power outage = dead fish

[rncarter]

I live in Springfield, ma and we are without electricity since 10/29/2011. All my Fish and corals are now dead, how do I start over? Do I dump all my water and cycle the tank like new?

 

[FTMMWS]

Man,thats awful news ,sorry to hear it..That storm just went east of my area..We only got 4 inches or so
I would start fresh

 

[Gboy66]

I live in Springfield, ma and we are without electricity since 10/29/2011. All my Fish and corals are now dead, how do I start over? Do I dump all my water and cycle the tank like new?

Wow i am so sorry. Thats terrible! Im guessing your investing in a generator now...

 

[rncarter]

Definately getting a generator.....or feels hard to have to restart my tank

 

[BallinCrew10]

That sucks. I live in MA also had losses. I would start fresh also, sucks but its the best way to do it. Also, I'm not sure what the LFS situation is in springfield, and its a little bit of a ride but krystal clear aquatics in auburn has been pretty good to me. When you're all setup or ready to start again you might want to take the ride.

 

[rncarter]

They were frozen to death

 

[BallinCrew10]

Wow, that sucks. I got mine out just in time. That's a sad bucket right there.

 

[gabysapha]

I feel for you, i'm from Boston and heard about Springfield having a really hard time. That's terrible and I'm sorry it happened to you.

 

[Danny-O]

I'm wondering, since it was cold-related and not a disease, if you could at least keep the filter media or some of the substrate to jump-start the next cycle...

 

[BallinCrew10]

I'm wondering, since it was cold-related and not a disease, if you could at least keep the filter media or some of the substrate to jump-start the next cycle...

That's what's going on in my tank as we speak haha. I'm just hoping that some of the bacteria survived so its a mini cycle instead of starting from scratch.

 

[rncarter]

The guy at the local pet shop say I should just do a water change and cycle the tank, before putting any new livestock

 

[BallinCrew10]

The guy at the local pet shop say I should just do a water change and cycle the tank, before putting any new livestock

Yea I would wait a while before adding anything to make sure its stabilized. If there's nothing living in the tank I would cycle it and then do a PWC. Just keep testing.

 

[rncarter]

I am now in week 2 of cycling my tank. However, the sand looks really powdery is this okay?

 

[bighabeeb]

Went through the same thing here down in NJ...lost all my fish. Inverts have pulled through, and the tank is starting to go back to its former appearance (minus the fish, of course).

Remarkably the #$%(* aiptasia has managed to survive where everything else died.

Basically, what I did was remove all the corpses I could, and then test the water around every other day to see what the levels were at. After a week, 10 days of solid zeros, I added a fish to see what would happen and so far (knock on wood) it seems like I may be okay...may even be able to avoid having to cycle it through again.

So for now its a lone copper banded who I'm hoping will house the aiptasia....once I'm convinced the rock is really doing what it should be, copper banded goes back to the LFS and I start from scratch with fishes...

Oh and yea, I have a gennie now too.

 

[BallinCrew10]

Remarkably the #$%(* aiptasia has managed to survive where everything else died.

Oh and yea, I have a gennie now too.

Me too..the only thing that made it were some snails and the aptasia lol.

Generator is currently number 1 on the list.

 

[bighabeeb]

Looks like I may be getting a mini cycle...nitrates are up to 5ppm, nitrites still holding at 0. May also have been the result of my digging around a bit to get a powerhead out that had loss its suction cuppy goodness (new ones with magnetic backs are on order and should be here Monday-ish). Will have to test again later on tonight when everything has settled.

 

[melosu58]

Sorry about that. I know how you feel as I lost several fish during Hurricane irene. Generator from now on. Again sorry.

 

[BallinCrew10]

5ppm for nitrates is nothing to be worried about after a mass die off like you've had.

 

[rncarter]

Well after work today I will do another water test my ammonia was still high on the weekend. I removed a dead mussle this morning so ammonia should drop over the next 48 hours. The only living thing in my tank now are the LR and a single snail.

 

[BallinCrew10]

Well after work today I will do another water test my ammonia was still high on the weekend. I removed a dead mussle this morning so ammonia should drop over the next 48 hours. The only living thing in my tank now are the LR and a single snail.

Good. One step closer to being cycled, patience is the virtue lol.