HI from Ky Kats please give advise.

[ky kats]

Hello from Ky Kats,

Sorry such a long post.
I'm a 31yr old mother of one cute 5 yr old boy. I'm Diabetic and love to make candy and bake, (can't sample it but hubby and family loves it). My hubby and I raise and breed Traditional Himalayans and Applehead Siamese cats. Up until Dec 19, 2008 we also had a 18 gal guppie tank with 2 ghost shrimp, 2 adult female guppies, 6 littlers of babies (three from each parent totaling about 15 averaging 1/8in to 1/4in long), and a 46 gal bowface with 2 FP clowns.

Now for the biggie part the questions.
Heres the stats on the tank and the Equipment list
Age almost 3 years.
Equiptment list:46 gal bowface H 21", W 36", Small D 12", and Large D 16"
with an eggcrate top
Lighting: Odyssea Aquarium Reef Light 78 wt 2x12000 T5s 1 day & 1 Actinic
Marine Land fixture with Marine Glo T10 30wt 18000k bulb
Power Heads: 800L/H Power head. 9wt UV sterilizer and a Zoo Meds power
head output 800L/H
Filters: 3" sand bed appx 75 to 100 lbs LS(not sure if its alive still U be the
Judge)
Appx 28 lbs LR (I know that I need more, I will also let you be the
judge of if it is still considered live)
Over-flo skilmmer with a DIY trickle filter with Bio-balls
J7 return pump
29 gal DIY fuge with three heaters(not sure what kind they are but
enough to heat appx 90 gal water)
2 air driven protein skimmers each rated for up to 60 gal tank
Old live stock list: 2 FP Clowns
1 Turbo snail
1 Bk Nassarius snail
1 Cerith snail
2 Feather dusters
8 Mushrooms (kept at the very top for the most
light)
1(?) Collonistal Snails (2 came with the LR and
multiplied) (Count was 15+ when dank was cleaned)
2 Serpent Stars (Peach and Spot) +>20 babies
1 Unknown Anemone (kept at the very top for the most
light)
1(?) Bristle worm (count after cleaning tank was 35+)
1 unknown type of crab
Okay heres what happened, on Dec. 18, we were hit with a major snowstorm (8"-10" in our area). Trees and power lines down everywhere, one not 25' from our front door. We had to leave our home, and go stay with my mother due to a heating oil shortage in the area. Power stayed out until Christmas eve (power only, Water got fixed 3 days later, phone, tv, and internet just got fixed today). We returned home and removed the dead, on chrismas eve, and started draining the tanks. It took 5 days to get everything back in order, Now the Fuge had nothing living in it (it had filters runing in it), so we broke down the main tank only in case some bacteria had survived. We refilled the tank scrubed the dead plants off the rock and replaced the sand.
We lost almost everything (fish wise). One thing survived this: The Nassarius snail!!!!
I know with changing over half the water I'll be basicly be starting from scrach. I know I'll have a cycle like when I started, but is 3 days too soon for the cycle to start? My readings tonight were as follows:
Temp 79 degrees
PH 8.0
Nitrite >5
Nitrate 10
Phosphate .25
Ammonia 2.0
Carbonate Hardness 10 dKH or 179 ppmKH
Calcium 440 mg/L(ppm)
Silinity 1.022
Did a 5 gal water change with the following Aqua Safe (10ml), Easy Balance
(10ml), and Foster and Smith Water Repair (Stabilize enough for the whole system. 9 1/2 t).
Is it too soon for a cycle?
Is there anything else I can do?
Any help will be wonderful.

 

[flower]

How awful!
Changing the water didn’t cause a cycle. The dying critters in the sand and rock caused the ammonia to climb and create a cycle. Which is good because it gave it a jump start. The water change is great so keep doing that until everything returns to 0. Like once every other day or so.
You replaced the sand? New sand, or just returned it to the tank? I hope you kept the old because it is established and will balance out. Either way, time is all that is needed. Don't add anything until the ammonia goes to 0. Believe me if one snail survived there are other critters that did. I doubt you could count all your bristle worms.
Welcome to the site, I’m sorry it’s under such sad circumstances.
Since you like to share info on critters...
My Mother used to raise Siamese cats when I was a girl. Himalayans are beautiful! She would like to restart, but my German Shepherd Dog (Atticus) put the kabash on that. My Father died, and I got a divorce so we share the house we live in.
I have a Blue Front Amazon Parrot named Jelly Bean Jeorge (3 yrs old) I had him since he hatched from an egg. Actually I bought the egg.
I have a 90g reef tank. With easy to care for fish and corals.
Again, welcome and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[ky kats]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3200763

