Rebuild and recovery of a dead tank

[Aquarist007]

So, long time no see RC. Time to recover another dead tank. Due to some construction in the basement where my sump is and some solvents majority of all my inverts died along with a few fish. I was able to rescue several fish and with many water changes, carbon, and polyfilters some small stars and snails survived.

Otherwise nothing has changed over the past few years besides corals and fish got bigger. But no more corals right now and I lost some of my favorite fish like that fox face pictured above. I'll have to go over that list and up date it again as I build it back up. I think I deserve a new skimmer as well. I'll have to see what's out now a days.

Sorry to hear of thE mishaps but nice to have you back

 

[jason2459]

Oh, so sorry Jason, I know that hurt. Try to see it as a new opportunity to restock.
Perhaps with things that didn't quite fit in with the old setup but you would have liked to have had.

Not very happy at all about it. Pretty much has been on cruise control the past couple years with no issues. I'm thinking about what I want to do with the tank like you said may do something completely different.

Sorry to hear of thE mishaps but nice to have you back

Thanks and great to see you still around too Captn.


I'm thinking of doing some anemones and some fish I couldn't do with some of the things I had before.

 

[jason2459]

So this was my last update back in 2012 and really nothing else was added but a sand star and a Matted Filefish which the fish survived.

I'll edit the list below with what was lost.

....

So, I'll update my stock list and * new additions from last list update

Current Stock list:
Fish:
Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) paired up Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus bellulus) (shrimp is dead)
False Percula (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Pair Kaudern's Cardinal (Pterapogon kauderni) (only the male survived)
Magnificent Foxface (Siganus magnificus) (dead)
Trio Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) (all gone)
Potter's Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon geoffroyi)
Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis)
* Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus carpenteri)(dead)
* McCosker's Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus mccoskeri) (dead)
* Blue Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus cyaneus) (dead)
* Pyles Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus pylei) (dead)
* Hawaiian Flame Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus jordani) (dead)
* Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) (dead)
* Copperband Butterfly (Chelmon rostratus)(dead)
* Chocolate/Lemon Peel Mimic Tang (Acanthurus pyroferus)
* Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)

Inverts : (all dead except a few snails and small stars)
Pair Bloodred/fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
Pair Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
Quad Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni)
Crocea Clam (Tridacna crocea)
* Squamosa Clam (Tridacna squamosa)
* Gold Tear drop Maxima Clam (Tridacna maxima)
Duncan Coral (Duncanopsammia axifuga)
Grape Coral (Euphyllia Cristata)
Frogspawn Coral (Euphyllia Divisa)
Pink Hammer Coral (Euphylia Ancora)
Torch Coral (Euphylia Glabrescens)
Trumpet Coral (Caulastrea curvata)
Candy cane Coral (Caulastrea furcata)
Encrusting Montipora (Montipora nodosa)
* Red Candy Cap Montipora (Montipora capricornis)
* Plate Coral (Fungia repanda)
* Galaxea/Tooth Coral (Galaxea spp)
* Brain Coral Lobo (Lobophyllia hemprichii)
* Brain Coral Trach (Trachyphyllia geoffroyi)
* Brain Acan (Acanthastrea echinata)

 

[jason2459]

A few quick pictures I took last night. Its been about 4 weeks since the incident and the tank looks terrible which is expected with all the death. All my fish are back in the tank and seem to be doing fine now. My mimic lemon peal tang still looks a little stressed but looking more normal.

So happy I still have my red velvet.

That tiny smaller then a quarter yellow belly is getting bigger

 

[Aquarist007]

Are you carbon dosing and or running gfo

 

[jason2459]

Are you carbon dosing and or running gfo

I don't remember the last time I used gfo. I'm sure its logged in here somewhere but its been several years. I don't normally use carbon either but just took the reactor I was running carbon in back offline and back in storage in case I ever need it again.

I do carbon dosing with vinegar but I don't remember how much it does a day any more. Its been dosing the same amount every day via a reefkeeper lite and a BRS dosing pump. I'm thinking around 100ml/day. I'd have to look back in this log or figure out the reef keeper again. lol

I seriously have been letting the tank run itself the past couple years with very basic maintenance. Water change once a month. Clean out the skimmer cup once a week. Replace the vinegar jug when it gets low. And fill up the ato res when needed thats also controlled by the reef keeper. Swipe the glass periodically with the mag float. Its not tank of the month material but the family and I love it and seems to impress anyone that comes in and sees it. Everything was colorful, growing, and looked healthy. No cyano, algae, diatoms, etc issues. Well, up until now. I've pretty much have shown all the ups and downs and pretty much all the downs just took patience and slow tweaks it all worked out.

And I seriously believe the biggest impact to the success of the tank is the paulb inspired dolomite rugf. I haven't even touched it in forever. I think I'm supposed to clean it out once every 40 years.

Edit: and add kalk to the ato periodically as well. I was also using a small amount(1/4 cup) of kent tech-m when doing water changes with regular IO.

 

[Paul B]

And I seriously believe the biggest impact to the success of the tank is the paulb inspired dolomite rugf.

This is a secret so we don't want anyone to see it. If word gets out, everyone's tank will last forever and thats the last thing we want. What would happen to all the problem threads if that got out?

 

[jason2459]

This is a secret so we don't want anyone to see it. If word gets out, everyone's tank will last forever and thats the last thing we want. What would happen to all the problem threads if that got out?

Not a very good secret when you tell someone and they don't believe you anyway.

