911 Help

[saltwater2642]

In a nut shell

Just got back from 2 days and I see that my heater broke shorted the electric and now seems like a lot of things are dead. dont know if its from the internal things from the heater or cold the past few days, Fish ok but stars and corals are weak the leather is just hanging in I pulled the heater and restarted leaving the house now for new heaters. Heavy skimming now gonna do a a 1/2 water change when I get back, the garage saltwater is very cold.

I have a 220 set up now gonna, just did the plumbing finals, put the water in it when I get home and start that tank, I have 50 lbs or rock for it 4 bags of "live" sand and a gallon of fritz zyme#9 gonna "cycle" with a coctail; shimp and live rock.

Any faster method? I dont really want to move anything from the problem tank over and make a bigger problem

If you have an idea leave me a post or my cell is 863-232-6008

Thanks.

 

[AndyH5512]

I would do a partial water change, and run some carbon or Chemi Pure. Try to get the water for your change as close to room temp as you can. Stabilize your existing water the best you can. Obviously, remove all the dead items. If you can set up a quarantine, I would do that for the items that are in limbo. I have seen coral bounce back from very adverse conditions, so unless its obviously dead, I would try to quarantine it and nurse it back to health. You could also call some LFS's to see if they have any input. Good luck.

 

[TheGrog]

Sorry to hear about your troubles man.

A very similiar thing happened to me a few years ago. The entire tank crashed. The problem I had is that the heating element released tons of COPPER into the water.

Do a test for copper. Get some cuprisorb or polyfilters running ASAP. Do a 25% water change MINIMUM. Better yet, get what is still alive into a QT tank as if you do have copper, it will kill so much of the LR that your ammonia will spike pretty high here in a day or so.

If no copper, then get things to QT and do water changes.

This is why I NEVER use glass heaters any more for display tanks. Just not worth it IMO.

Hope this helps.

 

[cristhiam]

Also poly filters are good to remove copper and other things out of the water.
I haven't use a heater for about 4 years IMO I don't need it temp stays pretty much stable, specially in larger tanks. I've seen my tank as low as 77 during cold times and nothing happened. I had a 55G before the 125 with not heater.
Good luck

 

[saltwater2642]

Wow Copper I would have never guessed. Yea thats prob what it is. Will the live rock be ok to move to the other tank? When do ya think I should be able to move the rock to the display tank?

 

[saltwater2642]

ok another thought can I take all the live rock out and put it in a rubbermaid trash can and hope to save some? will copper stay in the rock / pvc plumbing/ ect?

 

[saltwater2642]

ok and who has a 25 lbs hammer I can smash my little toe with cause thats all I need now.

 

[TheGrog]

Test your water before pulling the entire tank apart. If no copper, then you are good. If there is copper, the damage may be done.

I used the poly filters AND cuprisorb in my system and after a few weeks, there was no detectable copper levels. The rockwork is alive and fine now with corals growing on them.

The PVC and stuff won't absorb anything so no worries there. The sand will most likely absorb the most so if you continue to have redidual levels, it may be a loss.

Good luck and hope this helps.

 

[saltwater2642]

Ok, its Sunday so everyone sit down grab a glass of wine, Boone's Farm, only the best and laught at me. Yes, at me cause its just too bad to do anything else. The last post I asked for a hammer to smash my little toe of course it was only an analogy cause I didn't think things could get worse.

LOL... Right , Murphy is in my house, he's my neighbor and a damn relative. Need I say more. Well I put what I could in my nano to save, made a 30 gal water change to help the other things. Started making water for my new 220 and went To the "store" to buy things to help the other tank. On my way to Lowes for tubing I remembered that my list was at the house. I needed hose so, call the wife ask her what size hose is in the 30 gal rubber maid trash can mixing salt water. No problemo right 5/8 id great I am as they say fat and happy in a matter of hours I'm gona be sitting pretty. Did I mention that to save time I put 160 gal of salt in 30 gallon rubber maid container to make salt... Hey it is a 220 I can just add ro/di to thin it out. Well go home a few hrs later and find that my loving, terrific, intelligent, the best wife ever, has not put the hose thats attached to the pump in the bottom of the trash can. I also don't think I said that last month I bought 3,000 worth of new wood floors in the livingroom either did I? Well My daughter and I spent the next hour moving stuff sweeping and cleaning the floors, hope they will be ok. Does it ever strop? Not fer me


So no matter what kind of day or week you are having take solice in knowing that you are far better that I.

 

[jccash]

"
So no matter what kind of day or week you are having take solice in knowing that you are far better that I."

You actually encouraged me with your post. Thank you and keep up the good attitude. Your reward is soon coming. blessings, JC