Ashraf's reef is in big trouble

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I've decided to start a new thread on this for reasons that will become obvious. My current setup that was moving along nicely for 2 years has gone "pear shaped" because of a leak. Details are on my thread Ashraf's Jacuzzi Reef. Anyway i now have 2 choices

1) Attempt to repair the existing setup which is a logistical nightmare because I would need to temporarily house the live stock elsewhere, but will cost a lot less.

2) Start a totally new setup (i.e. New Tank, New Location) which is easier to achieve in but pretty expensive. I can go bigger and better though and kind of have the money.

I'm swaying to option 2, but I am worried about the risk of introducing the livestock into a new setup that may or may not need to cycle. How would I go about transefering my current state of affairs and avoiding the "new tank" syndrome in the new setup. Especially given the sudden bioload that the new setup will be experiencing.
 
Ok, if you choose option 2 how quickly can you set a new tank up? how long will you survive the leak?
Perhaps option 1 would be better short term, there must be reefers near enough to you to help out with containers etc while you repair the damage, then if you then fancy option 2 you will be able to set a new tank up slowly so it will be better and less likely to go wrong.
 
what you do is take all your livestock out into a big container with all your current tank water in it. you can place your skimmer inside the container if its an in sump model. and then do WC often. then when the new tank is set up you move them over slowly, it would be a great time to add new fish to the system where all territories are free game.

i say go option 2:)
 
I also lived with a leak in my previous tank till i bit the bullet and went bigger, cant believe the piece of mind it brought. No worries on moving the livestock, house them in a portapool or the like for the day or two it may take to get the old tank out and the new one in. But start the tank build asap as leaks can only get bigger the longer one waits.
 
Hi Ashraf - sorry to hear this, man.
How serious is the leak? How urgently do you HAVE to get the life stock out?

The leak isn't serious about 2 drops or so every 5 seconds. I would say about 1 litre a day. I cannot trace the source (long story). THe stand however has rusted badly over the last 10 years and is a future risk as well.
 
Ok, if you choose option 2 how quickly can you set a new tank up? how long will you survive the leak?
Perhaps option 1 would be better short term, there must be reefers near enough to you to help out with containers etc while you repair the damage, then if you then fancy option 2 you will be able to set a new tank up slowly so it will be better and less likely to go wrong.

I can have the new tank built and delivered in 1 week. That means I will have a large emergency glass water container ready if the leak becomes a flood. I can then proceed with setting up the new tank at my leisure (the right way correcting all my previous mistakes) if the leak holds. I do however want to avoid cycling the new tank as much as possible.
 
I also lived with a leak in my previous tank till i bit the bullet and went bigger, cant believe the piece of mind it brought. No worries on moving the livestock, house them in a portapool or the like for the day or two it may take to get the old tank out and the new one in. But start the tank build asap as leaks can only get bigger the longer one waits.

I want to avoid moving the livestock as much as possible. I can use my indoor Jacuzzi in an emergency though. I know that a new tank can be setup quickly but its the "cycling" process and the sudden bio-load shock when I introduce all that livestock thats worrying me.
 
what you do is take all your livestock out into a big container with all your current tank water in it. you can place your skimmer inside the container if its an in sump model. and then do WC often. then when the new tank is set up you move them over slowly, it would be a great time to add new fish to the system where all territories are free game.

i say go option 2:)

What do you mean by move them over slowly. If my leave my existing setup in place (leaking though) or a large container - I would still need to move all the support equipment to the new setup (i.e. Lights, Chiller, UV, Carbon Reactor, Remote DSB, Heaters etc..). I cannot afford to fully build a new system equipement and all.
 
I don't think there will be much of a cycle if you use the old water in the display, use the same sump and handle all the live rock carefully so you don't have die off.
 
Sorry forgot to mention, you should also replace the substrate in the display tank.

