Tank crashed - how do deal with the damaged and dead?

[Phoerut]

for me, I would suggest to keep your hands off your tank and just enjoy it. If you had not added stuff to your tank, this would not have happened. If you go through the forums, you will see the trend, the majority of tank problems are related to overdosing something.

If the fish have a fungus, then should deal with the fungus, not dose the entire tank.

Even reading the OP you added flux, fraction, too much RO, then you "brought up" alk and mag, I presume with 2 different kinds of chemicals. Its way too much, its not the right way for a 2 month old tank.

I understand from your post you don't even have a rodi unit and still rely on outside water sources. Your priority is incorrect, rodi is one of the most important things you can have, while dosing is just the fad of today.

It is too many losses in only 2 months,you need to slow down, let the tank mature and settle itself, do more research, get better equipment (rodi!), get more experience.

for me, I would suggest to keep your hands off your tank and just enjoy it. If you had not added stuff to your tank, this would not have happened. If you go through the forums, you will see the trend, the majority of tank problems are related to overdosing something.

If the fish have a fungus, then should deal with the fungus, not dose the entire tank.

Even reading the OP you added flux, fraction, too much RO, then you "brought up" alk and mag, I presume with 2 different kinds of chemicals. Its way too much, its not the right way for a 2 month old tank.

I understand from your post you don't even have a rodi unit and still rely on outside water sources. Your priority is incorrect, rodi is one of the most important things you can have, while dosing is just the fad of today.

It is too many losses in only 2 months,you need to slow down, let the tank mature and settle itself, do more research, get better equipment (rodi!), get more experience

I have RO with a TDS of 0 checked with a digital reader. I don’t really understand how to check if it’s DI but I was under the impression what I was using was okay. I do just want to say I would not have stocked a new tank like that if it wasn’t what was already in my old tank which I kept with no deaths for just under a year. I was told a larger tank was easier to manage which I’m not finding to be true!! I’ve NEVER dosed anything before ever. I used reef flux once in the nano it worked fine with no side effects.

I totally agree with you though I’ve screwed up really badly, I’m just trying to learn from it and manage and save what I can from this terrible situation I’ve landed myself in.

 

[brandon429]

Phoerut

your tank can be fixed in 24 hours if you want to see a relatively large thread centering solely around restoring crashed reefs in 24 hours I have it.

the fresh water you added accidentally was the trigger, combined with reef flux plant cell tissue degradation left in the tank, they were unlucky commingled events easily preventable

never add reef flux, fluconazole, to a reef with algae in it like the masses do

clean the algae out by hand first, opposite of what the masses do and use it only in a clean tank, as growback prevention

see how that stops litter being left in the system to degrade, the pre removal?

easy fix next time.
your entire cycle is fine and intact

do you want to see the rebuild thread, it’ll fix your tank by tomorrow and save the remaining animals.

the irritant is decaying plant cells en masse still in the tank, it needs a rip clean surgery. It would be #800 we’ve done so it’s a rather familiar procedure and it will restore your tank in 24 hours making your current cycle work, there’s nothing to buy. It’s a cleaning method, a skip cycle cleaning method exactly like going to the dentist / but for a reef tank

 

[Nano_Man]

Everyone in reefing hits problems when running a tank . All you can do is try and understand what’s happened and learn from it . So next time a similar problem starts you will have the knowledge to solve the problem quickly. And just because you have had a bad experience lately never give up . This a great hobby .All the best for you and your tank . And there is a lot of well experienced reef keeper on r2r that are willing to help you .

 

[Fish Styx]

So sorry that you have to go through this. It is heartbreaking, to say the least. Lots of great advice posted in here already, so I'll just offer up some love and support.

Namaste.

 

[brandon429]

Phoerut a neat way to see your tank rehab = hurdle you face is only one thing:

you need to access 100% new reef water matching temp and salinity to that current water, that’s your bar to attain.

the current water has too many exudates and allelopathic compounds in it you’d be working backwards to try and slowly filter it clean

this is like reef tank sepsis. You need the liquid carrier free of burning irritants, we do tank rescue jobs all the time yours is easy to save + keep the current animals going just fine.

after that all new water prep, we have every procedure in place and studied, run the surgery we do all the time here and assemble your tank clean, via skip cycle science

the sand clean, and all new water but you must clean it my way it can’t be your way that’s key to fixing it by tomorrow

check out this pic succession, 24 hours apart of what we can do to your tank to save it

no bottle bac. no additive and no prime will be bought or used. All new water is all you need, a couple brute trash cans made up and ready is the thing to aim for

can you get that water
Day one when they posted for assistance

halfway through the clean below, *this is your stage, look how the color palette of the water changes to yellow* and rocks are not reef looking, theyre covered in half dead periphyton leaking cellular irritants into the water. He had scraped his layer clean and killed it with peroxide, yours was degraded to this stage via fluconazole, same biological condition called eutrophication



but your filter bacteria remain, that’s key

They’re just blanketed. We uncover them via reef tank backflushing, you run a series of cleaning steps that I type out.

