Questions

gudar · Jan 28, 2009

1. should i get out of this hobby
2. what makes your tank crash
3. is it bad to move a tank after a fish dies
4. if a tank crashes do you need to cycle it again
5. if you do how long; does it need to be longer than to set it up because stuff died
6. could you just let it run with a UV sterolizer and recycle if it crashes

and yes i crashed my 65

cherokee_dude · Jan 28, 2009

1. Nope, It'll cost more when YOU DO come back...
2. All kinds of stuff. Would need a lot more info to answer this one.
3. Depends on if you let the fish stay in the tank

Generally, makes no difference if it's out very soon after it dies.
4. It will probably go through a cycle on it's own. Water changes and testing will help you decide what to do next.
5. Not necessarily.
6. No, WC's are probably your first step.

Remember rule #1... Go slow.

Garth Schafluetzel · Jan 28, 2009

what is this cmon now we all have bad times but we pull thru whats going on with ur tank?

bkv1997 · Jan 28, 2009

Andy:

1) Absolutely not... its a hobby and each thing that happens bad is a chance to learn.
2) Many possibilities.... Mine personally extremely high salinity due to a faulty hydrometer... and extremely low Magnesium levels after hooking up a Calcium Reactor.
3) Shouldn't matter, but i guess it depends on why the fish dies.
4) Well I guess that depends on why it crashed..... if it was due to high nitrites/nitrates/ammonia etc.... yes. If it was due to a temp spike, salinity change etc maybe not, but if you had mass die off you most likely will have nitrites/nitrates and recycling the tank is probably best.
5) I'd cycle until ammonia/nitrites are inline.
6) I wouldn't run a UV... thats gonna help algea, but kill the beneficial bacteria you need to cycle the system.

All that said what test kits do you have? I would gladly come help/look over your system and see if there are any issues. Once you get things up and running again I have plenty of things to get your tank stocked up just let me know when you are ready.

Brandon

gudar said:
1. should i get out of this hobby
2. what makes your tank crash
3. is it bad to move a tank after a fish dies
4. if a tank crashes do you need to cycle it again
5. if you do how long; does it need to be longer than to set it up because stuff died
6. could you just let it run with a UV sterolizer and recycle if it crashes

and yes i crashed my 65

Garth Schafluetzel · Jan 28, 2009

yeah i to would love to come help you and like brandon said this is a hobby bad things happen im looking at my new canopy with no bulbs on top of my tank right now andi to have had to flush close to 500 dollars worth of fish so keep ur head up

gudar · Jan 29, 2009

my testkit is an API its like a year old

salt newbie01 · Jan 29, 2009

Sorry to hear Andy. No oytu shouldn't get out of the hobby. If keeping a reef was easy everyone would do it. We have all had losses and tank crashes. The main thing is to explore what casued it and learn from that. Can you give us some specs from when the crash happened? We need to figure out what went wrong - Also did you have just fish die or fish and coral?

Hang in there man, we can help you figure it out and restock

gudar · Jan 29, 2009

i lost my atlantic blue tang(only had it a week) and my 2 year old percula clown.

1/28/09

Alkalinity:9 drops(tropic marin)
pH:8.2
salenity:1.026
nitrite: 0
ammonia: 0
nitrate: 0
phosphate: .25
calcium: 520
temprature: 80 F

scouncil · Jan 29, 2009

Might be the dreaded ich. Maybe I have plagued you..... Did you lose any corals, or just the fish. I lost a clown with my tang too.....

ironman · Jan 29, 2009

Just curious, What else did you loose? Generally when someone says there tank crashed that means everything died. corals, fish, and inverts. If all you lost was a couple fish I would chock that up to a tang that died and infected the clown so it died. end of story, leave the tank fish free for awhile, let the system run with larger than normal water changes. and take some time before adding anymore fish. If you lost corals and all then that is a different story.
Definalty dont give up, worst case if you lost everything we all can get you restocked with new corals quickly, hang in there

gudar · Jan 29, 2009

i also lost a frogspawn and my terbo snail(the only invert in the tank) so i lost everything dose the bacteria die on the rocks too
do you think magnesium could have done the prob or the o2 level because a few days before my chado and calurpa died

FirstSalt · Jan 29, 2009

You are welcome to some of my zoas. Don't give up man. I'm sure it's only a matter of time till it happens to me too. I'd take the advice of the guys in the club that have done this for years and let them come over, take a look and help you figure out what happened. -Mark

scouncil · Jan 30, 2009

You need a club evaluation. I'd take up Brandon on his offer to look at your tank and see if he can figure out what went on. Don't give up. How long has this tank been set up (wasn't the big tank your brothers?). We all have frags that we can help you get started back up with and I've got the calerpa and some cheato still.

Get Brandon to figure out what went on and get the tank back in good shape and then we'll see about getting frags to you. I've got zoas and could frag some mushrooms (with help) and maybe a 5 head hammer or something to tide you over for a while. Got a nice clown wrasse, but you probably don't want him......

Don't give up. We all have crashes from time to time. Mine was when I was living in FL and I lost EVERYTHING except for a large snowflake eel (that we figured didn't have a big brain, so didn't require much oxygen....)
Susan

gudar · Jan 31, 2009

the tank has been set up for about 4 years and it is my tank

scouncil · Jan 31, 2009

Well, we all have a crash sometimes. Mine was a long time ago and I sure hope I'm not due for one!! I'd still take Brandon up on the offer to come and look at it. Don't give up. I had to give up on powder blue tangs, but not the tank.....