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

[Akreefnewguy]

Yes so you’re beneficial bacteria probably wasn’t enough to handle the die off nutrients from the GHA

My thoughts but im new and didn't want to over step. But sounds like a new cycle

 

[Phoerut]

Yes so you’re beneficial bacteria probably wasn’t enough to handle the die off nutrients from the GHA

I suspected this. I did it on my week off work so I could keep an eye BUT not much even died!!

 

[Tim'sReef]

Thankyou that was a really nice thing to say. You are 100% right I need to just let it be sometimes. My panicked state just made things so much worse too.

All my fish and corals have names and stuff so I’m personally attached to them now. Nothing in there was worth more than £40 but I’m sitting here staring at a £5 mushroom coral (my day 1 coral) like noo not Melvin .

I know what you mean. Its why none of my fish now have names haha. If I give it a name it will be the first to die for sure.

 

[Phoerut]

This is fraction

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

This tank is only 2 months, I upgraded from a fluval nano 13.5. I did not transfer any sand or live rock because a bryopsis problem that still made its way over and an extreme bristle worm problem. Hermits moved moved over first, Corals were dipped and moved over after 3 weeks along with the fish. I washed out my sponges in the new tank. Ammonia did spike and then drop during the 3 weeks. The old tank and the new tank side by side was too much weight on my upstairs floor boards so it was a swifter than I wanted operation. The ammonia never sky rocketed like it has this week though.

Yes so you’re beneficial bacteria probably wasn’t enough to handle the die off nutrients from the GHA

I suspected this. I did it on my week off work so I could keep an eye BUT not much even died!!

I’ve been in the hobby for 7 years and I still make 1000$ mistakes. You will learn to take your time with everything. Under dose every new product you try. Every new adjustment to the tank; wait about a week sometimes longer to see results. For example: Reef flux says 1 capsule per 10g or something I would have done a half capsule per 10g. Ease into everything.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

This is fraction

Throw that in the trash

 

[Phoerut]

Shall I feed the fish today or no? And yeah the lights seem to be making the corals die faster. Shall I keep them on or turn them off. I know stability is key but I’m just staring at it not knowing my next move

 

[Phoerut]

Throw that in the trash

No good? I do agree. BUT with the levels of ammonia that was in there, surely the fish would have died without it?

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Shall I feed the fish today or no? And yeah the lights seem to be making the corals die faster. Shall I keep them on or turn them off. I know stability is key but I’m just staring at it not knowing my next move

Yes. Try to feed frozen. It has less nutrients to feed into your gha issues. Also try some turbo snails and just hand pick the long stuff

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

No good? I do agree. BUT with the levels of ammonia that was in there, surely the fish would have died without it?

No I’m sorry that was fine to use, I don’t like how it says it makes tap water safe. But adding some bacteria I believe was the right move

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Yes. Try to feed frozen. It has less nutrients to feed into your gha issues. Also try some turbo snails and just hand pick the long stuff

Also do you use Ro/di water?

 

[Phoerut]

Also do you use Ro/di water?

Just RO, it’s home made and tested at absolute 0

 

[Phoerut]

I’m not opposed to considering it’s my RO if you guys suspect that though

 

[Tim'sReef]

I’m not opposed to considering it’s my RO if you guys suspect that though

If you're RO meter has the correct reading than I would say not needed. In the beginning I didn't have di filter and used 2 tds water. Now that is not perfect but a lot of stores here that sell supposedly 0 tds water, have a tds of around that. So I just used my own.

There are ICP test brands that include a RO water check. It tells you everything that is in there. If you can reference that to you're own tds meter value i would say no di needed.

But in mine there where some stuff left so I added an di filter and got to 0 tds. Which I verified a couple of months later with another ICP test.

(Do note ICP test results are only as good as the person and machine doing the test, it's not the true true value )

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I’m not opposed to considering it’s my RO if you guys suspect that though

Nope. Just wanted to make sure. As lo mg as u have 0tds you’re fine.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Throw that in the trash

Why? It's a water comditioner.
Very common. Same as Prime.

Does nothing for Ammonia though - same as Prime does nothing for Ammonia

 

[Koty]

Do not feed the fish. They will secret more ammonia into the system. Food is not their problem now, ammonia is.
Again; no Chemicals whatsoever unless it's salt or dosed macro or microelements!
Corals can surprisingly recover as long as you do not add more stress.
Sorry if I missed it, but what is the volume of your tank, and do you have a sump/refuge?

 

[Phoerut]

Why? It's a water comditioner.
Very common. Same as Prime.

Does nothing for Ammonia though - same as Prime does nothing for Ammonia

Apparently it binds toxic ammonia together. I mean it must do because you don’t understand how bad this ammonia was. Like all life would be dead within hours. So I stand by the fact it MUST had done something. If you read the ‘expert use’ section it says about it. I could well have screwed everything else though.

 

[Phoerut]

Do not feed the fish. They will secret more ammonia into the system. Food is not their problem now, ammonia is.
Again; no Chemicals whatsoever unless it's salt or dosed macro or microelements!
Corals can surprisingly recover as long as you do not add more stress.
Sorry if I missed it, but what is the volume of your tank, and do you have a sump/refuge?

170 litres and yes I do.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

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.