Aquarist007
New member
if your heater is on --shut it off-----I'm still thinking volatage leak and or coral toxins.
All fish DEAD! Why?!
- Thread starter Rae C.
- Start date
if your heater is on --shut it off-----I'm still thinking volatage leak and or coral toxins.
Rae C.
New member
LFS also thinks it was a sudden pH drop when I turned the fuge back on. I didn't think the volume of water in the fuge would impact the tank, but apparantly it can. With a current pH of 7.8, he thinks the drop was even lower shortly after i turned the fuge on. 7.8 is low enough to kill fish. So I'll buffer the water and get the pH to stabilize for a couple weeks before I restock with fish.
i got full credit for the tang, picked up some chaeto to make sure the fuge will work for the missing fish emissions. i can see the mandarin,but can't get to him. I'm missing a gramma (probably 2 inches) and the pajama (another 2 inches of fish flesh). I'm thinking constant water changes this week. 20% each time.
Will baking soda work or do I need the Buffer sold in the store to get the pH back. Or will water changes do it?
I'll switch out the heater. I have a new one anyway.
Now I get to go to the auction house to deliver the rest of my grandmother's furniture and things. (she died in January) Kind of a gloomy Monday.
i got full credit for the tang, picked up some chaeto to make sure the fuge will work for the missing fish emissions. i can see the mandarin,but can't get to him. I'm missing a gramma (probably 2 inches) and the pajama (another 2 inches of fish flesh). I'm thinking constant water changes this week. 20% each time.
Will baking soda work or do I need the Buffer sold in the store to get the pH back. Or will water changes do it?
I'll switch out the heater. I have a new one anyway.
Now I get to go to the auction house to deliver the rest of my grandmother's furniture and things. (she died in January) Kind of a gloomy Monday.
cdness
Premium Member
do the water changes and let the tank buffer itself back up. using the baking soda or the retail buffers is only a temporary raise but the water changes will get it to where it needs to be. I'd do a 50% change right away to get rid of the junk in the water. Also you may see a cycle again due to the fish still in the tank. I'd recommend moving what you need to move to get the fish out... Decaying fish will only intensify the cycle...
Rae C.
New member
Rats. I gotta get a move on the day. Hopefully, I can do the fish expedition this evening. in the meantime, I'm mixing salt water all day to do a huge change when I get back this afternoon.
For future reference, how should a person bring a refugium back online after being down for a couple of ddays. Especially an HOB, which can't really be run as it's own unit (as opposed to a remote)?
For future reference, how should a person bring a refugium back online after being down for a couple of ddays. Especially an HOB, which can't really be run as it's own unit (as opposed to a remote)?
cdness
Premium Member
Airstone sure would do the trick. You could even have it in there all the time if you wanted to. That way you wouldn't have to worry as much. Now temp wise you don't want it to swing too far either direction so if your room is really cold, you might want to add a tiny heater too.
How far down did your tank get? Most of the HOB fuges have a supply pump right? Can't you just put the supply pump lower in the tank with a small and simple DIY entension? They you will never have to worry about it.
I have a couple questions though...
1. Was the water level low due to evaporation or did you lower it during a water change?
2. By ASW do you mean mixed saltwater or freshwater?
How far down did your tank get? Most of the HOB fuges have a supply pump right? Can't you just put the supply pump lower in the tank with a small and simple DIY entension? They you will never have to worry about it.
I have a couple questions though...
1. Was the water level low due to evaporation or did you lower it during a water change?
2. By ASW do you mean mixed saltwater or freshwater?
Racy,
Sorry about the loss but it is very unusual for the fish to die and not much else. One thing comes to mind. Have you been doing any spraying lately for bugs? If so what did you use?
Sorry about the loss but it is very unusual for the fish to die and not much else. One thing comes to mind. Have you been doing any spraying lately for bugs? If so what did you use?
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Ah Tom, always looking for the chemical culprit -- you can take the chemist out of the lab but you can't take the lab out of the chemist.
Good point though. I have a cleaning lady who comes in every two weeks (I'm a neat freak as you well know). When I got my display up and running I told her to make sure she didn't spray furniture polish anywhere near the tank but to spray her cleaning cloth and then clean the furniture.
Rae C.