You replaced the sand? New sand, or just returned it to the tank? I hope you kept the old because it is established and will balance out. Either way, time is all that is needed. Don't add anything until the ammonia goes to 0. Believe me if one snail survived there are other critters that did. I doubt you could count all your bristle worms.
Welcome to the site, I’m sorry it’s under such sad circumstances.
Since you like to share info on critters...
My Mother used to raise Siamese cats when I was a girl. Himalayans are beautiful! She would like to restart, but my German Shepherd Dog (Atticus) put the kabash on that. My Father died, and I got a divorce so we share the house we live in.
I have a Blue Front Amazon Parrot named Jelly Bean Jeorge (3 yrs old) I had him since he hatched from an egg. Actually I bought the egg.
I have a 90g reef tank. With easy to care for fish and corals.
Again, welcome and keep us posted on your progress.
I used the old sand. As for the worms, we had only saw one (or so we thought before this happened), the number we gave was when we stopped counting the dead ones after the poweroutage. We live about a min from my mom (you can look over her hill and see our place, she lives on top a very tall mountain) We also have a 12 yr old Silver Back G Shepherd (Dusty), 3 barn cats living in the barn that showed up as kittens about 3 yrs ago (all been fixed, vet called them ferals), and rotten and mean little red pom (he was left to me when my granny passed away in November)

 

[pezenfuego]

Do water changes to keep your ammonia down below three at least. Just don't eliminate the ammonia (ie complete water change). Obviously you know that. Here is a cycle article that is a little more advanced. I don't think you NEED to read it, but hell read it anyway. https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/354564/cycling-for-life
FYI "advise" is a verb and "advice" is a noun. I ask that you please use them accordingly.

 

[ky kats]

Originally Posted by PEZenfuego http:///forum/post/3200875
Do water changes to keep your ammonia down below three at least. Just don't eliminate the ammonia (ie complete water change). Obviously you know that. Here is a cycle article that is a little more advanced. I don't think you NEED to read it, but hell read it anyway. https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/354564/cycling-for-life
FYI "advise" is a verb and "advice" is a noun. I ask that you please use them accordingly.
Thanks I read the article, and made a post on it. I liked it, parts were funny. The ammonia is below 3 as listed in my first post. I know not to eliminate the ammonia completly, I kept detailed logs on the both tanks and plan to continue to (also keep them on my breeding programs).
I asked for help not an English lesson, but I will defend myself.

I have a degree in BM, trained as a CNA, Trained in Phlebotomy, Trained as a CMA, and in the process of getting my LPN (All by the time I was 22). But I couldn't finish my plans of becoming a HMO office manger due to getting sick. I have survived the cancer, Non hodgkin's lymphoma, but developed a condition called Chemo Brain (here's the link to the ACS web sight if you want to read it. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MBC/co...Chemobrain.asp ). A condition that will effect me the rest of my life. I'm
not asking for sympathy or a pity party. Nor am I offended by the correction, but if it offended you enough to point it out in this manner,
"FYI "advise" is a verb and "advice" is a noun. I ask that you please use
them accordingly."
Maybe I should try to find a sight that has more understanding people, who don't criticise for a slight misuse of words.
Thank every one else for the advice that they gave.

 

[spanko]

Please don't be offended and leave the rest of us. We like new folks to join in the conversation. Pez is a young guy and has a little to learn about tact, but he is a good enough guy.
A lot to learn here, and I am sure you will have a lot to contribute also.
And by the way

 

[pezenfuego]

Perhaps I should reread my posts before submission. I didn't mean to act as if I am better than you. It was supposed to be read as a sort of "fun fact" kind of thing...I realize now that I didn't come off the way I intended to. I apologize.
EDIT: It was also kind of a jokey thing for older members. The word advice in the "Very long and good advice" thread that is stuck in the new hobbyists forum used to be spelled with an "s." It was that way for years and there were a few complaints about it. They changed it recently.

 

[ky kats]

Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3201074
Please don't be offended and leave the rest of us. We like new folks to join in the conversation. Pez is a young guy and has a little to learn about tact, but he is a good enough guy.
A lot to learn here, and I am sure you will have a lot to contribute also.
And by the way

Thank you, not really offended just didn't want to deal with it everytime I have a "lapse". LOL Might be able to help with freshies. Had those from age 8 on. Pretty new to salt, my cancer Dr suggested it.
Originally Posted by PEZenfuego
http:///forum/post/3201083
Perhaps I should reread my posts before submission. I didn't mean to act as if I am better than you. It was supposed to be read as a sort of "fun fact" kind of thing...I realize now that I didn't come off the way I intended to. I apologize.
Thats ok, and I accept your apology. Lets let bygones be bygones, okay?

 

[spanko]

Nah, before long you will have enough first hand experience and knowledge under your belt to help out here.