My 155g. BF history

[Awibrandy]

The death of so many fish compounded by my in ability to remove all the bodies has created a nitrate/phosphate pool.
I know have so much algae all over the rocks, sand, and glass that if the few corals were not doing as well as they are this tank would have become a fresh water amazon cichlid tank.
Following is my plan of attack:
30 to 40 gallons of water change every other day with RO/DI water mixed with IO salt.
Changing gac weekly.
Changing gfo at 3 weeks.
Light cycle changed to 5.5 hrs. blue LEDs, 4 hrs. white LEDs
No food is entering the tank. (Perhaps this will aide in the capture of the yellow coris)
Have I missed anything?

Bit of history of what led up to this stage..

As most of you guys/gals now I had an accident with a batch of "Bayer" dip that wiped out just about all my fish leaving me with the Tailspot Blenny that I got from GeorgeG.
I was able to get some replacements at Maximum Reefs, and a few more fish from Coral Theory about two weeks ago. I was really happy.

Now here is the start of the downward spiral. I have a black cabinet on the left side of the tank. This created a mirror effect which drove the PBT crazy. He stressed out, and got ICH. Just a couple of spots on it's pectoral fins. As it was still eating, and I had put a piece of white plastic between the tank, and the cabinet removing the mirror effect I thought the fish would be okay.

I felt that trying to remove it to a small QT (20g) would only cause more stress.
I kept a close eye on the PBT watching for the ich spots to spread or disappear. PBT continued eating, and behaving as normal as ever. Then came the second stage where I started losing fish. Once this began I set up the 20g for "Hyposalinity Treatment" not wanting to ruin the only other tank I have for those un-wanted corals. By then I had 4 fish left out of 12.
I was able to catch 2 out of the 4 that day. The YT & Yellow Coris Wrasse proved to be much more difficult to catch. Following morning the YT was dead. Yellow Coris is still to this day in the DT. I have tried several different foods in the bottle trap to no avail.
BTW, "Hyposalinity" did not work. Three or four days later I lost the other two.

I am staying the he!! away from Tangs...

 

[Chihuahua6]

So sorry to hear about all of your troubles. Are your corals ok? Did all of them die too?

I agree with you regarding Tangs. Right now my tank is fallow and will be for the next couple of months. "If" I decide to put a Tang into the tank I will only do so after eight weeks of copper treatment followed by two weeks of observation without copper. All new fish are treated with Prazipro and copper as well.

 

[afernandez]

wow ! so sorry to hear this awi.

i know last time we spoke you where so excited about the PBT, they are such beutiful fish but some times so hard to keep. moving forward get that tank back up to shape i have some stuff for you! just let me know when your ready. im still not sure if im going to make it to the feb meeting but if i do i will bring you some goodies.

 

[Awibrandy]

Thanks Amanda, and Arlin!

The corals SPS, LPS, Shrooms, Zoa, and leather are all doing GREAT! The SPS that had bleached from the Bayer dip are coloring up really nice, and a few are even showing signs of growth. LPS are extending really nice, and the one gorgonian is absolutely fully open. Caps are also growing really good...
Perhaps I shouldn't even state the above.LOL

Amanda, where are you getting the "Prezipio"? Also, are you sure it is safe to use both?
I have been trying to catch the yellow wrasse for the same reason; I want to run the tank fallow for 12 weeks. Today I haven't seen that little bugger at all. Could be because of the light changes I made. Or he could be dead. Doubtful though.

 

[afernandez]

What's with your yellow coris btw? Mine is a gentlemen to other fish I haven't see him bug snails or shrimps..yet. I've had mine for over a year and he's nice and fat

 

[whiteshark]

An inspiring story indeed. Many would have given up in your situation long ago. Thanks for sharing. I'll be following along as your journey continues.

 

[Awibrandy]

What's with your yellow coris btw? Mine is a gentlemen to other fish I haven't see him bug snails or shrimps..yet. I've had mine for over a year and he's nice and fat

There is nothing wrong with the yellow coris. He just needs to go into qt so that I can run the 155 fallow for 3 months so I can kill all traces of the ich.

An inspiring story indeed. Many would have given up in your situation long ago. Thanks for sharing. I'll be following along as your journey continues.

Why Thank You Kindly!:wave:
I love to share the good as well as the bad. My hope is that it may help someone else.
This is a trying hobby, but it is so rewarding when things go right! Not to mention the GREAT friends I have found along my journey.

 

[Chihuahua6]

Thanks Amanda, and Arlin!


Amanda, where are you getting the "Prezipio"? Also, are you sure it is safe to use both?
I have been trying to catch the yellow wrasse for the same reason; I want to run the tank fallow for 12 weeks. Today I haven't seen that little bugger at all. Could be because of the light changes I made. Or he could be dead. Doubtful though.

I got the Prazipro from Fish Town in Bayside. It's cheaper to order online though. I don't use it with the copper. I treat all fish with both but at not at the same time.

 

[Awibrandy]

I got the Prazipro from Fish Town in Bayside. It's cheaper to order online though. I don't use it with the copper. I treat all fish with both but at not at the same time.

Thank you Amanda! I'll look for it online since I have tons of time. I don't patronize fish town

 

[Awibrandy]

Happy to report I am seeing serious improvement on the battle. I am definitely seeing less & less algae.
My routine is working. It has only been 4 days, and already I see a major improvement.

Unfortunately I am still trying to catch the Yellow Coris Wrasse.

 

[Awibrandy]

Tank is doing amazing.. Algae is minuscule, and the yellow coris is now out.