New member
I sprayed for ants in the kitchen, but that's a different room than the tank is in, and it was only at the base of the sliding door, which was open. Also, the Tang was in its QT on the kitchen counter next to the door and it survived.
cdness - next time I will a) use an airstone and b) have extensions on hand for the intake pump on the fuge. The water was just low enough for the intake pump to gurgle, water level was about at the halfway mark of the intake. Now that I've learned this hard lesson, I'll be more aware of the fuge water and it's flow. And pH.
ASW is Artificial Salt Water.
cdness - next time I will a) use an airstone and b) have extensions on hand for the intake pump on the fuge. The water was just low enough for the intake pump to gurgle, water level was about at the halfway mark of the intake. Now that I've learned this hard lesson, I'll be more aware of the fuge water and it's flow. And pH.
ASW is Artificial Salt Water.
Aquarist007
New member
did you put your hands in the tank after using the insecticide?
Is your heater on?
Aquarist007
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15353976#post15353976 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rae C.
I washed my hands thoroughly with soap and water directly after spraying. I haven't put bare hands in my tank since you got stung.
The new heater is on.
:lol: I am still reminded of that one
If you don't need a heater at this time then don't use it--its just something that could go wrong.
Rae C.
New member
I did a 15gal water change last night. Then tested the params an hour later. Everything is measuring perfectly. pH is up, 'trates and 'trites are 0. Corals all look good.
This morning there are many urchin spines around the sand. I wonder if they are because I basted all the rocks last night and they are accumulated or if the urching is losing spines. He looks okay from where I can see him. He's behind the rocks, but moving normally.
I'm making up more salt water for tonight's water change. My water bill is going to be quite high this month. Oh well. I'm getting lots of laundry done this week though, with all the waste water!
This morning there are many urchin spines around the sand. I wonder if they are because I basted all the rocks last night and they are accumulated or if the urching is losing spines. He looks okay from where I can see him. He's behind the rocks, but moving normally.
I'm making up more salt water for tonight's water change. My water bill is going to be quite high this month. Oh well. I'm getting lots of laundry done this week though, with all the waste water!
I didn't see anything about water circulation in your tank while the fuge was down. When hurricane Ike hit last year, almost all of my fish were dead within a few hours due to lack of circulation. Corals and most inverts survived for almost 2 days without power. I now have a generator, won't happen again!
Rae C.
New member
Jim, I kept on a Koralia 3 and a maxijet, as well as the skimmer. Plenty of circulation in the tank. How long after you recoverd from Ike did yo u wait until adding fish? How did you bring that pH back up?
Todays readings were
80 degrees
pH 8.0
alkalinity 5 degrees
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
Still haven't found the missing three fish. I plan on continuing the water changes everyday for at least a week, testing pH, nitrites and nitrates for several weeks.
The skimmer is skimming like crazy, it used to fill in 3 days, now it's filled in one. I'm skimming a little wetter, but the skimmate smells more than it used to, so I think it's really taking out the nasties.
Should I put a bubbler in the fuge? Would that help stabilize the pH? Or should I go buy some buffer?
Todays readings were
80 degrees
pH 8.0
alkalinity 5 degrees
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
Still haven't found the missing three fish. I plan on continuing the water changes everyday for at least a week, testing pH, nitrites and nitrates for several weeks.
The skimmer is skimming like crazy, it used to fill in 3 days, now it's filled in one. I'm skimming a little wetter, but the skimmate smells more than it used to, so I think it's really taking out the nasties.
Should I put a bubbler in the fuge? Would that help stabilize the pH? Or should I go buy some buffer?
I don't really remember how long it was before I added fish, but it was a while since I had too many other things going on to worry about. At that time, my PH was on the low side (7.8+/-) anyway, but I don't remember it dropping during the power failure though. At 8.0, your PH is not that bad. Be careful with adding buffer or you will get your cal/alk balance screwed up. I guess I would go along with the therory that maybe the sump water killed the fish. I know I was amazed at how fast the fish died and yet all the corals and inverts were fine. I think I would continue with wet skimming and water changes, sounds like your headed in the right direction.
RIP missing fish. That's what the skimmer is skimming right now. At least ammonia levels are down but how is that urchcin looking?
Aquaph,
We do try to have no missing fish/dead fish on this forum. I know stuff happens but I hate to see it.
I try to instill the fact on this forum that our fish are pets, the same as cats and dogs, and, we should do everything in our power to insure their well being.
We do try to have no missing fish/dead fish on this forum. I know stuff happens but I hate to see it.
I try to instill the fact on this forum that our fish are pets, the same as cats and dogs, and, we should do everything in our power to insure their well being.
