My 300 gallon acrylic tank

[steve the plumb]

The thing is I have used this brand before.I went by my friends house yesterday and he was saying thats the same brand we used on his sump.Oh well what can you do.Right now I won't buy any fish and since I am not working I have to keep away from the LFS.I wonder how long it will take to clean out the system.I am not going to pick up my lights this weekend my cousin will be out of town so I have to wait another week(bummer) (what else is new)Seems that this tank has caused me more problems than it was worth(the wife)I no longer have the motivation like I used to when I first set up the tank(the wife again)After all the *****ing and complaining about and the constant reminders of how much money it costs and that I am not working and,and and,It become a big disappointment to the point where I regret starting up the tank.This is the one hobby that I used to enjoy doing but ever since the complaining started(when I bought the tank) its like I can't get enjoyment out of it.If I do it doesn't last long before it turns sour because I am always reminded.My wife the kill joy.Its to bad she wasn't into the hobby.She never will be she isn't an animal lover nor did she have any pets.Her parents are very strange.The only thing they do is go to church and shop for food(I am venting).My mom saw the tank for the first time and she said it looks nice.My in laws are living with me and haven't said one word about it.Then again maybe I don't need them to because if they feel the way there daughter feels it will only **** me off.

 

[Elliott]

Steve, if you bail now they will always say "I told you so", fix the problem and move on, keep the tank, make it a success and show them the fruits of all your efforts. my two cents

 

[jnarowe]

or feed them some salmon mousse!!

 

[michika]

Stick with it, once you sort out this initial problem you'll start to see the interest in it again.

Personally I think your tank is coming along well. Just concentrate on sorting out this issue right now. Next week, if you can make it down, you'll have new lights, something else for you to get excited about.

Just take it one step at a time. Spend some time looking at TOTM threads or the ReefKeeping articles to remember why you like this hobby. It will help you realize why your in the hobby.

 

[kdblove_99]

This is the one i have used for years now and know other reefers use this one also. no mildew preventers in this!

 

[kdblove_99]

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[steve the plumb]

Thanks thats what I should have used.Yes i was kind of in a bummer.There is very little silicone left as I said I scraped most of it out.There is a spot here and there.I am wondering if the little left over silicone will damage the system in the future?I pretty much changed out over 100 gal of water in the last week.I used a razor to scrape out the silicone but there is a little bit of residue left.I don't think it would be enough to do damage but I am still nervous about it.I will leave everything for now and see.If the fish that are left don't die I would think in 2 or 3 months if everything is fine I should be ok.Just worried because I couldn't remove 100% of it.I did get most of it the only thing I know is I did use a little around all my bulkheads will this bite me in the butt later or does it release all the toxins and then we are done it doesn't release any more.I don't know if it keeps releasing it then I may get shafted down the road.:eek1:

 

[Elliott]

I'd get it all out of there now, you can't afford to have this thing raise it's ugly head again down the road

 

[chris wright]

That's a damn shame that your wife doesn't share a little of your interests. I'm lucky that my wife does as long as I keep everything clean :lol:

Don't give up though mate, you'll regret it. Clean out the silicone as best you can, and seal over it with fresh silicone. I know this is not the best option, but it may help. Run a lot of carbon, while re-cycling to try to get any toxin's out and go from there.

Take a break if you need it, but remember why you got into this hobby. keep your chin up mate and you'll get there

Cheers

Chris

 

[steve the plumb]

I scraped most of it off but there is a little left(like a stain) where the silicone was but I went over everything with a razor blade.I can't do much more.I will see what happens in 2 or 3 months if all the fish are healthy I should be good.I did remove a lot of silicone.I checked everything to make sure I got it out.

 

[michika]

I would do as Chris Write recommended, and seal over the old silicone with the new.

What is happening with your current fish? Are they still eating? Are any of them improving?

 

[steve the plumb]

well I already filled the sump.I still have silicone on my bulkheads and a few threads for the pumps..I would not be able to get to that.The silicone thats in the sump is hardly anything now I don't know if that amount will kill the fish.The foxface isn't looking to good my firefish and clownfish are dead.The clown tang I didn't see when I came home so I think he is dead or near death and my trigger fish and blenny along with the gobys are alive.Now assuming these fish survive I would think that in 2 months I will get some green chromis,If they end up dying I will basically scrape the tank.There is no way I will empty out the tank to take the silicone off the bulkheads.I may as well sell everything if I end up having to do that.That or empty out the tank and use bleach to clean out all the silicone.I didn't use that much on the bulkheads but I am wondering if that little is enough to kill the fish.Most of the silicone was used in the sump for the partitions.I did use a lot there.

