I need help

[CM1104]

To say I'm intimidated, is quite the understatement!! My husband's tank is fairly new and in no way, shape, or form do I know anything about anything about aquariums... much less about saltwater aquariums, other than they're EXPENSIVE!! I can't read water levels, idk what they mean, idk how to work the lights as they're on a timer of sorts, all I ever do is feed the fish.

Soo... he just left on Thursday for 5 weeks, today is only day 2 of him being gone, and I feel like "the bottom dropped out", so to speak. I went to the in-laws for most of the day, came home and found a hole in the side of his leather. Idk if something ate the hole, if it's sick/infected with something, should I take it out, should I take it to the lfs tmrw?? Also, a hammer (I think...) was knocked over and I thought it was glued down, a rock with the grassy looking coral was knocked upside down, and his LT anemone is all bent out of shape and pitiful looking. I am terrified that something awful will happen to this tank while it's under my ignorant, naive care.

I know this needs to be handled as "one disaster at a time", so I'd really appreciate some advice about the leather first.

 

[P-Dub]

Take it out. Slice a good half to a full inch above the "wound". Take the remaining leather bit off the rock and reattach it to the rock with new rubber bands. Not too tight with the rubber bands. Personally, I would skewer the leather at the base about 1/4 inch above the cut and connect to the rock with the rubber bands hooked on to the skewers. Use plastic tooth picks to skewer.

 

[Rtaylor]

That is a bit concerning. It might be best to cut it above the hole. Use a rubberband to reattach it to the rock.

 

[Rtaylor]

The two corals that were knocked over, just place upright in the sand, they should be fine.

 

[CM1104]

Take it out. Slice a good half to a full inch above the "wound". Take the remaining leather bit off the rock and reattach it to the rock with new rubber bands. Not too tight with the rubber bands. Personally, I would skewer the leather at the base about 1/4 inch above the cut and connect to the rock with the rubber bands hooked on to the skewers. Use plastic tooth picks to skewer.

I'm looking for his coral cutting tool, but I don't have anything plastic resembling a toothpick. If my neighbor is awake, I know she has wooden toothpicks, would that work or could that cause a bacterial problem?

 

[Rtaylor]

I'm looking for his coral cutting tool, but I don't have anything plastic resembling a toothpick. If my neighbor is awake, I know she has wooden toothpicks, would that work or could that cause a bacterial problem?

It will be fine short term. Any sharp clean knife should work. You could even just place the leather on the sand until tomorrow. No rush.

 

[CM1104]

The two corals that were knocked over, just place upright in the sand, they should be fine.

Will do, thank you.

 

[P-Dub]

Take it out. Slice a good half to a full inch above the "wound". Take the remaining leather bit off the rock and reattach it to the rock with new rubber bands. Not too tight with the rubber bands. Personally, I would skewer the leather at the base about 1/4 inch above the cut and connect to the rock with the rubber bands hooked on to the skewers. Use plastic tooth picks to skewer.

Slice, like a cucumber, at the top line and remove from the rock the colored in portion, then reattach as stated above.

 

[P-Dub]

I'm looking for his coral cutting tool, but I don't have anything plastic resembling a toothpick. If my neighbor is awake, I know she has wooden toothpicks, would that work or could that cause a bacterial problem?

If no plastic toothpicks just rubberband it to the rock. A couple bands right across the entire head should work. Tight enough to keep it from moving but not so tight it will split the coral.