Just use a few cups of the old substrate to seed it. Good luck
 
It comes down to one question for me at the end of the day. How do I transfer the maturity of 4 year old system to a new setup ?

by using the same sump, filters etc, and water, then adding new water slowly to the mix
 
What do you mean by move them over slowly. If my leave my existing setup in place (leaking though) or a large container - I would still need to move all the support equipment to the new setup (i.e. Lights, Chiller, UV, Carbon Reactor, Remote DSB, Heaters etc..). I cannot afford to fully build a new system equipement and all.
well if you have all the fish in a container you can move them over to the new tank one a week or so. it would be a great time to work out your fish husbandry, and introduce fish that might be attacked were they to go into a tank where the territories are already set up
It comes down to one question for me at the end of the day. How do I transfer the maturity of 4 year old system to a new setup ?
use your old water and your old sump etc
I don't think there will be much of a cycle if you use the old water in the display, use the same sump and handle all the live rock carefully so you don't have die off.
yes this is true. the cycle will be greatly reduced. thats why i suggested using the old water
 
Ashraf - I have HEARD that people use "SeaChem's Stability" quite successfully - this does seem to assist in reducing cycles.... BUT, I cannot guarantee this, as I have not used this myself....

BUT, I would perhaps do the following:
- decide what tank and stand you want to get, to replace the current one
- order it to be built
- once you have it -> then we can continue with this....
- once you have the new tank and stand - you have to finish off the plumbing - to ensure that once you place your life stock in the new tank, there are no leaks in the new tank either....
- get the new tank running with some new salt water - ensure that the water's salinity is the same as your old tanks (don't fill the tank - just add SOME new water)...
- then slowly start moving some water over from your old tank to your new one...
- as you add the old water to the new tank, take some of the new tank's water and place this back into your old tank - this will ensure that the life-stock is not shocked by any differences in the water
- continue with this process until you have nearly (not completely) filled the new tank...
- start removing some sand / gravel over from your old tank to the new tank
- leave the life stock in the old tank still - easier to catch the fish when the old tank is empty
- once the gravel have been removed (move the live rock around in your old tank, that you can get to the gravel), add a layer of playsand, VERY fresh natural sea sand (taken from below low tide), or very well washed playsand, and cover the bigger particled gravel with this new sand (you wanted to do this in any way)
- add the SeaChem Stability
- move the live rock and corals over - leaving the fish in the old tank
- your old tank should now have little water in it - jut enough to cover the fish....
- put some airstones with an airpump in the old tank
- now - leave the fish like this for a few hours to give the SeaChem stability time to work
- then, slowly, one-by-one, catch the fish and place them in the new tank
- ensure that you have have moved all the filtration equipment, pumps/power-heads, etc over to the new tank....
- monitor the water chemical levels
- put some more SeaChem Stability in the new tank....
 
dude ur situation sucks...but i would have to suggest a new build over a repair...regardless of what livestock u may loose...if u have kids running around a few dead fish compared to a pane of glass cracking in front of them would be my choice any day for the safety and peace of mind
 
Ashraf - I have HEARD that people use "SeaChem's Stability" quite successfully - this does seem to assist in reducing cycles.... BUT, I cannot guarantee this, as I have not used this myself....

BUT, I would perhaps do the following:
- decide what tank and stand you want to get, to replace the current one
- order it to be built
- once you have it -> then we can continue with this....
- once you have the new tank and stand - you have to finish off the plumbing - to ensure that once you place your life stock in the new tank, there are no leaks in the new tank either....
- get the new tank running with some new salt water - ensure that the water's salinity is the same as your old tanks (don't fill the tank - just add SOME new water)...
- then slowly start moving some water over from your old tank to your new one...
- as you add the old water to the new tank, take some of the new tank's water and place this back into your old tank - this will ensure that the life-stock is not shocked by any differences in the water
- continue with this process until you have nearly (not completely) filled the new tank...
- start removing some sand / gravel over from your old tank to the new tank
- leave the life stock in the old tank still - easier to catch the fish when the old tank is empty
- once the gravel have been removed (move the live rock around in your old tank, that you can get to the gravel), add a layer of playsand, VERY fresh natural sea sand (taken from below low tide), or very well washed playsand, and cover the bigger particled gravel with this new sand (you wanted to do this in any way)
- add the SeaChem Stability
- move the live rock and corals over - leaving the fish in the old tank
- your old tank should now have little water in it - jut enough to cover the fish....
- put some airstones with an airpump in the old tank
- now - leave the fish like this for a few hours to give the SeaChem stability time to work
- then, slowly, one-by-one, catch the fish and place them in the new tank
- ensure that you have have moved all the filtration equipment, pumps/power-heads, etc over to the new tank....
- monitor the water chemical levels
- put some more SeaChem Stability in the new tank....


I agree with this ...
 
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