Crash out of nowhere!!!

[IronRising]

Originally Posted by Wingin It

Just curious...when you made the switch, did you wash out the substrate and/or filter from the old system? if, yes, how?

Yes to the filter with saltwater scrub down. Substrate no. I was told to keep the old sub alive to keep the cycle going.

Thanks

Scott

[Wingin It]

did you wash the substrate with saltwater or tap water? Almost sounds like you may have inadvertantly killed the sand...causing the spike?

[ottoman]

I think the old substrate is releasing dirt, ammo, nitrate, etc. in your new tank.

[IronRising]

That is what I thought it was too. Killed the substrate. I spent about 4 hours washing it after the crash. And i still have huge ammo. Has anybody else had this problem? If so how long did it pump ammo into your tank.

[PoonTang]

Best thing to do now I think is to just let sit, its the only way to get rid of it. let the cycle run its course.

[mark]

Wouldn't of transferred all the old sand, just maybe a bit off the top to seed the new stuff.

Might just as well add the LR back and as PoonTang suggested just let the tank cycle. Once done, then slowly in with the fish and corals.

+1 Mark...


Bill

[fkshiu]

Substrates are ticking time bombs that have killed almost as many tanks as faulty heaters. So much crap gets built up and locked in there especially hydrogen sulphide gas which gets released when the sandbed is disturbed.

Best thing is to just toss out the substrate on a tank move or hit the reset button using bleach to kill everything and start all over again with pristine "new" sand. The live rock holds more than enough goodies to restart a new tank.