rmougey
Chair, MACNA 2014
I am not worthy. I have decimated a good portion of my reef tank and am pretty sure that the Reef Gods will be coming to revoke my remaining reef husbandry rights.
My reef has had a strange cyano problem. Not your normal slime algae, but one that seems to like high flow, well lit, quality salt water. It wasn't bad, just annoying. For a tank that's been up and running in one form for another since 1986, you'd think these things would be over by now. But no... it wanted to taunt me.
It was suggested that I try running some Chemiclean in my tank. I'm not one to add medicines to my tank, but it's made by a reputable manufacturer and it came as a suggestion from a fellow reefer, who has been much more successful than I had ever hoped to be with a reef. A quick search on RC didn't raise any concerns. So, I treated my tanks net volume with a single dose.
Today was my 48 hour water change. But as I walked by the tank, I noticed that things were not doing well. Clams were receding, fish were hiding, corals were closed. This was not good. I had turned off the skimmer, stopped the Ozone and had increased the flow rate on the Vortech to help with oxygenation. Evidently, this wasn't enough.
I pulled out the Python, hooked it to the utility sink and double checked that I had 100 gallons of available salt water. It was time for an emergency major water change.
After taking about 30 gallons of water out of the tank, I heard a strange sound emanating from the room with the utility sink. My mind noted the sound, but I was gazing upon my 5 clams, the youngest of which was 3 years old while 2 had been with me over 8 years.
The flow rate on the Python had slowed, so I called to my daughter to go turn up the faucet, thinking maybe I had a small rock trapped in the line. She returned rather quickly, asking if there was supposed to be water running all over the laundry room? Upon investigation, the stopper had fallen into the utility sink and found it's way to the lowest point, lodging properly in the drain. I had succeeded in placing at least 50 gallons of water onto the laundry room floor. Thank goodness for the floor drain behind the washer. The hall carpet though had not fared well.
Having fixed the flow problem, by removing the stopper, I returned to the tank, leaving my daughter with the wet vac.
After the water change, I started the skimmer, placed poly filters and carbon back on the tank and looked for any sign of improvement. It was not to be.
As of this evening, I have pulled the following from my tank:
1 Black/Gold Maxima
1 Teardrop Maxima
1 Tank Raised Blue Maxima
2 Crocea
1 Wantanabe Angel
1 Hybrid (C. resplendens x C. fisheri) Angel (My favorite!)
1 Tinker's Butterfly
1 Large Frogspawn
1 Large Pocillipora Colony
Several Acropora Colonys
I am missing:
1 Mystery Wrasse
1 Rosy Scale Wrasse
2 Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp
1 Helfrichi's Firefish
1 Male Mandarin
I do have several confirmed survivors including my Black Tang, a pair of wild Onyx Perculas, a P. springeri, my girl Mandarin and I noted my Porcelain Crab hanging out on my RBTA. Several corals are still hanging in, but only time will tell.
The cause of all this carnage? Stupidity and complacency. Whose fault is it? Mine and mine alone. I should have paid closer attention and I shouldn't have broken my mantra of not adding substances (chemical treatments) to the tank.
I sit here heartbroken. Embarrassed by my carelessness with the animals that I have worked years keeping healthy and happy. They deserved better.
The carpet will dry. Hopefully the remaining fish will appear and the corals will recover. But I may not recover from my own stupidity anytime soon.
It really was my Friday the 13th, and it just sucked.
-Rob
My reef has had a strange cyano problem. Not your normal slime algae, but one that seems to like high flow, well lit, quality salt water. It wasn't bad, just annoying. For a tank that's been up and running in one form for another since 1986, you'd think these things would be over by now. But no... it wanted to taunt me.
It was suggested that I try running some Chemiclean in my tank. I'm not one to add medicines to my tank, but it's made by a reputable manufacturer and it came as a suggestion from a fellow reefer, who has been much more successful than I had ever hoped to be with a reef. A quick search on RC didn't raise any concerns. So, I treated my tanks net volume with a single dose.
Today was my 48 hour water change. But as I walked by the tank, I noticed that things were not doing well. Clams were receding, fish were hiding, corals were closed. This was not good. I had turned off the skimmer, stopped the Ozone and had increased the flow rate on the Vortech to help with oxygenation. Evidently, this wasn't enough.
I pulled out the Python, hooked it to the utility sink and double checked that I had 100 gallons of available salt water. It was time for an emergency major water change.
After taking about 30 gallons of water out of the tank, I heard a strange sound emanating from the room with the utility sink. My mind noted the sound, but I was gazing upon my 5 clams, the youngest of which was 3 years old while 2 had been with me over 8 years.
The flow rate on the Python had slowed, so I called to my daughter to go turn up the faucet, thinking maybe I had a small rock trapped in the line. She returned rather quickly, asking if there was supposed to be water running all over the laundry room? Upon investigation, the stopper had fallen into the utility sink and found it's way to the lowest point, lodging properly in the drain. I had succeeded in placing at least 50 gallons of water onto the laundry room floor. Thank goodness for the floor drain behind the washer. The hall carpet though had not fared well.
Having fixed the flow problem, by removing the stopper, I returned to the tank, leaving my daughter with the wet vac.
After the water change, I started the skimmer, placed poly filters and carbon back on the tank and looked for any sign of improvement. It was not to be.
As of this evening, I have pulled the following from my tank:
1 Black/Gold Maxima
1 Teardrop Maxima
1 Tank Raised Blue Maxima
2 Crocea
1 Wantanabe Angel
1 Hybrid (C. resplendens x C. fisheri) Angel (My favorite!)
1 Tinker's Butterfly
1 Large Frogspawn
1 Large Pocillipora Colony
Several Acropora Colonys
I am missing:
1 Mystery Wrasse
1 Rosy Scale Wrasse
2 Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp
1 Helfrichi's Firefish
1 Male Mandarin
I do have several confirmed survivors including my Black Tang, a pair of wild Onyx Perculas, a P. springeri, my girl Mandarin and I noted my Porcelain Crab hanging out on my RBTA. Several corals are still hanging in, but only time will tell.
The cause of all this carnage? Stupidity and complacency. Whose fault is it? Mine and mine alone. I should have paid closer attention and I shouldn't have broken my mantra of not adding substances (chemical treatments) to the tank.
I sit here heartbroken. Embarrassed by my carelessness with the animals that I have worked years keeping healthy and happy. They deserved better.
The carpet will dry. Hopefully the remaining fish will appear and the corals will recover. But I may not recover from my own stupidity anytime soon.
It really was my Friday the 13th, and it just sucked.
-Rob