 

[Paul B]

I hope no one believes it, It is all done with smoke and mirrors

 

[jason2459]

:bum:

 

[jason2459]

I'm still trying to decide on what I'm going to do with the tank. But of course as soon as I posted above I've been dosing with that BRS pump it dies on me. It's the second one I've gone through now and the same thing, stripped cheap plastic gears. Then last night I was sitting and reading in front of the tank and noticed it went slightly darker. Half my all blue reefbrite led strip just died on me. So, inspected the others and a few individual leds are out here and there on the others as well.

Why not. :deadhorse1:


So, now also looking for a new ATO pump (not getting a BRS one again) and LEDs.

 

[jason2459]

Just posted this in a skimmer thread but here's the skimmer I'm getting. The sro3000s is ok and was really impressed with it when I first got it. But over time there's a few things I'm not thrilled with and mainly revolves around the pump hy3000 bubble blaster. I've had to replace it twice due to it just stopping and not running.

So now its out of warranty its like $250 to replace. The pump itself is a performer but I think a little to strong for this skimmer model. For some reason they made the neck on the sss smaller then the 3000 int and ext. It will periodically just over flow. I'd say maybe once every 3 months or so. I think it just pulls to much air. But then if you restrict the air it just pulls to much water. Maintenance is a pain getting it in and out of my sump as the body just falls apart very easily.


So I've decided to go with this on my 180.

Sea Side Aquatics ES2 Protein Skimmer
http://www.saltycritter.com/protein...ics/sea-side-aquatics-es2-protein-skimmer.htm

Sale price at $379 with $0 shipping is very cheap for new which this may not be a current model but latest greatest isn't exactly what I'm looking for I just want something that works. I like that its a sicce pump for that reason too. And at that price I can deal with an internal pump. At least the body is secured together. It drives me nuts having the sro3000sss just press together and comes apart very easily.

Then I also got a quick, with in an hour, response to an email from seaside aquatics and salty critters early on a Saturday morning. I wasn't expecting any kind of reply from either of them really especially before Monday. So I felt really good about that and pulled the trigger.

 

[Teenreefer15]

damn where was that flood

 

[jason2459]

damn where was that flood

That was 2008 in Cedar Rapids, IA. We specifically looked at flood maps before we picked that house to buy the year before and it was outside of the flood zones including being outside of the 500 year flood zone area. We had no warning. The flood stage sensors were not working and no one thought it would crest near as high as it did based on the last readings they got.

Needless to say we woke up that morning with people walking up the street. We walked outside asking what was going on and they all said the water was coming up the street and they were going to check it out.

I went back in side packed up a suit case for the wife and I and drove out of there. By that time the water was getting up to near our house.

 

[Teenreefer15]

That was 2008 in Cedar Rapids, IA. We specifically looked at flood maps before we picked that house to buy the year before and it was outside of the flood zones including being outside of the 500 year flood zone area. We had no warning. The flood stage sensors were not working and no one thought it would crest near as high as it did based on the last readings they got.

Needless to say we woke up that morning with people walking up the street. We walked outside asking what was going on and they all said the water was coming up the street and they were going to check it out.

I went back in side packed up a suit case for the wife and I and drove out of there. By that time the water was getting up to near our house.

damn, thats scary

 

[jason2459]

The worse thing I lost was my grandfather's Austin Healey he bought brand new in 1967.

 

[Pearldiver]

The worse thing I lost was my grandfather's Austin Healey he bought brand new in 1967.

Was that a bugeye Sprite? Looked like it in the pics earlier. I'm a car guy at heart and was scared to ask until it was brought up...

 

[jason2459]

Was that a bugeye Sprite? Looked like it in the pics earlier. I'm a car guy at heart and was scared to ask until it was brought up...

No it wasn't a bugeye. The basic look but it was unique inside thats for the sure. Reversed polarity and the dual carbs always needed tweaking. Good ol' classic high maintanence british ingenuity.

 

[jason2459]

So, I've been looking around for a lighting solution. I could either replace the individual burnt out LEDs which is not something I want to spend my time doing or replace them.

Looks like there's a lot more options out there now and the top end LEDs just as expensive as before. But there's a lot of cheaper options now that are just as powerful.

I was looking at the sponsors here and some of the recommendations from the led thread. I was considering reefbreeders, ocean revive, and buildmyled.

I don't need anything controllable, special effects, or anything fancy. Dimmable would be nice. I decided to go with the ocean revive and get three of these with one over each section of the tank between the braces.

http://oceanrevivellc.com/goods.php?id=18

With their holiday sale going on its just $136 and with free shipping getting 3 of them was a cheap $408
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2460047

Its basic and manually dimmable and seems to get good reviews. I also like the array of different LEDs they use. I'll just plug it into the reef keeper where I have the timers already setup for the lights I have now. I'll have to rig them up into the canopy. Shouldn't be to hard.

 

[jason2459]

Had to order some more filters for my RO/DI and usually get them from BRS. While I was on there I noticed a big order back in January of this year. I reviewed the order and looks like the 50ml/m ato pump that just failed would still be covered under warranty. I thought it was just over a year old. Problem is I already tossed into the garbage out of frustration. I emailed BRS to see if there's anything they can do. However, I don't expect much especially since I said I really don't want another one of those pumps even if it was free. Looks like others have had issues with the gears stripping as well.

I have ordered a new replacement from avast marine and they have one that runs at 25ml/m about half of the BRS one which I did like the 50ml/m rate.

http://www.avastmarine.com/ssc/do/product/rigging/Peristaltic-Pump-ATO

I definitely can use that pump now that winter is here and humidity is down. Tank evaporation really ramps up during this time of year. Especially when it snows and that's coming.