tank crash

[greenriver]

I set up a 75 gal reef last march had to leave last month cause my dad passed away. I only expected to be gone a week was gone 3 1/2 weeks
had a neighbor add top off water to tank over filled droped salinity from
1.023 to 1.016 ph 8.2 to 7.75 water smells like dirty shoes changed 75% water still smells lost plate coral two euphillia (frogspone & hammer) and brain is fadding away but fighting calerpa in ref. all dead help what do I do to fix or at least try to recover from this

 

[Scooterman]

Start doing water changes, bring the salinity up SLOWLY, a good size one first, just going up on the salinity a tad, next day try and do another maybe not as much but keep doing them bringing up the salinity slowly, you should have some tank mates survive, anything dead you will need to remove. Try and sock filter the water & carbon.

Edit, you did a 75% wc, so ignore that part.

 

[Alice]

You have my sympathies on your Dad's passing. Such a sad time and now your tank, too. Hang in there, it will get better.

Scooterman gave you good advice. But if you haven't already ditched the skeletons of the LPS, you may want to swish all of the dead tissue off in a bucket of SW, then put the skeletons back in your tank. There's a good chance you may get some new "buds" start to grow.

Alice

 

[greenriver]

I've Already Done 2 75 Gal Water Changes I 'm Thinking That The Dead Or Dying Crap In The Sand Bed Is Causing The Water To Stop Buffering Cause The Ph Willnot Climb It Willfor Short Periods Of Time Im Thinking The Dead Organics Is Having An Acidic Effect On The Water

 

[Scooterman]

Siphon the substraite if you think it is that bad, or stirr & siphon, do sections at a time, unless you have a DSB? I think a ph 7.8 or better will be fine, if you can get it slightly above 7.75 I wouldn't worry about that too much. How deep & matured is your sand?

 

[dnjan]

Good advice so far. I would add - major skimming! If you aren't running a skimmer, get one. If you have a skimmer, borrow a second one. If you have dead stuff in the sand, it will gradually release into the water column and the excessive skimming will help remove it.

 

[Ed Hahn]

Greenriver,
Please use a Poly filter or Micron sock and charcoal to pull excess out of water. How much live rock do you have? I wonder if some amonia lock would help you also. I am assuming your amonia is off the wall.

 

[greenriver]

been working on this one all night taking livestock inventory tank looks like a mass grave snails laying every where.2 heads of torch is going brownjelly all soft corals look fine. I am changing water right now 55 gal drum 77deg sg 1.025 ph @8.2 .
any body know where I can get some good janitorpkgs at to replace all ive lost. I rather bothered about this whole situation. even when I llose a single snail it makes me sad. but hey the fight goes on and damnit Im gonna win this one

 

[wrightme43]

My sympathy goes out to you for your loss. It is a shame, and to have your tank crash at the same time has to be tough too. You said you wanted janitor packages, www.reeftopia.com has the best deals I have ever seen. Really nice stuff. You seem like you already know what to do. Massive water changes are the key, skim, and carbon. Like Alice said a lot of corals will regrow from tiny fragments that survive deep in the skeleton. Let the sit in the tank for a few months and examine with a magnifying glass before disposal. Hope everything works out for you. Steve

 

[greenriver]

I Just Wanted To Say Thanx To All Who Have Posted With Help On My Tanks Situation. Its Only Been 9 Months Or So Since I Moved All Of The Contents From My 55 Gal Tank Which Was Running For At Least 6 T0 7 Years Prior.

 

[wrightme43]

Hey your out there with most of the people on this forum. I'll bet once you get it stable again if you ask you will recieve many nice frags of corals you cant even find to buy. The people here are the greastest. I am glad your here and hope you keep coming back. Keep us posted on how your tank recovers, sometimes it turns out to be just the excuse needed to completly change things and go in whole new direction. Hope everything keeps getting better for you. Steve

 

[greenriver]

In Reply To Last Post.i Think A Little Tank Hardware Info Is In Order. May Be It Might Help. 75 Allglass, 1 1/2" Drilled Overflow. And 1" Return. Return Pump Is Blue Line 40x External Fan Cooled Pump Acrylic Sump (12" W X 12" H X 30" L) Ice Cap 660 Vho System (440 Watts 2 Actinic 2 Actinic White), E.t.s.s. Reef Devil Ran By Sedra7000 ,k2r Calcium Reactor W/ Koralith Media, (5 Lb. Bottel W/blue Line Regulator.)note I Have Not Had A Chance To Run Cal Reactor Yet Due To Fact Of Emergancy Family Situation.

 

[greenriver]

well its the continuing saga, an update: well, where do I start. water no longer smells
I removed all the sand on the front half of tank found dozens of baby snails around 1/10 0f an inch or less on machinist scale. most lower inverts worms amphipods etc are gone ph/sg shift took them out (this is only assumed do to lack seen in sandbed)
I made an order for real diverse mix of crabs, snails, conches, etc. to combat detritus and recent algae growth going on. I lost most lps corals however,found that leathers and zoeanthids are ok my brown acro i took frags off and desposed of the colony too much algae growth at base lost 1 of 2 frog spawn, both hammers ,1 plate, 1 and most of my 2nd torch, and assorted acros. serpent stars/ brittle stars ok, cucumber is good, pom pom and blue xenia toast, pipe coral toast. star polyps are good. last but least my xl mated pair shrimp toast. cleaned out refugia grape is making a come back
and wire algae is green new growth is darker than old. and red mangrove is gone.now back to water chem.sg is at1.022 ,75 degree and ph of 8.2 and maintaining skimming is producing a nasty wet sinky skimmate. and cal reactor not running