Help with "restart".

[evoracer]

I recently had a newly added colony of Verde RTN on me very unexpectedly in my frag tank. It was fine for 2 or 3 days, then before work one morning it looked bad, after work it was completely gone, polluting the heck out of the water. Very disappointing in it's own right, but the rest of the SPS suffered as well from the death. The tank it was in is a 40B. Of course I immediately did a larger water change and added fresh carbon, but in the morning I woke up to find I had lost about 75% of my SPS! So after another large water change I think I have the worst behind me. However I am now realizing that there is likely not much established water or bio-diversity left in the tank. I had no live rock or sand in the tank.
So I am taking his opportunity to redo tank. I am adding a sump which will house LR sand. But in the mean time I was wondering if I should worry about adding anything to the water, like "cycle" or the like to jump start the bacteria?

 

[James404]

I would not add any of those products, I would add just a good amount of LR to your sump and let that establish the bacteria. If you are really looking into getting it started quicker you can look into zeovit, they claim to have a way to cycle in 14 days although I have never used it myself so I can't confirm it.

 

[evoracer]

I am just wondering what I should do with the 50+ frags I still have. I have a smaller tank I will transfer them into during the "remodel", but they are still basically in a tank full of "new" water. So should I get the 40 plumbed and wet and add the corals back into it immediately, or wait and hope they make it in the small tank? I guess it is a risk either way.

 

[evoracer]

Also Marc Weiss makes a product called Bacter Boost that claims to cycle a tank in 2 days. Now I know that magic in a bottle doesn't really exist, I've been doing this too long to believe that. But Weiss makes good products and is a trusted name in the game. I just wonder if adding it may help establish some stability in the system and prevent my tank from all-out meltdown.

 

[willandmelsreef]

Why don't you take some water out of your other tank and put it in that tank

 

[evoracer]

Well I will, in fact I will transfer all of it, but it is basically new water due to the two massive water changes I did back to back.

 

[29reef]

I suggest adding the LR, but I would skip the sand. RTN can be very tricky sometimes. It's been cold lately Jeremy have you checked to make sure your tank wasn't cooling off at night and warming up durring the day? I've seen a little browning in my DT lately and I believe it's because the temp has dropped from being 80-81 summer to now 77-78. I am just glad my chiller isn't on anymore. Just be careful with all these changes, too much too fast will almost certainly end in disaster. GL & I'll likely see you at frag lmk if I can bring you anything.

 

[evoracer]

Why no sand out of curiosity?
Not sure about the temp, but in the AM (7:30 ish) when I first check on it the temp is usually right at 78, same in the evening, according to my RKL.
Unfortunately I am stuck between a rock and a hard place with the changes. I have already lost so much, and have destroyed the water chemistry so much I may as well add the sump and get it all over with!
Sucks I lost that Miami Orchid frag (mini colony really) I got from you.
See you at FRAG for sure.

 

[29reef]

Sand+ sump pump= disaster. It's easier to just keep it out. I'm not a advocate of sand in the DT or in the system. I feel it's benefits are not worth the potential problems. I'll save you some of the miami, I've just been trimming it and tossing it since I couldn't even give it away locally. The tank is really taking off lately. I really suggest taking it easy and letting things become stable before you change a bunch of your methods. GL with your rebuild.