Kids don't mix with reef

[holdendaniel]

So I have been having a really hard time with my alk and ph....lost a couple birsnest and some acans...could not get my levels adjusted at all...today I was doing a water change and was doing the montly clean skimmer body, and what do I find hiding under all the LR in the skimmer section a nice cardboard boxcutter ......(buddys 2 year old was over a month ago when we were staring at frag tank his boy had been playing wit the knife...kids oh wow it will go splash lol. Hope that will help solve some problems.......there is now a sign saying NO KIDS

 

[saltwaterfishes]

Why would a 2-year old be playing with a knife?

 

[trido]

Are you sure that utility knife was the culprit? Ive dropped zinc screws and metal lamp chain into my tank for months and up to a year without problems.

 

[holdendaniel]

It had a sobe(the drink) lizard on it NO BLADE thank god(we took it out) all my friends kids and my cuz and nieces (everybody that I know) loves to come and stare at my tank

 

[returnofsid]

Why would a 2-year old be playing with a knife?

Good question!! I think the moral of the story would be that Kids don't mix with box cutters!!

Madison loves our reef tanks, and plays a part in the maintenance. She loves helping clean the tank, helping with water changes. Heck, she's even helped Dad frag corals. She's 5 now. 2 years ago, she knew the names of several fish and even the scientific names of some corals. Her friends come over and she gives them lessons about corals, clams, anemones and fish. "That's not Nemo, that's a Percula clownfish." "That's not a plant, it's a coral called Frogspawn. That Clownfish lives in it." lol

She tells her friends "don't tap on the glass, it hurts the fish's ears!"

Anyway, Daniel, I'm glad you found a possible source for your issues. Hope you're now able to get things straightened out!!

 

[Frankie]

I don't let my 12 year old play with knives

OK, here is my kid story,
My daughter's 2nd birthday I came home from work to a house full of rug rats tearing up the place. I mean food, drinks everywhere and a bunch of polish moms getting tipsy on the wine.
So I go into my living room where I keep my prized oscars (use to be a breeder of them) and see finger prints all over the tank. OK, NBD, the water was clean and the fish looked happy. It was a huge 220 with a male and a few females I had for the fun of it. Then I opened the canopy to feed... and the entire surface was covered in cheerios! I mean, it must have been two boxes there was so much!
What amazed me was you could not tell from looking at the tank. You had to look inside to see them.

 

[holdendaniel]

Well I was just geussing that could cause problems ....I know my alk is down I have been using the reef builder for adjusting my alk I have around 120 gal total water. Was down to 2 alk. I have increased to 4 but its not to steady 4 (3.8 lol) been doing the recommend dose my ph is sitting at 8.0-8.1 mag 1250 sal 1.026 iodine1.5 calcium 430nitrates 0......chatoe has stopped growing all together....

 

[Frankie]

I doubt it could have caused your problems but it is good to have it out I am sure.
Not everyone can do like PaulB and keep beer cans in the rock work

 

[cptbjorn]

I wouldn't really assume that the box cutter is causing the problems, iron shouldn't really be that big of a deal since rust isn't water soluble and iron chlorides or other soluble iron forms aren't really produced in the basic pH we all keep in SW tanks.

These are the same reasons the iron concentrations in seawater are so low despite it being the fourth most abundant element on earth btw.

 

[whisper28]

Be have attention to the kids,....

I had already 5 years old, he love's also fish and other pet in out house, I support his like...because I see on him...that he shows care and attention to the animals around us. He was worried if he doesn't feed them. Now, if he will grow up, he has shown concern maybe for us soon.

 

[Chingon]

Never blame it on the kids, kids mostly find stuff like that when we misplace it and leave it at their reach.