When kids and fish tanks collide

dtm2420

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
228
Reaction score
295
Location
Clarksville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Had a nice evening with the neighbors tonight… until I came inside to see my fish tank that is. The neighbors kid dumped 2 entire canisters of @ReefChasers reef candy coral food and an entire bottle of vibrant into a 20 gallon tank!

How did I notice you ask? I hear my tank overflowing from being so clogged. My surge protectors I have everything plugged into were sizzling. Had I been away any longer I am afraid the loss could have been worse than just a fish tank.

Of course this all happens on a night that I am almost completely out of water. Luckily I have one 5 gallon bucket of water left and an empty 5 gallon tank.

Question now is, my rocks, pumps, filters etc… will the vibrant mess with them or can I rinse and get started back up again? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

A83F0038-3738-4DF3-8D4B-C267460350A3.jpeg EEE2097E-2994-4878-944C-63BC288A71CA.jpeg
 

ZombieEngineer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 3, 2022
Messages
1,310
Reaction score
1,175
Location
Broomfield
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would get that 5 gallon tank up and running as quickly as possible and move your corals and fish over there along with some of your rock.

After that I would do a 100% water change on the main tank as soon as you can get the water ready.

That much algaecide and food is likely to nuke your corals in short order if you don't get them out.
 

JumboShrimp

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 12, 2018
Messages
5,806
Reaction score
8,224
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Party-time inside that tank!

(Actually, of course, I feel for you.) Anything expensive in there, either fish or corals?
 
OP
OP
dtm2420

dtm2420

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
228
Reaction score
295
Location
Clarksville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Party-time inside that tank!

(Actually, of course, I feel for you.) Anything expensive in there, either fish or corals?
I would get that 5 gallon tank up and running as quickly as possible and move your corals and fish over there along with some of your rock.

After that I would do a 100% water change on the main tank as soon as you can get the water ready.

That much algaecide and food is likely to nuke your corals in short order if you don't get them out.
All fish and corals are moved to a 5 gallon for now. Not sure how long it was like this though. Hopefully i caught it in time
 
OP
OP
dtm2420

dtm2420

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
228
Reaction score
295
Location
Clarksville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Party-time inside that tank!

(Actually, of course, I feel for you.) Anything expensive in there, either fish or corals?
I had 3 goni’s that I paid roughly $100 each for. That would be the most expensive in the tank.
 

Attachments

  • B1085D16-DCAB-476D-B26F-26AC5EE302E4.jpeg
    B1085D16-DCAB-476D-B26F-26AC5EE302E4.jpeg
    310.5 KB · Views: 46
  • 9461F3AD-27A0-47C3-8BE7-BFD383B897EB.jpeg
    9461F3AD-27A0-47C3-8BE7-BFD383B897EB.jpeg
    124.5 KB · Views: 49
OP
OP
dtm2420

dtm2420

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
228
Reaction score
295
Location
Clarksville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
They were (hopefully still are) beautiful. If you have limited room in another emergency tank, “triage” what is most near and dear to you.
They are slowly coming back out
 

Attachments

  • CCDA66A4-D516-49EF-9E8D-ECE49DB14511.jpeg
    CCDA66A4-D516-49EF-9E8D-ECE49DB14511.jpeg
    102.5 KB · Views: 33
  • 5ECA09F6-9D08-44BE-9F8B-24D20BD3937A.jpeg
    5ECA09F6-9D08-44BE-9F8B-24D20BD3937A.jpeg
    150.6 KB · Views: 36

Spare time

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 12, 2019
Messages
12,037
Reaction score
9,671
Location
Here
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
After a 100% water change, I'd run an abundance of bituminous or rox carbon in a reactor if you can. I'd also siphon the sand bed and blast the rocks with a powerhead during all of this. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get some gfo too as I imagine those phosphates are going to spike up dramatically. I personally would add some bacterial mixes that would help consume that waste and minimize the amount of phosphate that gets absorbed by the rocks. The thing I'm worried about is the vibrant and extreme phosphate value that might occur.
 

fishguy242

Cronies..... INSERT BUILD THREAD BADGE HERE !!
View Badges
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
42,758
Reaction score
246,007
Location
Illinois
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
bummer, sorry to see
make sure you have plenty of air in holding tank.
hob w carbon would be ideal.

main tank , 100% water change asap.
let others chime in on sand , possibly complete tear down, rinse sand ,clean tank and eq. wiwd...
 

