Since I'm a newbie again, here's a newbie question

[JohnK]

it would be an interesting science experiemnt to watch, but are you sure you want to?

You'll be redissolving whatever organic rot is left in there, along with any toxins or impurities that could have accumulated in the old tank. You'll be fighting a dirty old tank problem before you even start.

Think of it this way, you've basically got Dead LR. Compare that to starting a tank with marc's dry rock; It's the same thing except a lot more stuff died on your rock and was then mummified by the caked on salt.

The reccomendation with marcs rock is to give it cure if to let it clean itself. I would think your rock needs at least as much cure off time. Why not do that nasty rot off cycle in a garbage can, or via the bleach method, then start with fresh clean water and have a spiffy new tank.

You know you'll be regretting the science experiment a year or two later

 

[~Flighty~]

You might not be that badly off in the nutrient department. Since you let it evaporate over months rather than taking the rock out and drying it, the bacteria probably did their jobs until there were no available fuels left. No more proteins etc to break down so no stink. I would worry about the things that couldn't be broken down that concentrated to toxic levels though and I would certainly rinse everything well.

 

[Greg Hiller]

>the bacteria probably did their jobs until there were no available fuels left<

But all the nutrients are still there.

>The sand is new. I expect a serious cycle. I don't plan on putting anything in the tank for a long time. <

In that case I think I would have kept the sand out for now and added it later. That way it doesn't become a sink for all the nutrients and become 'loaded'.

For that matter, I'm not sure I'd even have bothered with saltwater. I'd probably just fill the tank with chlorine neutralized tap water (let it run so no copper), warm it up (maybe to 90F or so to speed things along) and let the bacteria do their thing. Changing the water a few times (no cost involved, and can be done quickly, straight from the tap).

 

[~Flighty~]

>the bacteria probably did their jobs until there were no available fuels left<

But all the nutrients are still there.

serious question, Greg, not being sarcastic-

What do you mean when you say nutrients? My wicked basic understanding is that the bacteria would use everything that had chemically available energy and in the process convert it into things that couldn't be used to fuel a cycle. Plant and animal tissue to ammonia to nitrites to nitrates to nitrogen gas. The carbon cycle would have gone to co2. So, there would be not much ammonia or available carbon left. right?

Edit: I guess what I'm saying is that all of the cycles would be at the point with the least amount of chemical energy( including the sulfur cycle hence no smell) and most of the players in the cycles would have been converted to gas and gone away, right?

 

[phaedraeos]

it would be an interesting science experiemnt to watch, but are you sure you want to?

You'll be redissolving whatever organic rot is left in there, along with any toxins or impurities that could have accumulated in the old tank. You'll be fighting a dirty old tank problem before you even start.

Think of it this way, you've basically got Dead LR. Compare that to starting a tank with marc's dry rock; It's the same thing except a lot more stuff died on your rock and was then mummified by the caked on salt.

The reccomendation with marcs rock is to give it cure if to let it clean itself. I would think your rock needs at least as much cure off time. Why not do that nasty rot off cycle in a garbage can, or via the bleach method, then start with fresh clean water and have a spiffy new tank.

You know you'll be regretting the science experiment a year or two later

I agree. I'd take out the saltwater and sand (is it live sand? sterilite bins, baby!), load it up with freshwater and a huge flow, and some phosphate remover; cook till done (2 months?)

There has just got to be so much yuckiness caked onto that rock that starting with saltwater and sand instead of a thorough cleaning will imo take probably 3-4 times as long to make the tank usable again.

 

[One Eye]

So are you guys saying that me putting 17 acros, 14 acans , 7 antias, 4 tangs and a cleaner shrimp in the tank today was a bad idea?

 

[JohnK]

You needed at least 8 tangs. Without them your in real trouble

 

[phaedraeos]

just make sure they're the same species!

 

[Greg Hiller]

>What do you mean when you say nutrients? <

If the ammonia really went all the way to N2 and bubbled out, I suppose that would not be a problem, but I kind of doubt it did.

The main nutrient I think would be problem would be phosphate. How does it leave a tank except by export from water changes, phosphate removers, or skimming?

 

[One Eye]

I have to say that I am completely amazed, there is still no stink. I don't get it, I have water ready to go for water changes, I'm gonna change it tomorrow any way, but I really expected a big stink bomb.

 

[ReeferMedic]

I was just about to ask you for an update on the stink Darren. I'm surprised the air quality is life sustainable, never mind no stink at all. The phosphate readings are probably way off the chart though.

 

[Greg Hiller]

More information....Darren what was in the tank when it died? Was it mostly SPS? Were there any large LPS or softies? Do you think there was a lot of sponge living in the rock? Did you have a large fish population.

If it was just SPS, there might not be that much left behind (nutrient wise) since SPS just have a thin veneer of tissue.

 

[One Eye]

More information....Darren what was in the tank when it died? Was it mostly SPS? Were there any large LPS or softies? Do you think there was a lot of sponge living in the rock? Did you have a large fish population.

If it was just SPS, there might not be that much left behind (nutrient wise) since SPS just have a thin veneer of tissue.

You know, the fish load was pretty low. If I remember correctly I had a couple (maybe 3) Anthias, still pretty small. That mated pair of Yellow Watchman Gobies, a Mandarin, A small Tang and a couple Wrasses. I caught the cats eating a couple of the dead fish after the tanks overflowed. I found what was probably one of the wrasses all dried up under my washing machine about a year ago.
I broke down the softies tank and got rid of all the softies, the frogspawn, the bubble coral. The multiple BTA's I had with the mated tomato clowns was sold with the softies. So for LPS I think I had 1 decent size 25 head acan. couple of chalice corals, 4 head dendro. Small piece of Becs goniopora and a 4-5" brain...couple of fugia's...that orange one that was always spitting out babies, matter of fact the skeleton has one about ready to walk away (I'll take a pic later)
The worst was probably my 3 clams, 2 around 3" and 1 around 5" and the snails.

 

[Greg Hiller]

Since you didn't have that much of a fish population I'm guessing you might not have had that much life in the rock. Hard to say. If you are not having a lot of stink, I'd say chances are good the nutrient levels are not that high. In any case, letting the whole thing 'cook' for a couple of months with no lights on should only improve matters.

 

[Aquadiva]

Pardon the overly simplistic question, but:

Is it even cycling? Are you checking? Ammonia spike, nitrite, nitrate??
sorry if I missed it.

 

[Joel A]

My thoughts are if it isn't smelling like hell... then the dead stuff on the rock, either is taking extremely long to leach out (trapped inside) or, the rock is so dead now, that it doesn't even serve the purpose of "Dead rock".

I'm not a scientist, but over two years sitting out of water, that would leave me to believe that a good deal of the dead stuff would even decay and rot from the constant air exposure.... no?

Is it possible that what little dead is left on his rocks, isn't enough to really even start a cycle, and that he should be seeding with new LR as well as some LS, and starting a cycle with a new ammonia source?

 

[ReeferMedic]

I believe he put a couple of small pieces of live rock in the tank. Surprises the heck out of me that it doesn't stink.

 

[One Eye]

Yup, I put those pieces in the tank that day.
I can't find my test kits, is there a shelf life on those anyway?

 

[ReeferMedic]

Yeah, those kits are probably toast.

 

[One Eye]

Well I did find a seachem phophate test kit. I had just bought it before the crash. It read .05 or slightly less according to the color chart.
Think the kit is still good Greg?