Tank Crash...

[gimincorp]

Hi, I regret to inform the MR community that my 10 gallon "nano" reef tank had crashed this week after been established for about 6 months.
Hiding the tears away lets take a cold blooded look at what might have caused it:
1. 10K K light stopped working sometime before the crash, so the tank was serviced by a single 36 Wt 50/50 light bulb.
2. Problem with the canister filter required its temporary shutdown (1+ month) with replacement by a HOB DIY Skimmer (from HOB filter). Strangely enough the week before the crash, all chemical levels reported normal (PH, Ammonia, Phosphate, Nitrate).
3. What I think were the leading causes of crash: 1. cansiter filter was restarted after 1 month of bein stale (stupidly enough, yes I admit I made a stupidity, I didn't toss the water out of it. Second, the sp. gravity level rose from usual 1.025-1.026 to 1.035+ (top of the scale and probably even higher.
Strangely enough I couldn't find neither of my three fishes this morning! (could the cat gotten them? - I truly don't think so, could they have gotten dissolve in the high salt water?)
SO, to the conclusion.
I'm not ready to give up on this hobby. I plan to restart. This time I will do the following:

1. Rescue the surviving corals [mushrooms] (tonight) by taking water measurements and making necessary adjustments. Will remove survivors off the live rock.
2. Will syphon through the top layer of the live (still live?) sand while removing the water.
3. Will remove live rock and will boil it to ensure all the aiptasias are GONE!
4. Will scrub-clean the front and side glass of whatever that brown crap had grown on it during the last few days.
5. Will ensure the canister filter and the skimmer function properly (flow adjustments).

Is there anything else I should do / modify? Bigger tank is out of the question unfortunately.

 

[boardryder]

I think the stale water in the canister could have been a leading cause. And I don't think fish can just disolve. Check land!

Save what you can and don't give up.

 

[DontXtripNfall]

This is bitter sweet. I know you were very concerned about all the things on the rock that may affect your corals but now you can properly take care of that. If your filter was the cause of the crash I think you should look into buying a new filter. Just try to save everything you can right now and just make sure you have equipment you can count on. PM me once you have everything under control and I'll help you re-stock.

 

[basiab]

"1.035+ " and you are questioning what caused the crash or are you questioning what caused 1.035+ . Either you let water evaporate for weeks without replacing or you replaced with saltwater or you dropped a few cups of salt in there.

 

[gimincorp]

This is bitter sweet. I know you were very concerned about all the things on the rock that may affect your corals but now you can properly take care of that. If your filter was the cause of the crash I think you should look into buying a new filter. Just try to save everything you can right now and just make sure you have equipment you can count on...

So, an update:
First, the care process: At night when I got back home I took all the measurements (Pre-change: Ph 8.2; NO3 = 0; Alk = 3.6; PO4 = 0; SPg = 1.028; Ammonia 1.0 - 2.5 probably 2.5+).
Then I turned off filter, skimmer, & heater. Moved all the live rock to the bucket (no corals on live rock made it :irked. Moved all pegs with surviving corals to the corner. Scrubbed the front and side walls with mag cleaner to A- cleanness scraping off all algae (coraline and other). Syphoned the water mixing up the top layer of live sand into the bucket with live rock.
Whatever didn't fit, into another bucket (that one is to be dumped out later). Alltogether about 5" of greenish/blueish water were removed. Clock striked 12:30 AM. I scrabbed the filter pad from HOB DIY skimmer with a turkey brush under the stream of fresh water in the sink until it turned back to blueish. The pad was leaching yellowish water while being scrubbed. Started to poor tap water back into the tank (SPg prior to pooring went up to 1.036+) declorinating it with stuff from yellow bottle. When tank was almost full, took out coral pegs and shook off the sand, re-stuck the pegs into live sand. Checked the SPg = 1.017; poored salt into the skimmer chamber and it equipment on. After running it for a few mintues, reinserted the filter pad and turned the canister filter on too.
SPg prior to going to bed and in the morning was 1.019. Poured more salt into the skimmer chamber. SPg went up to 1.020 and temp reading was 84.x F. 50/50 light went on by timer around 7:30 AM.
Second, the survivors: 1 maybe more turbo snails; sea hare - yey! - he's back to DBTC and is already spoken for; looks like ricordia corals on one of the pegs made it; mushroom coral. Some weird white blubs on the life rock.
Third, the QUESTION How do I approach the problem with aiptasias I had? - Now all the live rock is sitting in a bucket outside of the tank, I noticed 1-2 aiptasias on the glass of my tank and I squashed them. Should I buy Joe's juice and poor whatever amt is needed in the tank and boil the live rock? - please advise. P.S. If you have the remedy for that and you don't use it I'd rather buy it off your hands than from the store.

 

[gimincorp]

"1.035+ " and you are questioning what caused the crash or are you questioning what caused 1.035+ . Either you let water evaporate for weeks without replacing or you replaced with saltwater or you dropped a few cups of salt in there.