 

[jnarowe]

BTW, you really don't know for sure that it is the silicone. It could just be stocking it too soon. I know it's frustrating, but you'll get through it.

 

[steve the plumb]

I also thought of that Jnarowe but I did notice the dossimer tang and now the clown tang the color on the body is changing it looks discolored like there is dots(not ich) in the color of the skin.Its like the skin has something wrong with it.Where as the other fish that died didn't have this.The fire fish was fine up until today.What I don't know is if the silicone did cause this will the effects continue?Will the system eventually get rid of the toxins or do they stay in the tank?I would think that its not possible for such a small amount of silicone to just keep on releasing toxins.I don't think the silicone will melt away and just become toxic.I also don't think it will just keep making toxins.I hope it doesn't or else I am screwed royaly.

 

[steve the plumb]

Jnarowe I hope you are right and that due to my stupidity I overstocked the tank and didn't have a good enough bacteria.From the color that I saw the silicone was I have a feeling that it is the silicone that leeched into the system and maybe my tank was too weak because it was new to handle it.Better now than later.I guess time will tell.

 

[jnarowe]

It's very hard to pinpoint problems, but your fish could have contracted a disease from one of them carrying it into the tank, they could be experiencing some sort of issue with the newness of the system, etc. Could be something in your water too, that is also discoloring the silicone.

 

[steve the plumb]

My water is all RO/DI plus I tested it its 0.Maybe its the fact that the tank water wasn't established enough plus the silicone did me in.Now if I had placed 300 pounds of good live rock and waited 3 months before adding the fish and the fish still died then I would be sure its the silicone.Now what would you do if you were me.The first fish that should problems with the body being discolored was the dossimer tang but he wasn't like that at the store nor was he like that when I first put him in.The clown tang wasn't like that either.The other fish that died didn't have discolored bodies.Was it an illness?Why are the trigger fish still alive?They were the first fish in.They should by all means be dead.My fire fish died and the fox face looks ill.The clown tang is alive and the blenny and gobies are fine.The gobies feed of the gravel so i have food in the system for the fish.My main concern is since the silicone isn't 100% removed will this bite me in 6 months from now.Like I said the large part of it is out.I am running carbon and extra carbon.I changed a good 100 gal of water and the sand from my DSB is out.I am not putting it back in.I will wash it and keep it since its pretty new.Can we say Quarantine tank!!

 

[jnarowe]

There's no real way IMO to absolutely determine the cause, and as you said, some fish are OK, which is why I think it may not be the silicone. Could be compounded factors of course, including the silicone. Could be soap. Could be that the remaining fish have better slime coats. If you have any kind of tank you can use, I would get the fish out into fresh (but aged) SW and suck the main system dry. Seriously though, it could be cycle. I hope I have helped you out!

 

[chris wright]

Mate I would start a thread in the fish disease treatment forum. Explain your set up, the time its been running, your suspicions about the silicone and especially the decline of your fish. Be honest and very detailed as some one may be able to help.

I'd do as Johnathon has sugested and try to set up a qt tank just in case it is the silicone, but more to try to protect the healthy fish from the possibilty that they could decline as a result of the being in the same tank as the sick fish.

good luck with it,

Chris

 

[steve the plumb]

well there isn't many fish left.The 2 triggerfish,a blenny,a goby.The foxface is dead and so is the clown tang.Basically I have 4 fish left maybe another 2 gobys because they are the type of fish that hide,Its not worth it to set up another tank with this littel amount of fish left.I will never catch the goby or blenny and the trigger fish are in the sump.The niger doesn't seem affected at all nor does the blenny and the goby but you never know,I either fixed the problem and the system has to recover or I am screwed.Right now I just want to wait it out.I will see if these fish live.If they don't I am probably shafted.I will wait two months and add some green chromis.I don't want to buy more live rock just to risk anything going wrong with it and I don't want to buy another tank just yet.I don't want to spend more money for now..