Let's see those before and after tank crashes pictures

jsker · Apr 16, 2022

We very rarely see pictures of a healthy system, then the crash, then the rebirth of the same systems. Were you embarrassed? Frustrated, Or just gave up?

A little back story. I have been reefing on and off for some time now. When I set up my current system with all the new gadgets and technology. I figure what the heck, this cannot be as hard as is was back in the day. Back in the day meaning when and if one could keep a coral a live for a few weeding

. This is one of the reasons I kept fish only tank until now.

After setting up my current system, it was exciting. New lighting, controllers, dosers, new testing, equipment, and of course places like R2R for information.

I was doing pretty good until, my system starting dying off slowly. I check, check again. Made changes, checked again and the system was still dying off. What cause my die off? Simple but not so simple. This is the tease

Let see those before the crash
After the crash
and your system coming back to life pictures
And what caused your system crash to help others in the future

Before

After the crash 3/1//20

And today 4/16/22 it has been a long battle, but worth the knowledge

blaxsun · Apr 16, 2022

Images #2 looks like LV-426. I'm going with mistake, but it's really best guess at this juncture...

SoSublime · Apr 16, 2022

No confirmed answer what caused this crash.

This tank was starting to grow out pretty well. Then noticed one day 2-3 corals randomly started showing some STN. ICP tests, home tests, everything came back immaculate. No known swings, tank was autodosed and parameters only began to destabilize after coral began dying. No known toxins or pollutants. Explicit no aerosol rule in the house. No children. I'm only person ever in the tank. This progressed from completely healthy coral growing well, to 99% dead. Despite every test coming back clean.

After almost all the coral died, I was left with 2 pieces (as shown in the pic) they were showing signs of following suit to death, and then randomly one day, stopped. Nothing progressed. Nothing changed. And they began growing again.

Predominant theory is possible SCTLD. I'll always have Cipro on hand after this.

These 2 pics were taken the same day
Torch I was acclimating to light.

Blasto I grew from 2 heads

jsker · Apr 16, 2022

SoSublime said:
No confirmed answer what caused this crash.

This tank was starting to grow out pretty well. Then noticed one day 2-3 corals randomly started showing some STN. ICP tests, home tests, everything came back immaculate. No known swings, tank was autodosed and parameters only began to destabilize after coral began dying. No known toxins or pollutants. Explicit no aerosol rule in the house. No children. I'm only person ever in the tank. This progressed from completely healthy coral growing well, to 99% dead. Despite every test coming back clean.

After almost all the coral died, I was left with 2 pieces (as shown in the pic) they were showing signs of following suit to death, and then randomly one day, stopped. Nothing progressed. Nothing changed. And they began growing again.

Predominant theory is possible SCTLD. I'll always have Cipro on hand after this.

I had the same, a slow death. I had my skimmer air intake pulling air in from outside to keep my PH up. Little did I know that when the county was coming by at night. The intake was sucking in small amount of the mosquito spray every time the county would go by. I took me a little over a year to figure out. I moved the intake to the attic and the rest is history.

SoSublime · Apr 16, 2022

jsker said:
I had the same, a slow death. I had my skimmer air intake pulling air in from outside to keep my PH up. Little did I know that when the county was coming by at night. The intake was sucking in small amount of the mosquito spray every time the county would go by. I took me a little over a year to figure out. I moved the intake to the attic and the rest is history.

Now that's a punch in the gut. Amazing how something so simple tanks the ecosystem.

I just wish I had a concrete answer, because through normal testing methods we have available everyone I've ever showed has never been able to give me a reason. The only thing identifiable on ICP was some lower (but in range) traces, and low but in range Boron.

Reefing hasn't been kind to me. But I learn alot, and ensure the problems never happen again.

Macros will never concern me again. My mineral levels are a cake walk to me now, my work focuses on the microbiome now. A healthy microbiome with stable parameters, that's all I care about anymore.

jsker · Apr 16, 2022

SoSublime said:
Now that's a punch in the gut. Amazing how something so simple tanks the ecosystem.

