EMERGENCY Pease Help Need Advice!!!

[schrodingersfish]

TLDR: Tank cracked and I have no backup what do I do now?

Just heard a loud crushing noise and walked in the living room and my 15 gallon AIO tank had cracked down the side and water was spraying out looking like it was about to burst. I immediately siphoned all the water out then put my clownfish, royal gramma, skunk shrimp, snails, all of the rocks, and several coral into a brute tub filled with the water I siphoned. I put a power head in there with the heater and the light overhead. What do I do now?? I have no backup tank. How long will my animals live in the brute tub for? Do I need to put anything else in there? What should I do with the ceramic media and sponge in the now empty tank‘s sump, just keep it in some aquarium water? Please be as specific as possible I’m still a newbie and I really have no idea

 

[Fish Fan]

TLDR: Tank cracked and I have no backup what do I do now?

Just heard a loud crushing noise and walked in the living room and my 15 gallon AIO tank had cracked down the side and water was spraying out looking like it was about to burst. I immediately siphoned all the water out then put my clownfish, royal gramma, skunk shrimp, snails, all of the rocks, and several coral into a brute tub filled with the water I siphoned. I put a power head in there with the heater and the light overhead. What do I do now?? I have no backup tank. How long will my animals live in the brute tub for? Do I need to put anything else in there? What should I do with the ceramic media and sponge in the now empty tank‘s sump, just keep it in some aquarium water? Please be as specific as possible I’m still a newbie and I really have no idea

Sorry you're going through this!

Let's get the R2R #reefsquad to help here!

 

[Crabs McJones]

As long as there is flow and a heater they'll be OK. And if you have corals and put the light over it even better. A brute tub is just a tank you can't see through so they'll be fine until you can get a replacement tank. Just keep an eye on parameters as you now have no mechanical filtration

 

[Cheese Griller]

The above covers it well! I would also construct a makeshift lid to keep your fish from jumping! Not a huge concern w clowns and grammas but I would still be safe

 

[Fish Fan]

My advice is that your livestock can live just fine in your tub for some time, if you provide them with the same conditions you had been giving them, and it sounds like you are. Keep an eye on ammonia, it's possible that you'll get a spike just from stirring things up in the move, which is unavailable. Watch the fish for any signs of illness that can come on suddenly from being stressed.

Your rocks and sand and the circulation pump should be all the filter that you need for a while. You can take your old ceramic medias and add them to the tub in a high flow area, or safely discard them.

If you see high ammonia, you can bring that down with a large water change. It would be a great idea to have a bucket with a heater and circ pump to pre mix and heat some water just in case.

I see other replies coming in, so I'll leave it to the experts here.

Good luck!

 

[CHSUB]

You will be fine with what you did. Make extra water for WC for possible ammonia spike. You don’t need the media for tank, just monitor ammonia. You should be fine until you get a new tank. Keep flow going and temperature in range.

 

[kyreefville]

All good advice above! Any reason to use caution with heaters in brutes?

 

[schrodingersfish]

Thank you so much for all of your replys! It’s certainly been a day. Since there is no filtration how often do I need to change the water in the brute? And am I to replace basically all of the water (daily?), or just the normal 25% I usually do once a week? Is the power head enough or should I set up the return pump somehow? Thanks again really appreciate all of the advice

 

[Fish Fan]

Thank you so much for all of your replys! It’s certainly been a day. Since there is no filtration how often do I need to change the water in the brute? And am I to replace basically all of the water (daily?), or just the normal 25% I usually do once a week? Is the power head enough or should I set up the return pump somehow? Thanks again really appreciate all of the advice

I'd rely on some good test kits to help you know when to change water. In the short term, check for ammonia. I would check for ammonia tonight if you haven't already, and probably again tomorrow morning. After ammonia, you can watch and see if your nitrate is running high, and use water changes then. You don't have to keep textbook perfect parameters, livestock can be surprisingly adaptable, at least short term.

 

[UncommonSense]

All good advice above! Any reason to use caution with heaters in brutes?

Yes! Don’t let the heater’s glass or metal body directly contact the plastic container!!

Here’s an example of heater burns on the bottom pane of an acrylic sump I was working on recently! (Opaque areas; I worked on an identical sump prior which had WAY more distinct heater shaped marks too)

 

[UncommonSense]

Thank you so much for all of your replys! It’s certainly been a day. Since there is no filtration how often do I need to change the water in the brute? And am I to replace basically all of the water (daily?), or just the normal 25% I usually do once a week? Is the power head enough or should I set up the return pump somehow? Thanks again really appreciate all of the advice

Nothing stops you from putting a mechanical filter or your protein skimmer in the plastic container, either! (Effectively making it filter just like your sump did!) — it’s just normally considered overcomplicated for temporary housing… maybe think about it tomorrow?

The power head will produce significantly more flow than the return pump; you shouldn’t also need the return pump to keep things happy! — possibly use it as a utility pump, or for a mechanical filter during the tank changeover?

 

[kyreefville]

So next step locate replacement and figure out how long it will take and then see if interim steps are needed

 

[schrodingersfish]

So next step locate replacement and figure out how long it will take and then see if interim steps are needed

If I pick up a new tank tomorrow do I put the livestock and rocks in the new tank while it cycles or leave them in the brute until it’s cycled?

 

[UncommonSense]

If I pick up a new tank tomorrow do I put the livestock and rocks in the new tank while it cycles or leave them in the brute until it’s cycled?

Your new tank will effectively skip-cycle when you add your established rock to it!

Do you have any clue what could have caused the current tank to fail?

 

[kyreefville]

Your live rock should still be doing the heavy lifting I’d get tank running smooth, temp, salinity put live rock in and then start moving over similar to when you bring them home.

 

[Cow]

Yes! Don’t let the heater’s glass or metal body directly contact the plastic container!!

Here’s an example of heater burns on the bottom pane of an acrylic sump I was working on recently! (Opaque areas; I worked on an identical sump prior which had WAY more distinct heater shaped marks too)

Do you not run heaters in your acrylic sumps? Finally got my first nice Trigger Systems sump don't wanna melt it. Never had an issue doing this before, however I have my heaters on a wifi controller and they come with a built in one.

 

[UncommonSense]

Do you not run heaters in your acrylic sumps? Finally got my first nice Trigger Systems sump don't wanna melt it. Never had an issue doing this before, however I have my heaters on a wifi controller and they come with a built in one.

If the heater has a little plastic support at one end, wether it compression fit or be a cap; this provides space between the heating element and the tank wall… other heaters have high temp plastic guards over the heating element! — the only thing of note is that the metal or glass heating element is not directly pressed against the acrylic itself in the sump!

Heaters are a common issue in the freshwater side of the hobby, where plecos will occasionally sit on them until they are severely burned! — many options arose to avoid this issue!