Total Wipe Out!...Help

[TickTock39]

Just returned from vacation and found everything wiped out from power outage. We had an 220 gallon with 75 gallon sump. Mixed reef with clowns, tangs, and wrasse. My question is...what would be the best way to restart. Drain, refill, and restart? Tank is aquascaped with liverock. Do i remove and clean liverock of decayed zoos, etc. ? What's the best way to clean and restart system ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[CafeReef]

sorry for the loss. nightmare....

in the future I would highly recommend seeing if a neighbor or someone can periodically check in on things just to make sure things like power outages are taken care of quickly.

with regards to where you are now. personally, I would try to clean off any visible organics and then let the rocks dry outside and then recure the rocks.

[fishbox]

I'd leave the rock alone as you'd be surprised at What will grow back

[Hitch08]

Wow. Sorry to hear. Good luck on the restart.

[m0nkie]

start with lot of huge WC and clean out all the visible dead and decaying... you will start running into nitrate/phosphate issues if they have died for a long time. rocks may absorb phosphate and grow algae. run some gfo in that case..

then just restock!

set up back up battery or at least a controller to warn you of power outage.

a few Go Pro setup (1 viewing sump, 1 viewing your DT) will help a lot on vacation.

[Sk8r]

Near total water change for starters, then start putting the water to optimum params and just let it cycle on the dieoff alone. Many things will come back from the rocks as water improves. Re-add fish only after the tank has begun a healthy regrowth on the rock critters, like sponges, vermetids, spionids, algaes, and go slow on fish: hardy ones first, after qt.

[64Ivy]

And since you've already stated you have "decayed zoos", I'd be careful of releasing palytoxins when moving things around.

[nuxx]

Like said before...

Pretty much take all the water out and start with a new batch.

Add some bacteria like Instant Ocean BioSpira and watch the tank for 3-4 weeks. After that if you parameters check out, I'd try a smaller hardy fish and see how it goes.

[TickTock39]

Thanks All...for sharing great information. I will start water change and rebuild!

[ncaldwell]

I have a coral that has been a skeleton for months, a couple days ago I noticed that it felt like coming back to life and it's half healed and healthy. I bet you will be surprised to see what comes back

[TickTock39]

I am hoping...that would really be GREAT!

[kmbyrnes]

Wow. Sorry for your loss. Good luck on the comeback. Let us know.

[moondoggy4]

Get a bucket put about 1 gallon in it, put a pump and siphon hose in it, turn on the pump then shutoff the pump let the tank start to siphon You do not want to put your ips on that hose.

[oldbones]

Easier yet, fill the hose with tap water and put a thumb over each end. Put one end in tank, the other in the bucket, and let 'er rip!