transferring.... downgrading

[supernareg]

so my tank started doing super bad, ammonia was high, all my snails died, some hermits, my CBS died, fish are doin good, zoos closed up, SPS BLEACHED!.

basically, (this was in a 40 gallon + 20 sump system) it's still up and running, as i have my zoos (some open) and my fish. i'll be setting up a 12 gallon nanocube.


question: once i transfer my LS and LR into the cube, how long do i have to wait before i put in corals? will i have a cycle? (i'll be using new saltwater, not water from tank, as its bad water.)

my tank was mature, one day something happened and it all came falling apart. now i'm downgrading.

another question: how LONG of a cycle will i have? should i rinse the LS with freshwater to start over brand new so my new 12 gal tank doesnt get screwed up like this 40?

[drummereef]

What do you attribute the crash from? Did something die to set the ammonia off and the following chain of events? Sorry to hear this. :(

Once you do the transfer you will need to wait and test frequently to see if there is a cycle. Once your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are again zero it's safe to start stocking. The length of the cycle is unknown. You just have to keep testing to make sure. ;)

[supernareg]

okay, so lets say day 3 of the new tank the ammonia and nitrate / nitrite levels are high....

do i do a water change or will they zero off by themselves?

[sandman450f]

Hah, a Forum Whore EHHH? Ok I'll post it here too since it'll up my count:

Man it's been a really downhill ride for you since I saw ur first post a while back. I feel for ya.

To be honest, as I understand you never narrowed down the cause of your prior troubles, Whatever the problem could now be in your sand and or rock, in fact may have killed off a substantial portion of your nitrifying bacteria. I dont think it would make too much sense to risk corals in a new system based off of the old. As all your inverts died, but the fish remain, just as an example it could be copper, maybe a misplaced penny? Who knows, but I'd start over clean and fresh cause somethin like copper (though you can test for it and even possibly remove it) will just be transfered too.