Moving Stressed Fish back to original tank

[hamidm]

I have 2 tanks a 500 which is the main one and a 90 I use for quarantine, both are well established and running for years. About a week and a half ago I came home and the 500 was leaking water. I moved the fish into the 90 and then drained the 500 to re-silicone everything. I saved 50% of the water in 95 gallon trach cans and kept all live rock and filter media submerged in that water. I also saved all the sand and kept it in water. They were all maintained in 70 degree temps for the last week. After letting the silicone cure for 6 days I have filled the 500 back up and placed all liverock and sand back. I used the water I had saved plus new RODI water I have made.

About this time I noticed the fish not doing so well, they seem lethargic and not eating much. A hippo tang is laying on the sand now in the 90. I have completely forgotten to keep testing the water in the 90 for ammonia because I have been so focused on getting the main tank back going. I did a water change on the 90 plus added Seachem Prime and API Stress Coat tonight.

Obviously there are too many fish in the 90. I was originally planning to wait a week or so and keep testing the 500 to make sure it is cycled. But now with the health of the fish I am worried and considering going ahead and moving them to the 500. Any recommendations on 1) Continuing to treat and perform water changes on the 90 vs 2) go ahead and move them back now to the 500 since everything I saved should short circuit any need for cycling.

Thanks for any guidance

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I have 2 tanks a 500 which is the main one and a 90 I use for quarantine, both are well established and running for years. About a week and a half ago I came home and the 500 was leaking water. I moved the fish into the 90 and then drained the 500 to re-silicone everything. I saved 50% of the water in 95 gallon trach cans and kept all live rock and filter media submerged in that water. I also saved all the sand and kept it in water. They were all maintained in 70 degree temps for the last week. After letting the silicone cure for 6 days I have filled the 500 back up and placed all liverock and sand back. I used the water I had saved plus new RODI water I have made.

About this time I noticed the fish not doing so well, they seem lethargic and not eating much. A hippo tang is laying on the sand now in the 90. I have completely forgotten to keep testing the water in the 90 for ammonia because I have been so focused on getting the main tank back going. I did a water change on the 90 plus added Seachem Prime and API Stress Coat tonight.

Obviously there are too many fish in the 90. I was originally planning to wait a week or so and keep testing the 500 to make sure it is cycled. But now with the health of the fish I am worried and considering going ahead and moving them to the 500. Any recommendations on 1) Continuing to treat and perform water changes on the 90 vs 2) go ahead and move them back now to the 500 since everything I saved should short circuit any need for cycling.

Thanks for any guidance

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Wow - what a nightmare~!

Did you aerate/circulate the water than held the sand and rock from the 500? If so, and if it had no odor when you put it back into the 500, I would say that it is still in good condition biologically.

I would move the fish back. they are certainly not stable in the 90. Another option would be to move a couple of fish over, see how they do and then move the rest. However, you may not know if the fish you moved don't do well, is it because of the conditions in the 500, or some residual damage from being in the 90.

Jay

 

[hamidm]

Thank you for the reply. Today after work the emperor Angel was gone. I went ahead and moved all of the rest because I was afraid of losing more fish. My thought was they are going downhill quickly in the 90 gallon. I wish I would have thought about ammonia building up that quick. I assumed it would be just a week or two and assumed I was safe.