I just wish I had a concrete answer, because through normal testing methods we have available everyone I've ever showed has never been able to give me a reason. The only thing identifiable on ICP was some lower (but in range) traces, and low but in range Boron.

Reefing hasn't been kind to me. But I learn alot, and ensure the problems never happen again.

Macros will never concern me again. My mineral levels are a cake walk to me now, my work focuses on the microbiome now. A healthy microbiome with stable parameters, that's all I care about anymore.

I sent out a sample to ICP for testing, the results came back normal also.

It finally realized after the county foggers drove by. "I was like", "could that be it"? the county spraying/fogging for mosquitoes. I moved the airline and the tank started to improve without set backs. I would also say that the exterminator was not helping, even if the exterminator was using natural products.

Miami Reef · Apr 16, 2022

I would try again.

Don’t forget, reefing is all about the journey. Don’t run the line outside and keep activated carbon in the tank.

Simple, time tested approaches work much better than the fancy complicated stuff.

jsker · Apr 16, 2022

Miami Reef said:
I would try again.

Don’t forget, reefing is all about the journey. Don’t run the line outside and keep activated carbon in the tank.

Simple, time tested approaches work much better than the fancy complicated stuff.

I am

, and the tank is coming back to life.

Miami Reef · Apr 16, 2022

jsker said:
I am , and the tank is coming back to life.

Is that black sand on the bottom?

SoSublime · Apr 16, 2022

Miami Reef said:
Simple, time tested approaches work much better than the fancy complicated stuff.

Can't agree more with this.

I'm moving so much of my methods back to more "old school" approaches, granted with a clearer picture of why, instead of relying on all the new fancy gadgets and tech.

There's a reason just on start up my new tank is getting some live rock and I went back to T5s from LEDs haha.

jsker · Apr 16, 2022

Miami Reef said:
Is that black sand on the bottom?

Yes, black sand.

jsker · Apr 16, 2022

SoSublime said:
Can't agree more with this.

I'm moving so much of my methods back to more "old school" approaches, granted with a clearer picture of why, instead of relying on all the new fancy gadgets and tech.

There's a reason just on start up my new tank is getting some live rock and I went back to T5s from LEDs haha.

One of the reason for the slow progress, patience, and yes the old school ways.

I lost the reefing bug for a year, but now I will be upgrading to a larger tank and sump soon.

Miami Reef · Apr 16, 2022

jsker said:
One of the reason for the slow progress, patience, and yes the old school ways.

I lost the reefing bug for a year, but now I will be upgrading to a larger tank and sump soon.

I will definitely be a part of that build thread!

Labridaedicted · Apr 16, 2022

Man. I don't wanna revisit my crash. Went out of town for a music fest for 4 days with no cell service and my chiller failed on me. Temp spiked up to mid 80s and caused many corals to die. The corals dying caused an nutrient spike which coupled with the higher temps caused the oxygen to deplete from a bacterial bloom. Lost almost everything in the tank except my hawkfish and a toadstool leather. Was a devastating loss as the tank had just reached the "I'm just gonna let things grow out" point.

Pre-crash early 2018

Shortly after crash as i was restocking...

Currently...

jsker · Apr 16, 2022

Labridaedicted said:
Man. I don't wanna revisit my crash. Went out of town for a music fest for 4 days with no cell service and my chiller failed on me. Temp spiked up to mid 80s and caused many corals to die. The corals dying caused an nutrient spike which coupled with the higher temps caused the oxygen to deplete from a bacterial bloom. Lost almost everything in the tank except my hawkfish and a toadstool leather. Was a devastating loss as the tank had just reached the "I'm just gonna let things grow out" point.

Pre-crash early 2018

Shortly after crash as i was restocking...

Currently...

The tank has recover better than before.