Disaster Part II

[LCGoldman]

I just got finished getting my tank back online. The power was out for 12 or so hours... the return tube became disengaged from the return pump... spewing water all over the place basically shorting out a powerstrip.

Lost so far:

• Copperband Butterfly
• Kole Tang
• Diadema pseudochromis
• Blue-Green chromis
• Six-line wrasse
• Cleaner shrimp

I don't know if I should be keeping a reef tank. I'm sure others would have done a better job.

This sucks. I suck.

 

[Spracklcat]

Lonnie--I'm so sorry to hear! But don't give up--everyone has their own disaster story (if it makes you feel any less "sucky", Eric Borneman lost his ENTIRE TANK a few months back).

Hang in there pal--and if I can help in any way let me know--

 

[DgenR8]

Lonnie,
One thing for sure, very few people here don't know what you're going through. You will either learn from the experience, or get out of the hobby. I don't see you getting out, so you learned an expensive lesson about tank plumbing, and pump pressure.
I'm very sorry for your losses, but when you rebuild, you always do things better than you did the first time around.

 

[pyro383]

You can rebuild it, better, faster and more reliable.

 

[Neurotech]

OK, in the I am an idiot department......While doing a water change in April, my two power strips got wet, and the GFI outlet I had put in did its job and shut down. So I pushed the reset...and pushed it again with insufficient time for the power strip to dry out....and pushed the stupid reset again, thereby losing power to the tank outlet, the kitchen table lamp, the outside lights, two outlets and the lights in the computer room. For months. The tank, however, was reconnected within an hour or so via a 25 foot extension cord. Yes, my wife was especially happy about the tank. Luckily, I had major family tragedies for a while to distract from the fact that we needed to eat dinner by candlelight. Lonnie, wWhy did the fish die?
Not only will I continue, and I hope this inspires you Lonnie to do the same, but I am looking to start another tank, just like yours actually, a 92 corner.

 

[romain]

Lonnie,

Sorry to hear about this unfortunate situation, it is truely heartbreaking and depressing after all the hard work your put into the tank. How's SPS and other corals doing?

Hope you can pull through this and continue to stay in the hobby.

 

[Reef Junkie]

Lonnie,
Everything will be ok. It's the people that persevere after a disaster like this that really appreciate their reef tanks.

If it makes you feel any better, I lost 95% of my entire tank last April. I now have a majority of my old collection back thanks to some great friends I have made around the country.

Keep your chin up my mild mannered psycho killer friend.

 

[puckbs]

Anything you need Lonster....give me a call, i think Ray is looking to do an order soon anyway

 

[LCGoldman]

None of the corals were affected (this time)... all the inverts, except for the one cleaner shrimp, survived as well.

About half the fish survived -- including that darned hippo tang and yellow tang --- I think those two are bullet proof.

Half my PC lights aren't working (the MH is fine). The water pump to my chiller isn't working either. I have a spare which I will swap in tonight. Water temperature is fine.

I'm surprised that the fish died after the power was out for "only" six hours (corrected figure since original post). I've had worse power outages than that without loss of life.

Bottom line is that it was: a) my procrastination for not getting everything back on line sooner last night, and b) for the state of the sump which makes visual inspection and access to the equipment very difficult. I knew from the last time the plumbing failed that the pump was in a precarious position and it was only a matter of time before the hose separated again. Right now I have the pump situated on top of a plastic disk to keep the connection to the hose more "solid".

 

[pecan2phat]

Lonnie,
Sorry to hear of the misery, didn't know that you had a power outage.

Where's that generator that you "should" have, or at least an UPS attached to one powerhead?

Fish will start to die in about 6 hours due to the lack of oxygen from no water movement. The more stocked the tank is, the less time it would take.

Did you at least have any battery operated air pumps?

 

[LCGoldman]

It was a "self-made" power outage... water spewing out of the sump started frying a power strip

 

[cb747]

Sorry to hear Lonnie. Just come back better and wiser

 

[pecan2phat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8036022#post8036022 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LCGoldman
It was a "self-made" power outage... water spewing out of the sump started frying a power strip

So why 12 hrs though?

Gotta be careful, montepora's tank fire started from salt creep on the power strip.

 

[terranova]

Lonnieeeee. I saw the title of this thread and I almost cried for you.

But listen...like everybody else said, if you just take your time and rebuild, you'll come back that much wiser, and hopefully learn from your mistake. And you know that everybody here is more than willing to help you out and get you back on your feet. Hang in there!!!

And yes, those silly tangs must be bullet proof...how's the HLLE???

 

[LCGoldman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8037917#post8037917 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by terranova
Lonnieeeee. I saw the title of this thread and I almost cried for you.

But listen...like everybody else said, if you just take your time and rebuild, you'll come back that much wiser, and hopefully learn from your mistake. And you know that everybody here is more than willing to help you out and get you back on your feet. Hang in there!!!

And yes, those silly tangs must be bullet proof...how's the HLLE???

Thanks Liana

The HLLE's getting better. A lot better. But, it's still there some. He's a real trooper.

And, he's quite theatrical. He was playing dead... and then kept it up through the night. When no one looks he's swimming happily around the tank. When he knows he's being watched he takes a "dive".

 

[olemos]

Sad to hear that Lonnie.
What happened to the squirrel never sleeps?
Oh well, hang in there buddy, it is all part of growing up in this hobby, just try to put it behind you and lets build it bigger and better

 

[Justjoe]

We all go through it at some point, sometimes several times...

We all go through it at some point, sometimes several times...

I don't play chess, but I've concluded that reef keeping is like playing chess in that you have to stay so many moves ahead of your opponent JUST to stay in the game... forget about winning as there will always be new challenges.
When you work through the hardships you actually end up with a better, more stable tank.
Joe

 

[onegreenray]

lonnie,

i remeber about six months ago someone coming over and helping me clean up the mess in my basement. taking out the bleached sps. do you recall you where the one that talked me out of getting out. well hang in there. if you need help re doing anything or cleaning for that matter let me know. always here bro.

yes i am looking to do a buy soon.

 

[LCGoldman]

Acknowledging that my weakness is in anything mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (I do a good job scrapng the algae off the glass --- no wait, I have Eric to thank for that --- and feeding the fish though LOL), I could use some help.

I guess I'll throw it out and admit that I need help... the plumbing is what's caused the problems. Is PVC the way to go? Is it too late? Help! (oh, ok, that's another thing that I'm good at... .asking for help LOL)

 

[Reef Junkie]

Plumbing is the easy part.
Water (like other things) goes downhill, so make your connections right the first time. Trying to fix it afterwards can cause other parts to leak. Usually in spots that are hard to get to.
Backpressure can choke your flow, venting is crucial.

I'll help if you need it.