What issue would you/have you torn down a tank over?

[JerseyReefGuy]

I shut my 120 down after Sandy. I was without power for 4 days and lost everything. I (foolishly) tried to restart without changing the sand bed and after a few failed restarts, I gave up until I restarted in 2017 with my 50 cube. I am currently in the middle of a 225 upgrade.

 

[randalli]

I was on the verge of tearing down and even giving up completely twice. But thank got I didn't. I had two of the worst algae outbreaks that I could not get rid of and I lost almost 4 years because of this. First I had a cyano problem that just got worse the more I tried to get rid of it. Everything was covered front to back. Dosed special bacteria, KZ-solutions, all sorts of liquids that would lower my PO4. I already had 0 PO4. But back then the idea was that hight PO4 creates slime and tests where crap. So on and on I went. I even blamed the salt or trace brand because with one brand the cyanos would start to vanish. And I was "oh yeah this stuff is magic". When all it did was work worse than the other brand and PO4 would go up. Today I am 1000% sure that only a PO4 of 0 causes cyanos. And whenever I see some small patch growing I raise PO4 and NO3 and boom this stuff is history.
Second was a Bryopsis plague before Flux was a thing. Basically everything died off and I could not change anything. Thank got the rumour started that this fungus medicine helps. Problem was that you could not get it in Germany. So it took some time to find somebody who could get a hold of this stuff....two years of pain, gone in a week.

 

[Wwolf]

Alright! Let's have a new question of the day! Thanks to @Latte for this one!

It seems that the reef hobby has advanced to the point that most issues can generally be dealt with or at least managed. However, we still see threads regularly where some of the pests and problems we face can ultimately lead to a tank tear down (or worse, someone completely calling it quits). Dealing with some of the things we face can be a long and arduous road. What has been your story?

1. What issue have you torn down a tank over?
2. What did you decide to do, and how has that worked for you since?

OR

3. Alternatively, if you haven't had to tear a tank down, what issue do you think would put you there?

@Bacon505's beautiful reef! His reef was featured as our Reef of the Month in November 2021!

Alright! Let's have a new question of the day! Thanks to @Latte for this one!

It seems that the reef hobby has advanced to the point that most issues can generally be dealt with or at least managed. However, we still see threads regularly where some of the pests and problems we face can ultimately lead to a tank tear down (or worse, someone completely calling it quits). Dealing with some of the things we face can be a long and arduous road. What has been your story?

1. What issue have you torn down a tank over?
2. What did you decide to do, and how has that worked for you since?

OR

3. Alternatively, if you haven't had to tear a tank down, what issue do you think would put you there?

@Bacon505's beautiful reef! His reef was featured as our Reef of the Month in November 2021!

Ok, I'm still in the thick of it and could use some suggestions. It started with brown algae and snow balled literally overnight. First spotted the algae on the glass. Cleaned it up. Next morning, it's back and all over the coral. Did water change, all parameters good. Cleaned up best I could. Next morning, dead anemone along with 2/3 of my fish and corals. Tore tank apart. Literally cleaning white and live coral with toothbrush! Stabilized to the point of no further loss. However, it just keeps happening. Doing lots of water changes, treating with algae chemicals and critters to eat the crap. Just keeps getting bad. I clean, test, treat, looks good couple days then here we go again. what the heck!!!!! Any suggestions? I'm assuming the algae and anemone death combo killed my friends. But what now? Can't seem to get a handle on this algae. I also suspect some food I had may of been tainted. All KIND suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance...

 

[Biglew11]

almost ready to stop, and start with all new live rock and sand.
I beat dinos but now I'm battling massive bubble algae and red turf algea

 

[acesfull44]

This ones simple for me. Verminted Snails and a Tank Leak

 

[kmclaughlin0726]

Tore down my first ever nano tank a couple years ago due to Dinos could’ve been worse. I only have a few corals in there. Since then I’ve been able to beat Dino’s again but without tearing down

 

[Aquaman11]

Only tank I tore down was due to bryopsis. That was years ago. Now we have better knowledge/methods for combating this problem.

 

[becon776]

VERMETIDS and then they snuck back in mew build

 

[kwirky]

Yes, due to financial issues. I was trying to maintain a 120g reef tank during my undergrad and couldn’t afford it. I tore it down and didn’t get back into saltwater aquariums until over a decade later, when it made more sense in my life.

 

[Mark Novack]

8x T-5 with 3 banks LED hybrid ATI lamp fell into aquaium. Lost power for 8 hours because I was not home and nobody could handle pulling out the lamp and reseting the fuse box. The result was a total loss of fish and for the last two years I have been chasing the problems it caused. Disease outbreaks, uncontrollable cyanobacteria or diatoms, species specific coral rejection of the easiest of specimens. I did a complete tear down and tossed the rock into a rain water cistern where it has been rinsed for 4 months. When I get a warm enough day I'll acid dip it and then a bleach bath for a week and another week of constant soaking with daily water changes. By the time the rock is ready the aquarium will be ready to fill. My days of experimenting with unusual set-ups and life combinations are finished. I'm following the conventional approach this time and will be using a modern bacterial starter kit in conjunction with the life from my little tank which is in great health and most importantly, I've done this enough to be in no rush whatsoever. I'l finally experienced enough to think long term.

 

[Sarah S.]

I do not know the story.

Me either

 

[scottbapilot]

Bristle worms, I had so many and they gross me out, Removed all of the rock and bleached it.

 

[HaveFishWillTravel]

Alright! Let's have a new question of the day! Thanks to @Latte for this one!

It seems that the reef hobby has advanced to the point that most issues can generally be dealt with or at least managed. However, we still see threads regularly where some of the pests and problems we face can ultimately lead to a tank tear down (or worse, someone completely calling it quits). Dealing with some of the things we face can be a long and arduous road. What has been your story?

1. What issue have you torn down a tank over?
2. What did you decide to do, and how has that worked for you since?

OR

3. Alternatively, if you haven't had to tear a tank down, what issue do you think would put you there?

@Bacon505's beautiful reef! His reef was featured as our Reef of the Month in November 2021!

Absolutely beautiful aquarium. I don’t think that I would ever tear this bad boy down for any reason. Wow Wow Wow!

 

[Edb381]

Went to South Africa on missions trip. Hubby was left in charge of monitoring the tank while I was out of the country. Came home to find anemone "melting". Tank temp was 62. The heater had died and water got too cold, killed the anemone which had decomposed killing everything in the tank. Had to tear it all down, was told to throw out the sand and could keep the rock once I had scrubbed it clean if I was sure no toxin was left on the rocks any where. I didn't want to take that chance so I pitched it all. That was 12 yrs ago. Just got back into reef tank thanks to my new hubby's Christmas gift to me. No, I didn't get rid of last one because of the tank.... he had A LOT worse issues.