take note of the sandbed area, blanketed in decaying plant material. intercepting your tank at this phase is a specialty science the key is quick thorough removal it’s not about extended wait water filtration options or additives, there’s an action set you do and it causes your tank to appear like the after pic below. That makes the hobby bright again / uncrash your tank by this evening







24 hours later, he ran it through surgery starting with the sandbed and he agreed to clean it the right way

all pics by WVU

 

[crusso1993]

So sorry that you have to go through this. It is heartbreaking, to say the least. Lots of great advice posted in here already, so I'll just offer up some love and support.

Namaste.

Look at you… trying to act all spiritual and stuff with your “Namaste”. We’re on to you and your tricks, sir!

 

[Fish Styx]

Look at you… trying to act all spiritual and stuff with your “Namaste”. We’re on to you and your tricks, sir!

I mean...

 

[crusso1993]

I mean...

Fantastico! I love the look of Johann the Wonder Dog!

 

[brandon429]

I feel a tank fixin about to happen

 

[rmorris_14]

I’m not sure why lights would matter. Normally in these types of situations we would do water changes to try and get our water back to where it was. Stability is key. You had a huge swing in nutrients from gha die off from the reef flux which caused an aminos spike. Then it seems you added another wing with fraction(not sure what that is) than added a bunch of r/o and lowere all your elements. If you do use more GAC don’t use too much and strip trace elements. I would do a 30% water change as I believe reef flux recommends a to do that after 14 days anyway. This will also bring your elements closer to where they were

not trying to be argumentative here... but I am not sure about the the statement that the GAC will strip trace elements. From what I have read and been told this is not correct. Maybe someone else may chime in.

 

[brandon429]

Wow

this is 34 gallons I thought it was a sixty or larger

that’s how many gallons wvu’s tank is above. That makes his repair a direct roadmap to this tank fix, half a brute container of all new water is easy to get I thought she’d need two

 

[Phoerut]

Phoerut

your tank can be fixed in 24 hours if you want to see a relatively large thread centering solely around restoring crashed reefs in 24 hours I have it.

the fresh water you added accidentally was the trigger, combined with reef flux plant cell tissue degradation left in the tank, they were unlucky commingled events easily preventable

never add reef flux, fluconazole, to a reef with algae in it like the masses do

clean the algae out by hand first, opposite of what the masses do and use it only in a clean tank, as growback prevention

see how that stops litter being left in the system to degrade, the pre removal?

easy fix next time.
your entire cycle is fine and intact

do you want to see the rebuild thread, it’ll fix your tank by tomorrow and save the remaining animals.

the irritant is decaying plant cells en masse still in the tank, it needs a rip clean surgery. It would be #800 we’ve done so it’s a rather familiar procedure and it will restore your tank in 24 hours making your current cycle work, there’s nothing to buy. It’s a cleaning method, a skip cycle cleaning method exactly like going to the dentist / but for a reef tank

Yes please, that sounds exactly what I need!

 

[Phoerut]

So sorry that you have to go through this. It is heartbreaking, to say the least. Lots of great advice posted in here already, so I'll just offer up some love and support.

Namaste.

Thankyou I need it!!

 

[1ocean]

Don't let the crash beat you, we are all here to help you, so you can get through it and one day play it forward from what you learn..

 

[Phoerut]

Phoerut a neat way to see your tank rehab = hurdle you face is only one thing:

you need to access 100% new reef water matching temp and salinity to that current water, that’s your bar to attain.

the current water has too many exudates and allelopathic compounds in it you’d be working backwards to try and slowly filter it clean

this is like reef tank sepsis. You need the liquid carrier free of burning irritants, we do tank rescue jobs all the time yours is easy to save + keep the current animals going just fine.

after that all new water prep, we have every procedure in place and studied, run the surgery we do all the time here and assemble your tank clean, via skip cycle science

the sand clean, and all new water but you must clean it my way it can’t be your way that’s key to fixing it by tomorrow

check out this pic succession, 24 hours apart of what we can do to your tank to save it

no bottle bac. no additive and no prime will be bought or used. All new water is all you need, a couple brute trash cans made up and ready is the thing to aim for

can you get that water
Day one when they posted for assistance

halfway through the clean below, *this is your stage, look how the color palette of the water changes to yellow* and rocks are not reef looking, theyre covered in half dead periphyton leaking cellular irritants into the water. He had scraped his layer clean and killed it with peroxide, yours was degraded to this stage via fluconazole, same biological condition called eutrophication



but your filter bacteria remain, that’s key

They’re just blanketed. We uncover them via reef tank backflushing, you run a series of cleaning steps that I type out.

take note of the sandbed area, blanketed in decaying plant material. intercepting your tank at this phase is a specialty science the key is quick thorough removal it’s not about extended wait water filtration options or additives, there’s an action set you do and it causes your tank to appear like the after pic below. That makes the hobby bright again / uncrash your tank by this evening







24 hours later, he ran it through surgery starting with the sandbed and he agreed to clean it the right way

all pics by WVU

That’s amazing. How do I go about cleaning this or is it just a 100% water change?

