Panic Problem: When and when not to panic?

Have you ever TRULY had a reason to panic in this hobby?

  • Yes

    Votes: 416 72.0%
  • No

    Votes: 144 24.9%
  • Don't know

    Votes: 18 3.1%

  • Total voters
    578

revhtree

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Panic and aquariums do not go together at all yet there are times when maybe you should panic and most times when you should not!

The problem is that when you panic, you rush to judgment and you rush to make bad decisions. These bad decisions, within an aquarium, then multiply and begin a cascading of events that can lead to a total crash of your saltwater reef aquarium or the loss of all of your fishy inhabitants.

Are you panicking yet? No? Good!

So today let's talk about the very RARE times you should probably panic and all those other times you should not.


1. What would be a scenario in which you think would truly be a time to panic? What would cause you to panic?

2. What are some common issues that cause people to panic in which there is no need to panic?

dont panc copy.png
 

Kershaw

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Panicking will only make dealing with the issue harder.
Newborn sleeping, I wake up and hear what sounds like is my sump is low on water. Go to living room and find 30 gal of water on the floor. No one home to help. Had to fix leak and a clean up water before new born wakes up. Will never use hose clamps on a tank again.
 

andrewkw

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I would say a min of losing 1/3rd of your fish and or corals is time to panic. While I don't think it was always this way, these days you often hear of tanks crashing and recovering in the span of a month or 2. That is no crash. If you have a massive die off, and things get better but there is still a big hole in the reef 6 months later you have survived a crash.

If you have a legit chance of losing it all then by all means panic, if there is just a long slow problem slowing causing something keep at it slow and steady.

Examples of reasons not to panic :
Ich - no fish is going to drop dead in 1 day. Come up with a proper treatment plan then treat.
aiptasia - no one gets infested overnight.
One mysterious fish death.
1 coral dying / melting / suffering.
Tank is a little cloudy.
Any kind of algae.

Examples of reasons to panic :
ALL your fish are dead or dying. Velvet.
1/3rd of your corals are melting be it rtn or brown jelly or something else that is actually spreading vs a coral not being happy.
Tank being so cloudy you cannot see into it.
Any kind of leak coming from the tank itself and not the plumbing.
 

Mical

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I am going to the cancer center on November 18th. Ask me after I am done.
Fish tank stuff you act calmly and quickly to save the animals. Same with fires and when the car is upside down.
I guess I have been through some stuff.

Good luck on your November event.
 

fish farmer

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1. What would be a scenario in which you think would truly be a time to panic? What would cause you to panic?


Tank cracking, tank on fire, things that would cause issues to your home.....but in reality you shouldn't panic....you should have a plan.

I had my 25 gallon crack when I was trying to "fix" a noisy overflow. Cracked almost to the bottom....didn't really panic, but was flustered....grabbed a bucket and duct tape and a towel. I had another tank plumbed into the system so the corals and fish went there and extra rock went in the sump.

2. What are some common issues that cause people to panic in which there is no need to panic?


There is always a reason that something bad is happening, if it is equipment failure, have spares and an emergency plan. If it's "mystery" fish/coral death...same thing, there is a reason it is happening, take the steps to figure it out an not panic.

I tend to be a panic response type person....I work at a trout hatchery where the poop can hit the fan and I have to flip this or that switch to make it better. The more I understand what to do in certain situations, the better I can handle the five alarms going off in series.

Write up an emergency plan, much like what would you do if your house was on fire? Run screaming out by yourself or ensure your wife, kids and possibly pets are all safely making it out.
 

DungSl1nger

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My thought on this is fire. It can destroy the house and everything in it, if two fire extinguishers isn’t enough. For a few minutes I thought tank blow out but if it’s already happened there is only one solution, start clean up.

I know animals dying sucks but I don’t see it as a panic situation. In that case I start making more water and try to get the fish out if I assume the water is contaminated but I have the materials and space to do that. The same goes for a sick fish.

These all suck but it’s important to understand the risk and have a plan. I also understand others will have more money than me wrapped up in their tanks so people will react different.

Ultimately, our source of panic comes from money spent and then lost.
 

Biglew11

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I had a 65 gallon acrylic tank have a reaction to the fumes of contact cement that i thought was cured. woke up to a bunch of crazing on the right end of the tank. i just barely panicked, only solution was to get a new tank before that one cracked. its foot print was 48 by 18 so i got a standard 75 to replace it and reused all equipment including the stand and canopy lights.
 

driftin

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I panic around mitigating damage to the rest of the house - have had a few floods and yes, it's too late to stop it but not too late to try to act fast and stop the source. I wouldn't say it's a panic in that I don't know what to do - it's a panic in that the clock is ticking to get this under control.

Anything happening within the tank itself, I don't consider a need to panic. With some forethought you can be prepared to do water change, remove a fish to QT, replace a critical piece of equipment, etc.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 72 38.1%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 63 33.3%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.2%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.8%
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    Votes: 1 0.5%
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