Wally.B
Active member
So my 90 Gal Soft/LPS Mix tank (Glass Bottom) is going Fallow for next couple of months.
This all started since about a couple of weeks ago. All my fish died from a disease. Started with a new un-quarantined fish. Lesson learned!! That's a separate thread, now closed.
So having to tear down tank to retrieve dead fish (yeah, found last fish, under LAST ROCK taken out).....
I really want to take the opportunity to deal with a past re-occurring Algae/Cyano problem. (before starting my tank up again with Fish)
Sure, I'll be making adjustments, with Circulation, adding an Algae scrubber, and a refugium in sump. Something I've always wanted to do anyway.
However I'm pretty sure, my 15 year old nutrient infused rock was also part of the issue.
So with all rocks scrubbed, rinsed, scrubbed, rinsed. Rocks only are back in my tank (arrange for maximum circulation flow thru). All circulation powerhead pumps on max, including the Gyre (All running in swish swash cycles). (So powerful, this would not be idea for fish or corals, but good for a fallow period rock scrubbing).
All Corals are in Sump, and 2nd temporary holding tank.
I could properly cook my rock, and I still may. However reaching out for feedback about my modified rock/tank clean up approach (steps below).
1) My tank is now fishless, so nutrients are dropping (Skimmer still running[less&less each day]
2) I'm doing weekly small Carbon Changes to keep things fresh)
3) I put a light into my sump to keep corals alive. Plus this could be drawing the Algae to the sump (like a scrubber)
4) No lights on tank, and took a step further. Wrapped tank in BLACK Garbage bags, to shut off all light. (not sure how, long, but watching the little algae I missed. (To ensure it all dies with no light)
5) Am dosing daily Coral Snow, to help remove waste via skimmer.
6) Adding a 3 mls of Zeo Bak (Every other day or so), which I was doing before, trying to treat Cyano.
7) Planning on adding as recommended, some live brine shrimp, and copepods every so often to keep bacterial alive in the tank system. (or is this dangerous as they take over, with no predators)
8) I'll be feeding corals directly, and moving back and forth between sump and holding tank. (Rather than feeding nutrients into the whole system).
9) As I get close to the end of the fallow period, I'll clean the rocks again, and put back in final configuration. Put corals back, and slowly introduce fish. Expecting mini cycles.
10) New setup will have an aglae scrubber, refugium, and rock setup with max inner tank circulation.
So I believe the steps above should drastically reduce the nutrients in my rocks. Plus modifications mentioned, for a possible less algae/cyano problem free future.
I also expect the coralline on my rocks to die off from no lighting. I'm fine with that. ** Also Glass bottom tank, so no worries about any live sand **
This is not a full rock cooking, but a lite version of the process.
Also. Should I consider going back to sand bottom, which I stopped about a decade ago? Or will the new refugium addition with sand, be a good enough fix for this next restart.
(Hoping for less algae, and Cyano problems this time. None is the target/goal).
Any feedback about this rock cleanup approach? Any Additional recommendations? Is this a waste of time (can't really be)? Could this (tank-reverse) be harmful to my corals in the sump? (All Soft & LPS).
Thanks
This all started since about a couple of weeks ago. All my fish died from a disease. Started with a new un-quarantined fish. Lesson learned!! That's a separate thread, now closed.
So having to tear down tank to retrieve dead fish (yeah, found last fish, under LAST ROCK taken out).....
I really want to take the opportunity to deal with a past re-occurring Algae/Cyano problem. (before starting my tank up again with Fish)
Sure, I'll be making adjustments, with Circulation, adding an Algae scrubber, and a refugium in sump. Something I've always wanted to do anyway.
However I'm pretty sure, my 15 year old nutrient infused rock was also part of the issue.
So with all rocks scrubbed, rinsed, scrubbed, rinsed. Rocks only are back in my tank (arrange for maximum circulation flow thru). All circulation powerhead pumps on max, including the Gyre (All running in swish swash cycles). (So powerful, this would not be idea for fish or corals, but good for a fallow period rock scrubbing).
All Corals are in Sump, and 2nd temporary holding tank.
I could properly cook my rock, and I still may. However reaching out for feedback about my modified rock/tank clean up approach (steps below).
1) My tank is now fishless, so nutrients are dropping (Skimmer still running[less&less each day]
2) I'm doing weekly small Carbon Changes to keep things fresh)
3) I put a light into my sump to keep corals alive. Plus this could be drawing the Algae to the sump (like a scrubber)
4) No lights on tank, and took a step further. Wrapped tank in BLACK Garbage bags, to shut off all light. (not sure how, long, but watching the little algae I missed. (To ensure it all dies with no light)
5) Am dosing daily Coral Snow, to help remove waste via skimmer.
6) Adding a 3 mls of Zeo Bak (Every other day or so), which I was doing before, trying to treat Cyano.
7) Planning on adding as recommended, some live brine shrimp, and copepods every so often to keep bacterial alive in the tank system. (or is this dangerous as they take over, with no predators)
8) I'll be feeding corals directly, and moving back and forth between sump and holding tank. (Rather than feeding nutrients into the whole system).
9) As I get close to the end of the fallow period, I'll clean the rocks again, and put back in final configuration. Put corals back, and slowly introduce fish. Expecting mini cycles.
10) New setup will have an aglae scrubber, refugium, and rock setup with max inner tank circulation.
So I believe the steps above should drastically reduce the nutrients in my rocks. Plus modifications mentioned, for a possible less algae/cyano problem free future.
I also expect the coralline on my rocks to die off from no lighting. I'm fine with that. ** Also Glass bottom tank, so no worries about any live sand **
This is not a full rock cooking, but a lite version of the process.
Also. Should I consider going back to sand bottom, which I stopped about a decade ago? Or will the new refugium addition with sand, be a good enough fix for this next restart.
(Hoping for less algae, and Cyano problems this time. None is the target/goal).
Any feedback about this rock cleanup approach? Any Additional recommendations? Is this a waste of time (can't really be)? Could this (tank-reverse) be harmful to my corals in the sump? (All Soft & LPS).
Thanks
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