Ok folks. Some of you know me, and some of you don’t. Let me start by saying that I am not asking for anything, nor am I expecting anything. I am simply looking to help someone in need and I figured I would put this story out there to anyone else who may be interested. Thanks for reading.
My best friend’s mom is a great lady. She is very kind and generous. About 4 years ago, she saw my aquarium that I had at the time and fell in love with it. She shortly after decided that she wanted a saltwater tank for herself. So, like many of us, she started poking around on the internet and soaking up knowledge, and figuring out what she wanted. Eventually, she went out and bought your standard 55 gallon tank, and set it up. She has a 1†hole drilled in the top corner, and plumbed to a ten gallon sump. She has a Coralife Super skimmer 125 that she had my fishing line mod. She has about 70 lbs of live rock and a shallow sand bed. She has a few softies (mainly glove polyps and xenia) and I think 4 fish. She also has an over the top closed loop with a mag 12 running a standard SQWD (which no longer works and only shoots out one side). Lighting consists of a 4 x 55 watt PC unit.
Anyhow, the setup is ok, but needs some work. However, she loves that tank. She will sit in front of that tank and stare at it for hours looking at all the little things that we all sometimes overlook. However, she has not taken the kind of care of it as needed, and it is kind of in bad shape (however, I have seen worse). I am not sure the last time she has done a water change (probably last time I went and sis one for her), but that is beside the point.
Here is the real story. Last Wednesday, she was acting funny, but refused to go to the doctor. She was wobbling around and said she was having trouble seeing. Friday morning of last week, she woke up unable to move her right arm and right leg and unable to see out of her right eye. She was rushed to the emergency room with a blood pressure of 324/204. YIKES! Shortly after, she was moved to the ICU where she remains today. Between Wednesday and Friday afternoon, she had 3 massive strokes that killed a portion of her brain that controls the right arm and right leg. Basically, from here on out will be a major struggle to regain any movement if any at all. Right now they are attempting to regulate her blood pressure and get her moved to a normal room and then to an inpatient rehab facility, where she will be for at least a month. The good news is, she has feeling in all parts of her body, she just can’t move them, so doctors are remaining positive and hopeful that she will regain some movement.
So, I have taken over the care of her aquarium. I am planning on doing several water changes and changing out the sand bed (which has never once been siphoned). I would like to clear out some of the xenia and glove polyps and get something new for her (maybe on trade), and change out the bulbs in her fixture. However, I can’t afford to do all the things that need to be done.
So anyhow, here is my thought. I think as much as she loves the tank, it would be wonderful if when she finally gets to come home, it is a whole new and beautiful tank that is less maintenance. As I said, I am not expecting anyone to do anything, I am just asking for everyone to see the situation, and if they can help, to join in making a sick lady happy.
I am looking for suggestions on how to change the set-up, help which doing the work (since I just had wrist surgery and am currently one handed). Maybe if someone has some overgrown soft corals that need trimming, we could get her something new to look at. Or, if anyone has some equipment just tanking up space that could help out, consider cleaning out your garage.
Anyhow, I just thought I would tell this story and let everyone know what I am trying to do. If you have suggestions, or would like to help, please let me know.
God bless.
My best friend’s mom is a great lady. She is very kind and generous. About 4 years ago, she saw my aquarium that I had at the time and fell in love with it. She shortly after decided that she wanted a saltwater tank for herself. So, like many of us, she started poking around on the internet and soaking up knowledge, and figuring out what she wanted. Eventually, she went out and bought your standard 55 gallon tank, and set it up. She has a 1†hole drilled in the top corner, and plumbed to a ten gallon sump. She has a Coralife Super skimmer 125 that she had my fishing line mod. She has about 70 lbs of live rock and a shallow sand bed. She has a few softies (mainly glove polyps and xenia) and I think 4 fish. She also has an over the top closed loop with a mag 12 running a standard SQWD (which no longer works and only shoots out one side). Lighting consists of a 4 x 55 watt PC unit.
Anyhow, the setup is ok, but needs some work. However, she loves that tank. She will sit in front of that tank and stare at it for hours looking at all the little things that we all sometimes overlook. However, she has not taken the kind of care of it as needed, and it is kind of in bad shape (however, I have seen worse). I am not sure the last time she has done a water change (probably last time I went and sis one for her), but that is beside the point.
Here is the real story. Last Wednesday, she was acting funny, but refused to go to the doctor. She was wobbling around and said she was having trouble seeing. Friday morning of last week, she woke up unable to move her right arm and right leg and unable to see out of her right eye. She was rushed to the emergency room with a blood pressure of 324/204. YIKES! Shortly after, she was moved to the ICU where she remains today. Between Wednesday and Friday afternoon, she had 3 massive strokes that killed a portion of her brain that controls the right arm and right leg. Basically, from here on out will be a major struggle to regain any movement if any at all. Right now they are attempting to regulate her blood pressure and get her moved to a normal room and then to an inpatient rehab facility, where she will be for at least a month. The good news is, she has feeling in all parts of her body, she just can’t move them, so doctors are remaining positive and hopeful that she will regain some movement.
So, I have taken over the care of her aquarium. I am planning on doing several water changes and changing out the sand bed (which has never once been siphoned). I would like to clear out some of the xenia and glove polyps and get something new for her (maybe on trade), and change out the bulbs in her fixture. However, I can’t afford to do all the things that need to be done.
So anyhow, here is my thought. I think as much as she loves the tank, it would be wonderful if when she finally gets to come home, it is a whole new and beautiful tank that is less maintenance. As I said, I am not expecting anyone to do anything, I am just asking for everyone to see the situation, and if they can help, to join in making a sick lady happy.
I am looking for suggestions on how to change the set-up, help which doing the work (since I just had wrist surgery and am currently one handed). Maybe if someone has some overgrown soft corals that need trimming, we could get her something new to look at. Or, if anyone has some equipment just tanking up space that could help out, consider cleaning out your garage.
Anyhow, I just thought I would tell this story and let everyone know what I am trying to do. If you have suggestions, or would like to help, please let me know.
God bless.
