Sump cracked -- need a quick fix for a setup

[ziplight4u]

Well, I came home from work today to find my 20g sump cracked and water everywhere. Of course I had also just filled up my auto top off 10 gallon tank and it too drained all over the floor. So, after unloading my tank into a rubbermaid, I moved the DT into my kitchen. Look at the surprise I found when I moved the tank--rotting carpet! I guess those times I flooded the sump really did make it to the carpet Needless to say, we are now having the carpets removed and plan to tile our living room.

So, here's the big question. What's the best way to get everything set back up? I put my deep sandbed from my cracked sump into a 5 gallon bucket with the chaeto and put a small pump up top. The corals and fish are still in the rubbermaid for tonight.

I began to refill the DT, but I left the old sandbed in place hoping to preserve things.The sand ended up getting stirred up and so now it's an ammonia and nitrate vat. Should I just get rid of the sand up top or what should I do so I don't kill everything? Right now I have left the water in the DT to see if it will settle overnight. I also put a skimmer in there to pick up some of the waste floating around.

I'm getting a new tank in a couple of weeks, but I can't leave everything like it is now..my wife is about to kill me and the fish...any suggestions?

 

[ziplight4u]

The pictures of some of my tank disaster are now in my gallery for your entertainment.

 

[alkamar]

Sorry to hear that. I'll let someone more knowledgeable help with the advice though. You may have to distract the wife with some spending money to keep her occupied while you fix things.

 

[ducklabdad]

I have got a couple of "spare tanks, 30 and 10 gaoolon you are welcome to use untill you are up and running again

 

[ziplight4u]

Thanks for the offer Ducklabdad. I have 2 empty 10 gallon tanks and a few large empty containers, but I was hoping to get everything back in the DT so I could get the lights over the rock. I'll test the water in the DT when I get home and see if the ammonia and nitrates are still detectable. I added some "stability" to the tank to see if that would help.

 

[Goibot]

Sorry for a newbe question but.. If you stir up your sand bed real bad does this cause a spike in amonium and Nitrites?

 

[Reefdiver77]

Yes, Tracey, it does cause a spike in ammonia and nitrates.

 

[MrRyanT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14577491#post14577491 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Goibot
Sorry for a newbe question but.. If you stir up your sand bed real bad does this cause a spike in amonium and Nitrites?

I would say yes, but might not be a problem. If you have a deep sand bed then it could be a real problem, but probably only if you stir it up in the deep part. Also, the larger your volume of water the less likely it is to be problem, because the bacteria in your tank can convert the ammonia to nitrate quick enough to not cause trouble. I have a shallow sand bed that gets stirred up to some degree pretty often, and it never causes any problems. Now, have I thouroughly confused you yet? Sorry, but I just don't feel as if there is a definite yes or no answer.

 

[ihavtats29]

if neded i have 3 29 gal rubbermaid tubs you can borrow

 

[ziplight4u]

I appreciate your kindness, but I've now got things "under control." I moved the 70g display to our kitchen and temporarily set it up. My refugium and old sump are obviously gone, so the water is draining into a tank that just has a skimmer in it. I'm hoping this will work for the next few weeks. My ammonia is still detectable, but I am continuing to do water changes every day. Surprisingly, most things are doing fairly well, given the conditions.