Tank Crashed: Death Count

[Mako Shark II]

Within twelve hours, my tank crashed. Hard. The tell-tale sign was the 6" long WHITE(!!!) Regal Hippo Tang, my pride and joy.

EEEEKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!! (GASP!!!!!!!!!!!!!)


THAT got my attention. I discovered the tang while I was futzing with the dead motor (which is fine NOW, thank you very much. Pumps run so much better when the don't trip the GFI.)

I've heard of this happening (in short order to others), but this was my first encounter with a fast-crashing tank, recently (this millenium).

Death Toll, thus far:

1 Chromis
1 Large Cleaner Shrimp
1 (flipping!) 3" Yellow Tang
1 Yellow tipped Damsel
1 Red Mandarin Goby
There's likely more, that I can't see currently.

I've already done a (15%) 20-gallon Water change and am on my way to doing the second, as soon as the fresh mix stabilizes.

(MULTIPLE EXPLETIVES DELETED!)

Here's why:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1697857

 

[dolphinman213]

geez, i am really sorry to hear that marty

i don't have much, but i am willing to donate something from my tank if you need it

 

[Mako Shark II]

Thanks Preston. I'll be okay.

At this point, the second W/C is in and the lights came up, after I scraped the glass and mounted a loose frag I recently bought.

So far, so good. The inverts in the tank are responding to the lights and the fish are a little hung-over, going What the... ...Heck was THAT??

It's amazing what a lack of skimming will do in short order. (because it's not like I didn't have water flow, as the Closed loop was running fine, but the water was toxifying itself. My NO2 soared to .5 ppm, which is sky high for me normally.)

My PO4 is currenlty at .05 which is also higher than normal for me, so I'll fluidize some Pura-Complete.

 

[bshumake]

Hey Marty. I'm sorry to see that your system crashed. Just a thought, since your main pump died, your dissolved O2 levels probably plumetted. I'm gonna guess that most of the fish that died were the largest in the tank. I has something similiar happen to me and it was the O2. Without the skimmer to keep the water aireated, my largest fish kicked it, leaving only a few of the smallest ones barely alive.

 

[Mako Shark II]

Wow.... so an Airstone! (How long has it been????)

I didn't think to check my "Pulse-Ox". Thankfully, my big Regal Tang survived. She "blued" right up, once the new water got flowing. I did NOT want to loose that one.

 

[ihavtats29]

that sucks marty sorry to hear that

 

[alkamar]

I hate to loose anything including snails, so I know your pain. Hopefully your losses are contained to only the above mentioned livestock. Good luck.

 

[pjbusby]

Sorry to hear about that. Good luck!

 

[Mako Shark II]

Looking at the tank right now, it's as if nothing really happened. Corals are all popped open and look terrific! Although all the fish were VERY SLOW to come out of the rocks.

Right now though, the Clowns, surviving Chromi, and one honking Regal Tang are cruisin'. (All the Goby's survived: Dave Schigara's Starry Blenny, Cathy's and my blue neon are fine. But I haven't seen my Catalina.)

(Sigh.... tough day.) I've NEVER lost this many fish in one day, that fast. Not Even when we lost power recently. 12-hours is definately a limit for this tank. I just wish I knew the tank was off-line earlier.

 

[glitzyone]

sorry you had a rough day

 

[Mako Shark II]

Others which have not turned up bodies, but are M.I.A. and presumed dead:

Male & Female Lyretail Anthias
Catalina Goby

(No traces, and I dont' have many crabs, but I have a blue knuckler that's a biggie!)

 

[scarson61]

Nothing worse then the emergency tank repair scramble, will leave you physically and mentally exhasted. Good Luck sounds like you got everything back under control.

 

[crpeck]

Wow, Marty .... so sorry to hear that! Somehow reading through this, I knew if any of the fish made it that ornery little red headed goby would.

I've never had one, but don't those Reefkeeper controllers and such have alarms? I remember reading on RC once how someone claimed that a controller saved them worlds of grief by sounding an alarm on a tank that was plumbed through a basement where no one would have noticed quickly that something wasn't working. Don't know if it works for pump issues.

 

[Mako Shark II]

Don't think that I haven't used this experince to bolster the hardware / software arguement / Christmas wish-list!!!

Actualy, The $pousal Unit asked if we need to scrub our Anniversary trip to ATL in order to buy replacement fish.

But I told her no! I really want to see The Rippingtons Live.

Cool, baby. Cool! :artist:

 

[ducklabdad]

Marty what she really needs to consider "scrubbing" is the trip to the "wedding" on the frag swap weekend.

Then you could buy replacent stuff at the frag swap!!!

Hate to hear about the deal tole, sent you a PM