Yesterday I was at Petco buying fish for my freshwater tanks. The guy there plust an MR member I spoke with on the phone today both were sure that the cause of CRASH was the fact that I had left my canister filter off for a while and then had it restarted w/o emptying the water from it or changing the water in the tank right after. Lesson learned the hard way...

 

[KathyC]

Not to be overly harsh Gimin, but it might be best to have a friend hold the snail, mushrooms & ricordia that made it, and start all over again. Nothing should be in that tank with an ammonia level of 1+.

If you are going to cook your rock, you will have to re-cure it before adding it back into the tank anyway, so you are looking at a couple of months. During that time you might want to purchase a rodi (you said you were adding tap water & using dechlorinator?? (a no-no in a reef tank).
I'm always on a soapbox about canister filters and have seen too many tanks crash due to them. They are deadly after they are turned off for as little as an hour as all the bacteria in them dies very quickly..and in turn kills your tank unless everything in the canister is thoroughly cleaned out.

Always an incredibly bad idea to mix salt into a tank. Best off to take the water out, make sure the salt is thoroughly mixed to the proper SG and then add it back into the tank.

You might also want to consider replacing the sand entirely and having it cycle along with your rocks (after they are cured). I'd empty the tank and give it a good vinegar bath before starting over.
Joes Juice is injected into each individual aiptasia, and squashing them usually creates more of them.

From your description of the blue/green water to the yellow crud coming out of the filter pads, I sincerely think you're best off taking the entire set-up apart and starting fresh as you have no idea what nasties are still in there to cause you further trouble.

 

[Mr.First]

Holy Mackeral, thank you Kathy

 

[gimincorp]

On the Way to Recovery

Update: Yesterday Ammonia level went down to 1.0 which after 2-bucket PWC went even lower to 0.25. I forgot to re-plug my DIY skimmer and did it this morning. Hopefully things will not go as bad as they did with the canister filter after that. Will start "cooking" rocks today. Oh and sea hare is out of the tank (hopefully still alive) and passed on to the next member. Both Ricordea corals are alive.

 

[junglebase]

Poor livestocks!!! Heed Kathy's advice please!

 

[gimincorp]

Would Anyone Harbour my two small Corals please?

Poor livestocks!!! Heed Kathy's advice please!

Hi, I had a nasty tank crash and I'm looking to harbour my survivors for a while.
The following:
2 pegs with Ricordia Corals (approx 1/2" in diameter)
Some Turbo snails.
Will siffer the sand today to see if there is anything live in it (had some serpae looking star fishes before the crash.
You'll have to agree to harbour them for about 6 months as the forumers say that's how long it'll take me to restart my tank.
Please PM with proposals. Pick-up preferred at my New Rochelle Apt.
Thank you All

 

[NYreefNoob]

if you can meet me or deliver ill hold the stuff for you. i live in peekskill or could possibly meet in yonkers but you would have to pick stuff back up

 

[rgun2515]

Hi, I had a nasty tank crash and I'm looking to harbour my survivors for a while.
The following:
2 pegs with Ricordia Corals (approx 1/2" in diameter)
Some Turbo snails.
Will siffer the sand today to see if there is anything live in it (had some serpae looking star fishes before the crash.
You'll have to agree to harbour them for about 6 months as the forumers say that's how long it'll take me to restart my tank.
Please PM with proposals. Pick-up preferred at my New Rochelle Apt.
Thank you All

I am in New Rochelle. You can leave them in my tank for now if you like.

 

[Chongpark27]

Kathy informed me of your situation and if you want i can hold your corals and watch them till u get your tank up and running. I live in lower weschester county so i am pretty close to you and can pick up today b4 5pm. Kathy pm'd u my cell #. .

 

[NYreefNoob]

if i go im going to rob chong

 

[Chongpark27]

if i go im going to rob chong

I just installed an anti rick monitoring device on my tank. :tongue1:

 

[NYreefNoob]

lol i dont have room right now, once i post richies stuff up ill have room :tongue1:

 

[gimincorp]

anti rick monitoring device

I just installed an anti rick monitoring device on my tank. :tongue1:

What is that?

 

[gimincorp]

Update: Ammonia Drop! Yes!

Hi here I go again.
Here are the readings:

9/7/08
Pre PWC

• t = 82.5
• Ph = 8.0
• Ammo = 0.5-1.0
• SPg = 1.020

Post 30 - 40% PWC:

• Ph = 8.5
• Ammo = .25 !
• SPg = 1.020

9/8/08
Morning: Removed & bagged Sea Hare to pass on to the next member.
Pre PWC

• t = 84.2
• Ph = 8.0
• Ammo = .25 ! - stayed low - Yey!
• SPg = 1.023 ! - normalized again!

Evening: Plan to do a 1 bucket PWC and install the CPR Refugium.
Need to get more live sand and start cooking the rocks. (Can I bake em?

 

[nanchil]

I can hold for you if you would like. I am in northern westchester.