Tank Crash :(

[Halal Hotdog]

So I woke up and found both of my clowns dead and the tank cloudy. Actually, I noticed them hiding in their favorite corner near the MP40 unusually, and not eating yesterday night. (also noticed my royal gramma and lawnmower blenny were not around, as well as the oddity with the brittle star). But since this is not too unusual per se I chocked it up to random strangeness and did not think much about it).

Anyway, it looks like the bacteria, Dr. Tim's Waste-away, and the fact that I've been running the MP40s lower than normal since the cleanout led to too-low ORP and lots of animals died. Still not finding the RG and LMB; will probably look but am not optimistic about finding the carcasses at this point.

I suppose I will now do a 100% water change. I did treat with seachem prime.

Lesson I suppose is to be very careful with these things; that being said I've used waste away many times before without issue. I believe I used the recommended dosing, but of course am second guessing myself now.

Anyway, this is probably the end for me and the tank, and probably for me and the hobby for the next several months. . See where things are in a week.

If you added a bacteria product then noticed the cloudy water it sounds like you had a bacterial bloom. I did not see a skimmer listed in your OP. With a bacterial bloom pH can start dropping pretty quickly and the oxygen can be used up by the bacteria. Skimmers help significantly oxygenate the water. Lower flow can also cause less gas exchange. With low oxygen fish can start passing away pretty quickly. An ammonia binder is a good call. Doing a large (100%) water change is not a bad idea, but when changing that much water you have to be sure to match parameters as closely as possible. I induce a bacterial bloom a couple of times per year and it really helps reduce nutrients as well as some of the fine detritus.

 

[VR28man]

Well it's all irrelevant now. Went to work, and then to get 30g of new water (water ready to go is needed now) and came back to this, I'm done, just giving away the survivors now.



for reference for the pending post-mortem:

Jan 20



Feb 20

 

[brandon429]

Well I’m sorry I lost my first reefbowl in a big invasion and eventual crash we have been there man, set up a nano with the rock though


that rock is usable. Downsize a while, that many gallons is massive headache. Your rocks can be cleaned and moved to a nano if you want, skip cycle of course. Frag living corals we can regen those for sure, glue them to rocks when jetted and cleaned.


in that pic above is harvestable life yep. Just like in any good movie the main character may die but it’s sprouted something before like a baby nano groot

 

[VR28man]

I did not see a skimmer listed in your OP. With a bacterial bloom pH can start dropping pretty quickly and the oxygen can be used up by the bacteria. Skimmers help significantly oxygenate the water. Lower flow can also cause less gas exchange. With low oxygen fish can start passing away pretty quickly.

Thanks for this; just fyi for the post-mortem post on this I am going to write, I did have a skimmer (Reef Glass: basic glass tube with airstone rated for like 1/3 of my volume. I've been pondering bigger skimmers for a while) but I turned it off after applying the Waste Away, per instruction. I turned it on and turned the MP40s waaay high right I found the clownfish dead, but by then it was too late.

ETA: a good quote on another thread:

With you saying that the water was cloudy and the addition of nopox it's possible that the tank had a bacterial bloom which can strip the water of its oxygen and kill all the type of things that you listed, things like snails etc aren't so oxygen dependent so often survive oxygen depletion, I'd personally consider it fairly high on the possible causes.
Gary

This was my experience. Most of my snails and hermits survived. (filter feeding porcelain crabs did not. )