 

[Phoerut]

Phoerut a neat way to see your tank rehab = hurdle you face is only one thing:

you need to access 100% new reef water matching temp and salinity to that current water, that’s your bar to attain.

the current water has too many exudates and allelopathic compounds in it you’d be working backwards to try and slowly filter it clean

this is like reef tank sepsis. You need the liquid carrier free of burning irritants, we do tank rescue jobs all the time yours is easy to save + keep the current animals going just fine.

after that all new water prep, we have every procedure in place and studied, run the surgery we do all the time here and assemble your tank clean, via skip cycle science

the sand clean, and all new water but you must clean it my way it can’t be your way that’s key to fixing it by tomorrow

check out this pic succession, 24 hours apart of what we can do to your tank to save it

no bottle bac. no additive and no prime will be bought or used. All new water is all you need, a couple brute trash cans made up and ready is the thing to aim for

can you get that water
Day one when they posted for assistance

halfway through the clean below, *this is your stage, look how the color palette of the water changes to yellow* and rocks are not reef looking, theyre covered in half dead periphyton leaking cellular irritants into the water. He had scraped his layer clean and killed it with peroxide, yours was degraded to this stage via fluconazole, same biological condition called eutrophication



but your filter bacteria remain, that’s key

They’re just blanketed. We uncover them via reef tank backflushing, you run a series of cleaning steps that I type out.

take note of the sandbed area, blanketed in decaying plant material. intercepting your tank at this phase is a specialty science the key is quick thorough removal it’s not about extended wait water filtration options or additives, there’s an action set you do and it causes your tank to appear like the after pic below. That makes the hobby bright again / uncrash your tank by this evening







24 hours later, he ran it through surgery starting with the sandbed and he agreed to clean it the right way

all pics by WVU

I can make the sea water but it will take 4 hours to dissolve completely

 

[Lavey29]

for me, I would suggest to keep your hands off your tank and just enjoy it. If you had not added stuff to your tank, this would not have happened. If you go through the forums, you will see the trend, the majority of tank problems are related to overdosing something.

If the fish have a fungus, then should deal with the fungus, not dose the entire tank.

Even reading the OP you added flux, fraction, too much RO, then you "brought up" alk and mag, I presume with 2 different kinds of chemicals. Its way too much, its not the right way for a 2 month old tank.

I understand from your post you don't even have a rodi unit and still rely on outside water sources. Your priority is incorrect, rodi is one of the most important things you can have, while dosing is just the fad of today.

It is too many losses in only 2 months,you need to slow down, let the tank mature and settle itself, do more research, get better equipment (rodi!), get more experience.

100% agree, a teachable moment here for the OP. You just can't dump harsh chemicals in a 2 month old tank that is barely starting its biome. Sad for the corals but glad her fish seemed to have survived. Hopefully she learns from this and becomes a better reefer. I wish her luck. We all have had hurdles learning the hobby.

 

[brandon429]

That is not a problem. how fun = live time runs are the best so glad you responded.


*you need extra clean water beyond the 34 gallons to rinse rocks and hold fish in some new water during tank disassembly and cleaning make about 15 extra or so, 20 extra is best

this is the exact process it will skip cycle fix your tank and give your animals the best chance:

verify water is clean and clear and temp and salinity matched

catch all your fish and hold them somewhere in that clean water matching temp and salinity as well to the current water. Have it aerated and circulated a little while so gasses equalize then add the fish by net right in

the only two things to measure in this entire job are temp and salinity- it cuts down on misreading test kit interference which causes people to veer off and add new things away from the plan

make sure the salinity meter you use is reliable and can’t be off accuracy / re calibrate if needed

cover the fish during holding, we see jumpers a lot during tank transfer work

**your tank will take about four hours cleaning so they’ll be held a while. The container needs heat and circulation

an air bubbler works + heater

if this mini fish holding prep takes a while to secure that’s fine but try and assemble the required supports quickly this water in the tank needs to go to stop the loss cascade




once fish are out you have corals rocks and dirty sand


*before draining water out of the tank catch a bunch to hold in a side bucket this is your initial rock rinse saltwater after we clean the rocks

lift out rocks and set on the counter

add your existing clean up crews still alive to the fish holding container of clean water

dribble saltwater across corals as they sit there on the counter attached to rocks, corals will be fine. Use a kitchen knife to press into target areas and rasp out algae holdfast areas, these are cavities and the rock is a tooth and you’re the dentist, dig firmly be precise. Dig out algae, use a tiny bit of common peroxide on the spot -after you cleared it- to burn invisible anchor algae cells still in the area

do all surfaces, every rock by hand. set the rocks after firm detailing in the old tank holding water and twist-swish to cast off all your knife scrapings

if you missed any, repeat and use the peroxide step.