ReefChasers

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 12, 2021
Messages
1,718
Reaction score
1,309
Location
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Probably a few back to back 90% Changes will do it and a sand vac. I'm sure you got the corals out in time -- they can probably be fine if you just keep them at the right salt and temp for a few days in an alternate tank while you "Fix" the madness in the primary display.

Hope this works out for you!
 

gbroadbridge

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 25, 2021
Messages
3,920
Reaction score
4,059
Location
Sydney, Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Had a nice evening with the neighbors tonight… until I came inside to see my fish tank that is. The neighbors kid dumped 2 entire canisters of @ReefChasers reef candy coral food and an entire bottle of vibrant into a 20 gallon tank!

How did I notice you ask? I hear my tank overflowing from being so clogged. My surge protectors I have everything plugged into were sizzling. Had I been away any longer I am afraid the loss could have been worse than just a fish tank.

Of course this all happens on a night that I am almost completely out of water. Luckily I have one 5 gallon bucket of water left and an empty 5 gallon tank.

Question now is, my rocks, pumps, filters etc… will the vibrant mess with them or can I rinse and get started back up again? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

A83F0038-3738-4DF3-8D4B-C267460350A3.jpeg EEE2097E-2994-4878-944C-63BC288A71CA.jpeg
The biggest concern for coral welfare is the vibrant.

It's an algaecide. They will die unless you move them to new water - it may already be too late.
 

i cant think

Wrasse Addict
View Badges
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
17,049
Reaction score
31,936
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
They are slowly coming back out
As the corals are starting to come out more I’d say you got the incident in time and only a small amount of harm occurred.
I agree with the others in which a whole tank break down may need to happen. Possibly could get away with back to back 90% waterchanges.
 

A_Blind_Reefer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 13, 2019
Messages
1,769
Reaction score
2,368
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well this sucks! I feel a bit awkward as I’m not so concerned about the tank, but more so about the kid. In this whole disaster could they have ingested, or had anything get into thier eyes? I don’t know how old they were but it sounds like very young. I know kids will be kids, but I’d freak out if my neighbors kid drank vibrant, ingested any chemicals, or chemicals burned thier eyes! Not to take away from your tank disaster or anything
 

Dburr1014

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2016
Messages
8,180
Reaction score
8,127
Location
CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Had a nice evening with the neighbors tonight… until I came inside to see my fish tank that is. The neighbors kid dumped 2 entire canisters of @ReefChasers reef candy coral food and an entire bottle of vibrant into a 20 gallon tank!

How did I notice you ask? I hear my tank overflowing from being so clogged. My surge protectors I have everything plugged into were sizzling. Had I been away any longer I am afraid the loss could have been worse than just a fish tank.

Of course this all happens on a night that I am almost completely out of water. Luckily I have one 5 gallon bucket of water left and an empty 5 gallon tank.

Question now is, my rocks, pumps, filters etc… will the vibrant mess with them or can I rinse and get started back up again? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

A83F0038-3738-4DF3-8D4B-C267460350A3.jpeg EEE2097E-2994-4878-944C-63BC288A71CA.jpeg
OMG, that is crazy. Hope you pull through okay.
You will probably be having a talk with the neighbors.
I don't let the grand kids touch my tank until I'm there and they know it. They love to feed them and watch the tank come alive.
Sorry op. :(
 

Reefing102

Metal Halides Til The End
View Badges
Joined
Apr 25, 2021
Messages
3,630
Reaction score
4,812
Location
Central Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Sounds like the corals will survive. I concur with the water change and getting a few bacterial boosters like turbostart, Dr. Tim’s, etc. While getting it re-set up I’d consider small water changes on the emergency tank too
 

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: 64 36.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top