Everyone is stupid, including me.

[BlackSumbel]

My 2gl hex pico made it down to Dallas okay. A friend was taking care of the tank. The deal was a small water change twice a month, topoffs every day and once a month I'd come out and do real maintenance. I would be paying them a bit of cash, and providing all supplies/suppliments. Once I got an apartment I'd come pick it up for good. I knew it was a bad idea... I felt it in my bones, but I had either the choice of tearing down the tank and giving everything away, or deal with the poor situation. It was a better option than bringing it with me as I sofa-surfed around the DFW area.

 

The tank, to put it pointedly, did a lot better than I expected. I even had the time and energy to complete the refugium box on the back, resulting in better water quality. It was working! The corals were developing nicely, and most (including the possible PHE), had multiplied. Claire (Pompom crab + TV show reference = win) was Rah-Rah-ing at cyclopeze. The cool sponge was encrusting up the back of the rockwork and generally... the tank rocked balls.

 

About two months ago Tank Nanny (hereafter "Dumb######") called me... and asked about tank things for the first time.

DS: "Ummmmm... so, what happens if the stuff starts to turn white?"

BS: "What do you mean?"

DS: "Well, like everythng's fine but I asked someone about stuff and they said sometimes stuff can go wrong..."

BS: "Send me a pic and I can tell you what's up."

DS: "Um.. no, nevermind."

BS: "Send me a picture of my tank, please."

 

The tank had 2" of water left in the bottom. The refugium had been BROKEN OFF ENTIRELY, and -everything- (excepting the snails) was dead. I pressed them with "WHAT THE **** DID YOU DO TO MY TANK?!"

 

The sad story began to unfold. Apparently, after about five months and-some-change of taking care of the tank, they got bored with how it looked and decided to add livestock. This included what was apparently an anemone and a young clownfish of some kind. He didn't tell me because he knew I "didn't want a nemo".

 

The anemone went over the overflow into the refugium, causing Dumb###### to PRY THE REFUGIUM OFF to get it out. Due to the sudden drop in nutrient export, the tank crashed. Dumb###### then follows the instructions of the local petco to "get rid of like half the water"... but did not realize this meant REPLACE it with NEW water. Fish dies, rock dies, my pompom crab dies. My soul dies... just a little.

 

I come back to Oklahoma with a 2gl hex full of dead rock/sand and a valuable lesson learned: The person who crashes your tank will never be as stupid as you were for letting them within twenty feet of it.

 

The Stantastic Tank - Redux = Soon to unfold.

[lakshwadeep]

Ouch! Looks like morans are not reef-safe.

[skydive]

You practically gave them the tank and you came to visit it once a month. That's probably how DS saw it to.

 

On a side note go google image search moran.

[clifford513]

Sad.

[Militant Jurist]

Idiots are fun. No wonder every village wants one.

[BlackSumbel]

Actually, I was paying them to maintain the tank on a day-to-day basis, and coming out once a month to do the stuff like mixing new batches of water, cleaning up the physical space of the tank...etc.

 

We were also hanging out, as friends do, rather regularly... at any point they could've asked "What kinda fish could I put in there?" at which point I would've given a list. They chose the path of fail.

[Haagenize]

Sorry for the misfortune

 

but now you know what to do next time right?

[Fishy_Fun]

Wow sorry to hear about that

[iFISTmoose]

do you still talk to the guy?

[BlackSumbel]

The last time I spoke to this person was when I picked up the tank and he told me I still owed him for the last couple of weeks it was "running", plus the cost of the livestock he bought.

 

Needless to say I don't feel I owe him that.

[got2envy]

I can't believe that he would think that you owe him...you are right, he is a moranz.

sorry to hear about the tank, that really sucks bung hole.

[jm82792]

I would have given him the bill for the livestock,for his knowing mistake of adding the clown.

The dude is a moron,sorry for the loses.

[BlackSumbel]

I basically explained that he killed the $80+ in fish/anemone, and that the stuff that I had paid for was around $60. I also told him I'd happily pay him the $20 difference if he'd locate and return my refugium box (I had to get it made at a shop) and return pump. I has not those things, for Captain Moran Von Dumb###### "threw them out"... i.e. he get no moneez.

 

I am actually "cool" with the whole situation. I understand it was the gamble I took... I lost out. I'm just not going to keep bending over and taking another one up the tailpipe.

 

I'm GOING to set the tank up again. Maybe for some sexies or some harlequins. There's been the kicking around of the idea of getting Dwarf Seahorses since everything in there is dead as a doornail anyway.

[el fabuloso]

Wow.

 

I don't know what I would do if somebody did that to my tank.

[er1c_the_reefer]

if someone did that to my tank i'd cry.

[fiction101]

All that for a 2g hex?

[adinsxq]

photos!@

[BKtomodachi]

I prefer to use equipment over people. I'm away from my tank for day 4 of 18. I'm scared.

[iFISTmoose]

I prefer to use equipment over people. I'm away from my tank for day 4 of 18. I'm scared.

 

I am away from July 1 to July 30th.

[burtbollinger]

urinate on his rug.

 

its the least you can do.

[BlackSumbel]

I did not immortalize the death of my tank with photos, Oh Master of Teh Tiny Nems. I do, however, have one of it newly set up with some of the old rock, waiting for a new peice of LR to start the cycle.

 

 

And yeah, all that for a 2gl hex. Had Dumb###### not done what he did... it would still be running, and the "PHEs" would be ready to frag.

[Lalani]

I resent the title...

 

Edit: Oh yeah, sorry about the tank..

[FishOnTheBrainCoral]

I am lucky my GF is not a moron! se enjoys the tanks. I am on a two month on/off schedual at work and she takes care of all 5 tanks quite well. She doesnt tinker with them all the time like i do, but she is real good about feeding and WC's

That sucks big time man Im sorry to hear about your tank....

[joel sandoman]

Are you on the road a lot? Is that why they were taking care of the tank for you? Sucks.

[rean_jem]

Are you on the road a lot? Is that why they were taking care of the tank for you?

 

i think he said that he's looking for a more permanent place.

 

sorry for the loss.