**final rinse all rocks in one round of clean saltwater / you can pour some clean water over them is ok, this was the final removal of dead plant material the rocks now look like the final pics above.


Sand cleaning is next steps, it’s going to take about 3 straight hours no joke.

 

[Phoerut]

That is not a problem. how fun = live time runs are the best so glad you responded.


*you need extra clean water beyond the 34 gallons to rinse rocks and hold fish in some new water during tank disassembly and cleaning make about 15 extra or so, 20 extra is best

this is the exact process it will skip cycle fix your tank and give your animals the best chance:

verify water is clean and clear and temp and salinity matched

catch all your fish and hold them somewhere in that clean water matching temp and salinity as well to the current water. Have it aerated and circulated a little while so gasses equalize then add the fish by net right in

the only two things to measure in this entire job are temp and salinity- it cuts down on misreading test kit interference which causes people to veer off and add new things away from the plan

make sure the salinity meter you use is reliable and can’t be off accuracy / re calibrate if needed

cover the fish during holding, we see jumpers a lot during tank transfer work

**your tank will take about four hours cleaning so they’ll be held a while. The container needs heat and circulation

an air bubbler works + heater

if this mini fish holding prep takes a while to secure that’s fine but try and assemble the required supports quickly this water in the tank needs to go to stop the loss cascade




once fish are out you have corals rocks and dirty sand


*before draining water out of the tank catch a bunch to hold in a side bucket this is your initial rock rinse saltwater after we clean the rocks

lift out rocks and set on the counter

add your existing clean up crews still alive to the fish holding container of clean water

dribble saltwater across corals as they sit there on the counter attached to rocks, corals will be fine. Use a kitchen knife to press into target areas and rasp out algae holdfast areas, these are cavities and the rock is a tooth and you’re the dentist, dig firmly be precise. Dig out algae, use a tiny bit of common peroxide on the spot -after you cleared it- to burn invisible anchor algae cells still in the area

do all surfaces, every rock by hand. set the rocks after firm detailing in the old tank holding water and twist-swish to cast off all your knife scrapings

if you missed any, repeat and use the peroxide step.

**final rinse all rocks in one round of clean saltwater / you can pour some clean water over them is ok, this was the final removal of dead plant material the rocks now look like the final pics above.


Sand cleaning is next steps, it’s going to take about 3 straight hours no joke.

Catching the fish took me a week last time I’ll do my best

 

[brandon429]

pull rocks first will help, clears the way


***don’t begin until all parts all water is ready.


Your tank is now only sand and dirty glass

Remove all the sand without scratching your glass walls.


place in two different buckets, a half portion of the sand.

go to yard and get hose, begin tap water flushing the sand in each bucket, stirring with a spatula or cooking utensil like a big stew. Pour out water that’s dirty. More tap water back in, stir, perhaps a hundred times on the buckets I’m not joking you’ll see the sand keeps clouding even after the 5th rinse. This is the killer material. The hot zone you’re ejecting.


here’s where people either adhere to the rules or they don’t:


you must not reinstall 1% cloudy sand it must be this clean:





take test sections on your rinsed sand and verify them in a glass plus clean tap water, see how those grains have been rinsed cloud free? That’s my reef vase and the sandbed was five years old at that point, my corals are laying on the counter with the rocks.

I rinsed it so clean it was 100% not 99% that’s the key to a skip cycle / no cloud


sandbed bacteria don’t matter, it’s why rinsing them out with the waste is ok. We don’t add bacteria back, natural tank bacteria reseed the sand in short order after reinstallation.

once you are 100% sure the sand is clean, hours of rinse work, final rinse is the last few gallons of extra clean saltwater you made to evacuate tap water from the sand. It’s now pure perfection clean sand


**turn your tank sideways near the sink, totally empty, and wash it out


leave no green or yellow haze, nor algae attached. You can use a careful clean razor blade to clean the inside of the tank after the initial rinse


clean and dry the glass on the tank so it’s brand new looking. Take pics of all this please: we need the pics you make to map out future jobs,


install your sand back in the tank


fill with rest of all new water put in rocks


put in fish and remaining cuc


***you must lower your light levels in the clean tank and re ramp them up slowly to this power level (or less, too bright lighting causes algae in new tanks) over the course of ten days or so. Do not shine full power lighting


you will now have a skip cycle reefs exactly as shown below