Discouraged

[Yogatoy]

Help! So I bought a used 200gal tank, when bringing everything home it was -30 degrees outside. I filled the tank with the water I brought home with me. But some of the live rock and corels got too cold. I'm afraid that because of these things dying I can't control my ammonia levels. I have been changing 50 gals of water every 24 hrs but tonight when I tested it, the sample was 0.6. before the water change. I have been using PRIME but its still high. I don't have any fish in it, just live rock and some corals and plants.
Should I just wait it out, keep changing the water and hope things get better. or should I take out the live rock, Boil it all and try that approach??
I'm at a lose and very discouraged.
Its a beautiful tank but ...........
Please any advice would be great

 

[little_fish]

Im sorry for that trouble, but i think the best thing you can do it just wait it out. Im afraid most of the corals might not make it, but some might pull though. Keep doing your water changes and ill cross my finger for you!
Good luck!

 

[Kazarko]

you're most likely going to get a small cycle from any tank move. it'll get better with time. I'm not sure if those corals will survive

 

[Smitty]

I'd just wait it out if I were you...just keep doing what your doing with the water changes to help keep the levels down.

 

[Yogatoy]

Hey there, thanks for the advice. Would a uv light help. I have one in my 55 gal but nothing the 200gal. I have a protien skimmer tho.
What about another power head moving the water around faster?
Anyway thanks again

 

[bjohanson1234]

A UV light will do nothing for a cycle.

Boiling the rock will just make you start completely over. It will kill all the bacteria you have on that rock.

Could you move the corals to the 55 while you wait out this cycle?

 

[Zissou]

Boiling your rock is something that's reserved for the most extreme of pest invasions; aiptasia, majanos, etc. A UV light is also thought to combat ich and kill parasites floating around in the water.

You're having die off from either the cold temperatures, or because all the sand and rock was moved, causing the ammonia (a poison) to go up. The bacteria that consume this ammonia will have to build up its numbers in order to absorb/convert it into nitrates. Essentially, you're having a cycle, like a new tank.

There's nothing you can really do about it, except to wait it out or continue doing water changes. Give it a few days and see what happens. If it doesn't go away, you may have to wait a couple of weeks before the tank is 'cycled'.

 

[Yogatoy]

hey there, thanks. So I guess I'll just wait it out, its just hard to swallow 50 gallons worth of salt every 24 hours, should I change the water everything 24 hrs or wait alittle longer.

 

[AmberSunrise]

Hey there, thanks for the advice. Would a uv light help. I have one in my 55 gal but nothing the 200gal. I have a protien skimmer tho.
What about another power head moving the water around faster?
Anyway thanks again

I think you will need power heads to move water around I dont think you want dead areas with no water flow if you dont have those you should get some.

 

[Yogatoy]

Hey there, so I bought a $13 damsel today to put I'm the tank to see if it'll survive. My ammonia levels seem to be doing alitte better. The water is really clear now also. Anyway wish me luck

 

[little_fish]

If you have any ammonia at all you should not have a fish in there. You really should take him back and wait for your levels to go to zero. Death by ammonia poisoning is a really awful way to die.

 

[Bifferwine]

I wish the fish luck. You should not add any animals until the ammonia is at zero.

 

[Fireplug]

Good Luck on the big tank..........I hope you dont loose anything. I never got attatched to a dog or cat but I only been in the saltwater aquarium hobby for two month's and I get attatched to my live stock. I was sad when I lost my "Nemo" So I feel your pain.

 

[fastrd400]

Slow up on your water changes. Your tank is cycling. Treat it as you would a brand new system. Let the amonia build, and convert over. Get that Damsel out of there and be patient with it. It is a much larger tank, thus will most likely take a bit longer to complete it's cycle.