Neglected 120g breakdown

[reefer37160]

The day has finally arrived, breaking down the ex wife’s neglected 120g reef. I had to leave her the tank, but after 3 years she is tired of it. I got a 3 corals out of it a week ago along with a massive brittle star. Now time for the rest. The tank used to have different Zoas/palys, acans, Duncan, leathers, mushrooms, blasto, lobo, scoly, favia, green brain, and a massive gonipora. I was able to get 1 favia, 1 acan, and the Duncan last week. The lobo has receded in to 3 separate polyps, the only paly I see left is the grandis. The rest are all a guessing game if I can bring them back. I will post pictures after I am done, and the before and after of each surviving coral.

 

[BryanM]

Good luck!

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Good luck, I sure it goes smoothly for you.

 

[reefer37160]

My biggest concern is with the gonipora. The tank has not had any water changes, no dosing of any kind, and the cal, mag, and alk are so low. How long should I drip acclimate before putting it in my tank with 440cal 1360mag and 10 dKH? Any gonipora experts able to give me some insight?

 

[BryanM]

My biggest concern is with the gonipora. The tank has not had any water changes, no dosing of any kind, and the cal, mag, and alk are so low. How long should I drip acclimate before putting it in my tank with 440cal 1360mag and 10 dKH? Any gonipora experts able to give me some insight?

I'm not sure you can go slow enough on this one. Gonis are just so finicky. I'd probably try drip acclimating it for around 4 hours to try and minimize its shock, but I think its going to be in shock anyway.

 

[reefer37160]

I'm not sure you can go slow enough on this one. Gonis are just so finicky. I'd probably try drip acclimating it for around 4 hours to try and minimize its shock, but I think its going to be in shock anyway.

That’s what I am afraid of.

 

[reefer37160]

So here is the tank in its disgusting glory. I am actually finding a lot more alive than I first thought.

 

[reefer37160]

had to set up both my grow out tanks to temporarily house the corals. I was really not expecting to find so many corals. Flower nems, 15 Aussie Superman rhodactius, a few favia, 3 small colonies of acans, large feather duster, and a rock covered with a large amount of Zoas/palys, the gonipora is alive, not sure how. Starting the coral dip in a few. It is going to be a long night.

 

[NeedAReef]

neglected the tank.....the reason she is the ex I assume?

 

[reefer37160]

She was just as vested in the tank as I was, but after we separated she kept the tank( not sure why the judge ordered that the tank was a gift from her to me for my 35th bday) and never cared for it.

 

[NeedAReef]

Well good you get it....i got the house and the tank. Judge was good to me

 

[reefer37160]

here are the first 3 that are on the path to recovery. The gonipora went thru a 12 hour drip acclimation, coral rx dip, and placed in dt yesterday evening. Stayed in the skeleton till the lights started to go white this morning. The lords, well let’s just say they got VERY unhappy in the dip. After the dip you could not tell what they were. This morning, complete opposite. The feather duster had to be removed from the rock it was attached to, that made it very upset, his crown was just dropping outside the tube. Sometime during the night, it opened up. Many more to come.

 

[NeedAReef]

12Hour drip acclimation? wow! I get the dip part but had not heard of a 12 h drip ever. that is some serious patience

 

[KrisReef]

She was just as vested in the tank as I was, but after we separated she kept the tank( not sure why the judge ordered that the tank was a gift from her to me for my 35th bday) and never cared for it.

My ex perience in divorce and the other criminal court proceedings often left me with the clear impression that lady justice favors the ladies, and wisdom and justice are random afterthoughts that were neglected or dismissed with prejudice.

I admire the OP’s diligence in rescuing the reef after the ex-person neglected the tank since the final decree was issued. I’m so bitter from my own experience, and jaded from that adventure that I could never lower myself to help my ex remedy any tank that she
Neglected. I wouldn’t help that witch out an remove the dirty mess from her place. I’d let it rot with her without sorrow.

 

[reefer37160]

My ex perience in divorce and the other criminal court proceedings often left me with the clear impression that lady justice favors the ladies, and wisdom and justice are random afterthoughts that were neglected or dismissed with prejudice.

I admire the OP’s diligence in rescuing the reef after the ex-person neglected the tank since the final decree was issued. I’m so bitter from my own experience, and jaded from that adventure that I could never lower myself to help my ex remedy any tank that she
Neglected. I wouldn’t help that witch out a remove the dirty mess from her place. I’d let it rot with her without sorrow.

Thank you for the compliment. Had the tank and most of the inhabitants not been mine originally I probably would have left it to rot. I had a lot of money and time in that tank, and while the judge did not see it that way, it was still mine. When she asked me to come get it, I was elated until I seen the condition it was in. I was not prepared mentally or systematically but I found a way.

 

[reefer37160]

12Hour drip acclimation? wow! I get the dip part but had not heard of a 12 h drip ever. that is some serious patience

It was late, had to be up in the morning for work. I put the gonipora in a good size cooler just covering the coral, set the drip to 1 every 5 seconds or so, and went to bed. Woke up, went to work 7am-noon (half day) and came home. The water was just under the top lip. Shut it off, took a shower, and did a 5minute dip.

 

[vlangel]

I always hate to see a tank languish in neglect so I am glad that you are giving the inhabitants a 2nd chance!

 

[KrisReef]

Thank you for the compliment. Had the tank and most of the inhabitants not been mine originally I probably would have left it to rot. I had a lot of money and time in that tank, and while the judge did not see it that way, it was still mine. When she asked me to come get it, I was elated until I seen the condition it was in. I was not prepared mentally or systematically but I found a way.

Yes.
This is exactly what I have come to expect. The hate filled ex allows a beautiful thing we had together to fall into ruin. Then she calls so she can enjoy the impact the ruin brings to us. (We had a daughter together, not a simple reef tank. Same destructive impulses were aimed at our daughter as your tank). Wicked.

Who can make straight what He has made crooked?

 

[reefer37160]

Ok it’s been a while, most corals are doing great. Some not so great. The gonipora still doesn’t extend past 1/2” or so, still has some bleached spots, and dead spots. The warcoral is all pink, but pics show differently. Lost most of the blasto, a few acan heads, and the blue eye favia on the rack I thought was a goner. The Duncan is recovering nicely, and almost covered all the exposed skeleton with new flesh. I traded off almost 60 heads of grandis paly to a few of my favorite shops. I found a few small mushrooms that I didn’t know I had. The lobo I fear is a lost cause. The dragon soul favia is growing new heads and is attached to the rock on its own. The Aussie blue rhodactius is doing great, traded 3 for a super nice acan.

 

[vlangel]

Ok it’s been a while, most corals are doing great. Some not so great. The gonipora still doesn’t extend past 1/2” or so, still has some bleached spots, and dead spots. The warcoral is all pink, but pics show differently. Lost most of the blasto, a few acan heads, and the blue eye favia on the rack I thought was a goner. The Duncan is recovering nicely, and almost covered all the exposed skeleton with new flesh. I traded off almost 60 heads of grandis paly to a few of my favorite shops. I found a few small mushrooms that I didn’t know I had. The lobo I fear is a lost cause. The dragon soul favia is growing new heads and is attached to the rock on its own. The Aussie blue rhodactius is doing great, traded 3 for a super nice acan.

In general I would say that things are moving in the right direction. Are you enjoying the tank again?