filters?
I'm inclined to start over with new substrate and live rock. What has been successful for you that have experienced the same fate?

Agate

 

[fish_keeper2]

what happen to make u start over? if it was disease or something that killed the whole tank then i would just toss all the substrate and LR and give the equipment and tank a through cleaning. then start all over fresh with new LR and sand. btw once LR becomes dead rock(all the bacteria dies) then it take a while for bacteria to start growing.

 

[SkiFletch]

yeah, depends on what killed the tank. Either way, dont use bleach to clean it out. The equipment can be treated with a mild vinegar solution and the LR can be boiled if it was a biological or chemical death to the tank. Boiling will kill all the organisms on the LR (thus turning it into baserock) and you'll need to re-seed with pieces of real LR. Depending on the volume present and your budget, it may be worth it in to do that. I have some 75lbs of baserock and 15lbs of LR in my tank right now because cost was somewhat of a consideration to me. I also know there's no way I'll have enough spare time to move quickly with the tank and can wait for the LR to seed the BR.

 

[Mr Miagi]

You could also cook your LR. Cooking is basically placing all your LiveRock in pitch black, no light ata ll tubs, with circulation and heating for around 7-8 weeks (If memory serves correctly).

What nuled your tank?

I wouldnt throw out any LS or LR. There are many other options apart from throwing away fine LR&LS. Theres treatments and medications you could dose. Decrease salinity, increase temps, have no fish for a long periopd etc. Many options, but we need to know why to give you any specific ideas.

 

[agate]

Well, my problems involve my first saltwater tank, 55 gallon. I was sailing along great until one day we had company while I was working on the tank. I got distracted and left it off over night, then came ick, gill flukes and I'm not sure what else. I put what fish I could save in the quaritilne tank, and with treatment saved five of the fish. In all, I lost five others.

I was told, absent a host, all ick in a tank will die off within a week. It hasn't work that way for me. I've used Damsels to test the conditions, and they die within 24 hours. Everything tests right, Salinity 1023, PH 8.2, Ammonia 0, Nitrites, 0, Nitrates 0, and temp 77. What it boils down to, I just don't trust the tank anymore. Darn if I'll give up this hobby. I think a new start is best.

Thanks for your support.

Agate

 

[FishOwner]

Ick takes a lot longer than 1 week to die off!! Whoever told you that shouldn't be giving advice on saltwater tanks.....
Maintain your tank just the way it is now. Keep doing your top-offs, even throw some food in once in awhile to maintain your biological filter. Don't throw away any sand or LR, don't bleach it, don't do anything to the tank except don't add any fish for at least 6 weeks. You can add inverts like crabs, featherdusters, snails, shrimp, or corals, just NO FISH. The life cycle of the ich parasite involves a dormant period where the cyst lies on the rocks or substrate before bursting open to release new protozoans into the water. That's why you leave the tank empty of fish for such a long period of time.

BTW, whatever you do - do NOT boil your LR!! This can be very dangerous as some of the organisms found on the rocks can release toxins (I read about a guy who did this and became very ill from the fumes....he thought when someone suggested 'cooking' their LR they meant actually cooking it!!)

 

[Squid]

Fish_keeper2.. fantastic signature picture... but perhaps a little big )

EDIT: thats better.. nice one

Squid

 

[Navarre]

Well i have serfiously considered starting fresh with my tank as i am plagued with pest anenomes and canot get rid of them... However in your case i would urge you to keep with it.

Just because you hve ich in the system doesnt mean your tank is hopeless and needs a fresh start. What happens 6 months down the line when you get ich again? new liverock etc all over again? Nope not practical and to be honest, if you follow a few simple guidlines you should be able to keep one step ahead of any parasetic outbreaks you might get.

1. Quarentine tank. You have this already, keep it treated with copper and your fish should be healthy.

2. Leave your tank fallow with no fish for about 8=8 weeks. I did this on my tank with oodiniumand it worked.

3. Lower the SG of the tank as far as you dare. Thsis may not kill the parasite but it makes its harder for it to continue its life cycle.

4. Raise the tank temperature. By doing this you increase the reproductive speed of the parasite and thus its lifecycle moves faster.

5. Invest in a UV filter or better still an ozone unit. They do work very well and if you have the expense to buy new liverock you are better off with preventative equipment ratehr than more liverock.

6, Research the needs of your fish before you buy them. Tangs in small tanks is probably the most often broken rule and thus one of the most common cuases of ich outbreak. Its so important to know what you meed to provide for your fish before purchases. Its no use trying to fix this after the fish has been added as its already under stress and ich will appear.

7. Feed garlic to exsisting fish. It really does work well.

 

[Chac]

7. Feed garlic to exsisting fish. It really does work well.

ohhhhhhh controversial

Agate maybe I have missed the reason - but why would you want to buy new Live Rock when you have Mature LR already

??

 

[Aquascaper]

I'm a for Garlic

 

[Chac]

I'm a for Garlic

Same here

It worked for me in my last outbreak, but I just know how controversial a statement it is on - ehmm an other forum - Not 'The Friendliest Forum on the net ' the other One

I have been and always will feed garlic to my livestock be it in Marine Dream or my own Food Mix

 

[agate]

7. Feed garlic to exsisting fish. It really does work well.

ohhhhhhh controversial

Agate maybe I have missed the reason - but why would you want to buy new Live Rock when you have Mature LR already

??

Maybe due to my ignorance, being a novice, I figured there must be more than ick killing the fish. But, wilth all the good suggestions, I'm going to hang in there and see where it takes me.

Agate

 

[Navarre]

You might be lucky and hace ich.. However if you had Oodinium then your fish would probably die before they even showed signs of spots. Oodinium is a real quick fish killer and tends to be more hardy than basic ich. However, thankfully its also rarer ( i still got it though ) than ich but at least the treatments are still the same.

 

[steelhealr]

I agree with Navarre. Live rock and live sand are 'invaluable. You can try and 'undo' the tank by maintaining water quality and do as Navarre suggested. If your tank was overrun by a pest macroalgae, that might be a different story. SH