Restarting Tank - Need Input

[MarineDream]

So I haven't been around in a long time, for which I apologize. My 29g Biocube was doing fine for a long time untill a few months ago I got insanely busy, and could not attend to my tank. My Percula (my only fish) died and I abandoned my tank soon after.

Now that my ducks are in a row I want to restart my tank. I cleaned up the tank, added new/fresh water and sand; however, the only thing not different is my LR. I have no idea on the condition of my LR. I see there are still a few Musrhrooms Corals on them, but some of them are white and shrivaled (I assume dead). If they are dead, how will this affect the new tank?

I've had the tank running for about a week now and nothing seems to be happening/growing/changing.

I'm curious, and I hope some of you can help me. If I restart my tank with new Live Sand and not LR. Should I be waiting for the cycle to start again? I would think if it did it would of happened by now.

[pipebash]

so how long has your tank been up and running fresh? the mushrooms may not be dead, i thought that when they died they disappeared. i think to be on the safe side though id act as if it is a complete fresh start and wait 3-4 weeks before adding anything all the while doing water tests.

[Almondsaz]

Did the LR dry out at any point? What conditions did you keep for the LR. Did you just let it go completely for the few months? Did you have any lighting going during that time (for the mushrooms)?

[MarineDream]

I would have to say that it was back in June when I "let it go" The tank still ran and I still had lighting on/off everyday. However, I never did any water changes after that. Eventually, I had long green haired alge and the water on the surface became oily/cloudy. I honestly was amazed to discover that a hermit crab was still alive and around even with my 4-5 month neglect. I continued to do lighting up untill the end of October. And then sparing maybe 3 or 4 times a week for a couple hours. (Mushrooms were shrinking but still had color) It was't untill about mid November when I had a 2 week business trip, and I never had the lights on since. I came home about December 3rd to discover my tank was no longer running. In which I kept it that way. I moved to a new location on December 15th. In which I Bought new sand and restarted the tank.

So the LR was always in water; however, the tank was not running for about 2-3 weeks also w/o lights.

Mushrooms are all white and small. And I've been running with clean water for little over a week. I've done two water tests so far and the only thing that isn't normal is the Nitrates (about .20). So it kind of boggles me that the tanks hasn't cycled and everything seems to be somewhat normal.

[MarineDream]

I just did a water test, and this still amazes me.

Nitrites: 0
Nitrates:5-10
kH: was about 160ppm
Calcium: 250-260
and Amn: was like a .5

I'm assuming it's going through a small cycle, but I still don't believe that the tank is this stabel already.

Has anyone here ever "restarted" their tank?

Still looking for some input.

[Ace25]

I have "restarted" a tank 3 times in the last 6 months now.. my suggestion for doing so is do 50% water changes weekly with good RO/DI water and salt mix for the first month while things stabalize. Also run high grade carbon and GFO. I run chemi-pure + RowaPhos in a reactor, in a smaller tank you can get a bag of chemi-pure elite to do the same.

Following those things have given me great success and I haven't lost a fish or coral in the 3 moves into new tanks in recent months using the same rock. 29G to 75G in June, 75G to 72G in Sept, and 72G back to 75G on Dec 4th. I am now into week 3 of my hopefully last restart and everything is doing great, although since I have so many corals my calcium demand is through the roof so it is a daily challege to keep calcium maintained without a reactor for me. Otherwise all other parameters have been good to start with and getting better as my deep sand bed restarts itself.

[MarineDream]

Update:

I noticed this morning that all the Mushroom Corals that were still on the rocks are all falling apart/disentagrading. So i assume the question of them being dead or not was answered. Everything still seems normal, I suppose I'll do a water change in a few days and see where it takes me. I still don't have any alge growth what so ever.

[MarineDream]

Just a little update.

I've started to get some Diatom algea on my rock/sand. I'm suprised it's taken 3 weeks to start getting algea. I suppose in a fews ill start put some critters in after a couple more water changes. Ill get pictures in soon.

[Almondsaz]

Looking forward to the pictures....I would have said the mushrooms wouldn't make it, but I have been surprised before to have a coral completely turn around.

[Jenns]

I have some mushroom corals that were big and bright green when I got them then started shrinking and turning white when a lot of feather dusters and hair algea started overshadowing them. Receintly I moved the rock into my bigger tank with a really good cleanup crew, they cleaned up all the algea and slowly but surely the mushrooms are spreading out and regaining their color. If some of your mushrooms are still alive give them a chance and they will evenutally come back.

[MarineDream]

It's a shame really. One of the mushrooms was huge. It might as well been an elephant ear, but I don't think it was. Anyways, the thing had a 3-4 inch diameter at full growth. I remember it practicly covering the whole LR.

I am headed for the LFS today and getting more water. I plan to rework my rock structure a little and from there I'll get started with the pictures. Perhaps I'll do a log thread.