Time to start counting........ May 30, 2013 I can begging adding fish.

 

[Awibrandy]

Good news: I finally found a Naked Clown fish, and a Nearly Naked Clown fish thank you David [Bath Aquarium]!!!:dance: They are living in the 20 gallon with the Yellow Coris Wrasse until May 30 - 31 when they will all be moved back in to the 155.

Bad news: Cyano both red & green are proving to be quite the issue. Although it is NOT all over the place it is still being a problem. Doing several water changes with RO/DI water, running BRS GFO & GAC changed out weekly this stubborn cyano continues to plague my reef. Yesterday after the previous day's water change it developed bubbles within it. Yes, I have tried to siphon it out to no avail.:headwallblue:
Phosphates are also proving to be stubborn, or they were just that high which also explains why the cyano is still living.:eek2:
So, today I am going shopping for "Chemiclean", air pump, air line tubing. air stone, and phosphate sponge/sponges.

 

[afernandez]

Nice pick up on the clowns!

On the bad news... I had that happen once a long time ago and it was because I had completely moved around the sand and all the stuff in the sand re-surfaced and it caused all types of havoc ....did you recently moved the sand alot or took some out rocks out?

 

[Awibrandy]

Nice pick up on the clowns!

On the bad news... I had that happen once a long time ago and it was because I had completely moved around the sand and all the stuff in the sand re-surfaced and it caused all types of havoc ....did you recently moved the sand alot or took some out rocks out?

Thanks Arlin!

I've heard that happening to folks. But in the case of my tank it is all due to the death of fish that were within the rocks where I could not get to in order to remove their carcasses. This is what IMO caused the high nutrient levels. That along with what ever living organism within the rocks that were killed with the accident of the bowl of the "Bayer" dip.

 

[Awibrandy]

I need to do something about my canopy. I love it, looks great, but it inhibits the LEDs spread.

 

[Awibrandy]

Update:

I did end up using the "ChemiClean". Worked great, no problems!! One dose is all it took.
Did a 20% water change 48hrs later. It will make your skimmer go nuts, but I use this to my advantage. I do not turn off my skimmer, but I do remove the collection cup, place a bowl over the top of the skimmer so that I don't end up with salt creep all over the place. This provides a crazy amount of oxidation. No cyano since.

I am still having an issue with some gha (green hair algae) that is proving to be quite stubborn. Water changes, gfo, gac, lanthanum chloride, very little feedings, quite a few crabs & snails, and I am still having this issue which I haven't had in years. Only thing I can figure is all the deaths starting with dear old "Super Storm Sandy" as caused a tremendous amount of P04.

The other issue was with some Jumbo Hermit Crabs I got in the GB a few months back. I ordered "Large Hermit Crabs" because I didn't want tiny ones, instead I got these jumbo things. They are suppose to be "reef safe", which they are as they don't eat corals, but the sure as he!! will eat fish. Those beast killed, and ate two of my favorite wrasse which were in the 20 gallon waiting to go in to the 155 May 30. Needless to say they now reside in the sump.........................

 

[Awibrandy]

Pix
Left side

Center

Right side

 

[Awibrandy]

So after 10 weeks of running the DT fallow, and 7 weeks of the QT hypo I began the process of raising the salinity in the QT to that of the DT. At week 10 the fish were put into the DT.
I ended up not waiting the 12 weeks because I was having problems with the QT. At around week 7 the QT apparently kept going through a bacterial bloom therefore staying cloudy although I kept doing 50% water changes, and reduced feedings.
Sadly the PBT developed some sort of bumps all over it's body which I could not identify. They were not ich, they were bumps under the skin. It died sometime last night...

I am so so tired of this. Still battling the f'en GHA! The only saving grace is that the coral seem to be doing ok. If not I would be making a FW out of my tank.

 

[NeilFox]

Wow

That is so unfortunate. You have had so many setbacks. You are determined though and will have a beautiful tank again in no time..

Regards

Neil

 

[Arkayology]

I lost all but 1 fish this past Sunday due to my stupidity.;(

I prepared the solution of Bayer to dip the new acquisitions in, and sat it on the tank's brace with the canopy holding it in place. It was safe, until I reached for it to put it on top of a bucket I placed on the floor in front of the tank so as not to splash any of it in to the tank while placing the rock with the shrooms & leather on it.
Well, when I reached for it the bowl slipped in to my tank spilling half the contents into the tank. I didn't know what to do in that moment of panic, but then decided that all would be okay because my tank is 155 gallons, and what spilled was a mere 6 cups of the solution. I just kept an eye on the corals, and inverts ready to pull them out in to the bucket of freshly mixed salt water that I would be using to replace the water I was taking out of the tank during acclimation & dipping. About 15 to 30 minutes later I see my PT spinning around on his tail, then the Desjardinii, followed by my Majestic, and then the rest of the tangs. I raced to rinse 1 or 2lbs of GAC in a large nylon bag to throw into the return section of my sump. Drained about 30 gal. of water, and refilled the tank. It was to little to late.
I thought I lost everyone! Fortunately, and I thank God that the first fish into my tank after the monster Sandy that I got from GeorgeG (tail spot blenny) popped out of a hole in the rocks while I was telling a friend what I had done..

Inverts, limpets, chitons, hermit crab with exception of one lg. hermit, snails, brittle starfish all appear unharmed.

I'm sorry if this makes me sounds rude, but is incredibly stupid and irresponsible... You should have raced to grab everything out ASAP. Did you really think it would be ok?