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Coral Vue Hydros

URGENT HELP Needed! :(


Snow_Phoenix

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Snow_Phoenix

I need some serious help and advice. I was not feeling well today (had a major seizure last night) and against my better judgement, decided to clean the walls of my 30G DT today evening even though I was weak and disorientated. I must have went through another seizure or something during cleaning, because I when I became 'aware' again of my surroundings, I realized I had grabbed on to my major LR shelf piece (the one that has the clam attached) and sent my whole LR structure (full of corals and a clam) tumbling. It's a miracle nothing in my tank cracked. This was how my tank looked like before the accident:

 

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And since the LR piece hit the sandbed, it kicked up a storm cloud of dust and dirt. I tried to do multiple WCs with zero success. Out of desperation, I decided to keep my smaller LR pieces submerged in my 30G with my RW-4 running to preserve my bacteria.

 

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And I quickly crammed all my CUC in a miserable 1.5G breeder box (all my QTs are taken up by sick or new fish):

 

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And I placed all my pissed off corals in a giant tub and ran a powerhead in there. I placed my mini maxi carpet nem and porcelain nem crab in the sump and am running another powerhead in there as well:

 

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Of course, I'm also completely out of salt at this point, and the LFS is closed tomorrow. Will everything survive?

 

Can the corals go without light for two days, or should I pull over my T5s over the giant tub?

 

Can my CUC go without food for a couple of days?

 

Do you think I should wash my entire sandbed (it is filthy) and then slowly re-add the rock and pray for a small/nil cycle?

 

Any advice is appreciated. The nitrates in my 30G is right now spiking to 50ppm, so I'm really lost on this one. This is a major setback for me, and I want to minimize my losses during the re-start. :tears:

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Sorry to hear about your seizures.

 

The stirred up sand bed might release a lot of organics and nutrients into the water (which could cause an ammonia spike). I'd be tempted to remove the rest of the live rock, then remove the substrate. Clean out your tank, then put everything back in with a bare bottom. If you have a mechanical filter, use it to help clear the water (clean it out frequently).

 

I'd replace the sand with new sand, but it would be possible to clean the old sand. It will take a lot of time and water, so just keep the tank bare bottomed until it's completed. Once cleaned, let it cure in a separate tub (it doesn't need light, just saltwater and flow).

 

As far as your coral surviving for a couple of days without light, they should be fine.

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I agree with seabass, I would personally pitch the old sand and get new sand or go barebottom. The cleanup crew should be just fine. As long as it is only a couple days, the coral should be fine also, make sure nothing is touching that shouldn't though.

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Snow_Phoenix

Sorry to hear about your seizures.

 

The stirred up sand bed might release a lot of organics and nutrients into the water (which could cause an ammonia spike). I'd be tempted to remove the rest of the live rock, then remove the substrate. Clean out your tank, then put everything back in with a bare bottom. If you have a mechanical filter, use it to help clear the water (clean it out frequently).

 

I'd replace the sand with new sand, but it would be possible to clean it out. It will take a lot of time and water, so just keep the tank bare bottomed until it's completed. Once cleaned, let it cure in a separate tub (it doesn't need light, just saltwater and flow).

 

As far as your coral surviving for a couple of days without light, they should be fine.

 

Thank you so much, Sea Bass. I will try to get some new sand if I can (usually my LFS carries crushed coral, which is too coarse for my liking) but if I can't, I'll just have to make do with washing my sand thoroughly.

 

When I place the liverock back in (with the tank going bare-bottom), can I run the major stock pump (my tank is sumped) and powerhead at the same time to clear the debri? Or must I get an overhead power filter (the one that has a long box attached to a powerhead)?

 

 

Also, once the sand has been cured separately and re-added to the setup, it won't offset any parameters, right? (As in possible ammonia spike etc.). Just preparing myself because I need to restock a few things before I can pull through with this fully.

I agree with seabass, I would personally pitch the old sand and get new sand or go barebottom. The cleanup crew should be just fine. As long as it is only a couple days, the coral should be fine also, make sure nothing is touching that shouldn't though.

 

Thanks, Merthynia. Maybe I will get fresh sand (order some in). Barebottom is a hassle to keep clean though, although it does look neat.

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You can run your tank as normal. If you have a sump, I'd probably use a filter sock to help clear the water. If you happen to have a HOB filter, put it on and clean or change out the floss frequently.

Curing the sand separately, should help prevent the possibility of an ammonia spike. After curing, mix it up again and see if there is any resulting ammonia. If there is, it needs more curing (and/or cleaning). Repeat until you can mix it without any resulting ammonia over the next couple of days.

Yeah, the sand won't change the parameters. It actually works as a buffer.

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So sorry to hear this has happened :(

 

As for the cuc going without food, it is fine to go days ( weeks for some) without feeding, they can take fasting better than a lot of tank inhabitants.

 

Keep an eye for any infections in the coral since they may have been injured from the tumble.

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Snow_Phoenix

You can run your tank as normal. If you have a sump, I'd probably use a filter sock to help clear the water. If you happen to have a HOB filter, put it on and clean or change out the floss frequently.

 

Curing the sand separately, should help prevent the possibility of an ammonia spike. After curing, mix it up again and see if there is any resulting ammonia. If there is, it needs more curing (and/or cleaning). Repeat until you can mix it without any resulting ammonia over the next couple of days.

 

Yeah, the sand won't change the parameters. It actually works as a buffer.

 

Okay, noted on all accounts. I'll definitely stick to your advice and cure it separately - I want the system to run as smoothly as possible. Thank you so much.

 

So sorry to hear this has happened :(

 

As for the cuc going without food, it is fine to go days ( weeks for some) without feeding, they can take fasting better than a lot of tank inhabitants.

 

Keep an eye for any infections in the coral since they may have been injured from the tumble.

 

Noted - I think I'll feed them every three days once then. Can't risk having the crabs going after the snails out of desperation. Will definitely keep an eye on the corals too.

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SpankythePyro

Make sure you yourself are ok.

 

Increasing severity and/or frequency of seizures is a sign to go to your neurologist. If its a good neuro they will find you an appointment, none of the usual "you have to wait 2 months" you get from an orthopod

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Snow_Phoenix

Make sure you yourself are ok.

 

Increasing severity and/or frequency of seizures is a sign to go to your neurologist. If its a good neuro they will find you an appointment, none of the usual "you have to wait 2 months" you get from an orthopod

 

Thank you, Spanky. We found out the source of the problem about a month ago - my serum epilim levels were lower than usual even under medication. I am due for an appointment with my neurologist quite soon. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the patient load she has (she's the only neurologist in a private hosp. in town), I have to wait. Unless I slip into a coma (hopefully not!), I can't skip ahead of my turn. :(

 

Thankfully my father is a doctor himself, so he's keeping a close eye on me. He's helping me tomorrow to get some extra salt and sand for the tank and doing all the driving. But I'll most likely take a few days to clean everything out and refill the tank slowly. My left side of the body is weaker than usual and lagging a little.

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That's weird you have a weaker feeling side now, sounds a little like what happens when someone has a stroke. I hope nothing too serious.

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Health is number one, glad you identified the problem you were having.

 

Your corals will be fine for a few days without the light, I've done 3-4 day black out periods to deal with algae issues.

Seabass is 100% right about the sand, I'd get rid of it and start with new/fresh sand personally. If not then run a lot of carbon through your system to help absorb anything nasty let loose from your sand.

Your CUC will be fine in that small holding tank, you could drop some fish pellets or a small bit of frozen food in there for em.

Rule of thumb for me is I always make sure to keep enough salt on hand to replace my tanks water volume 2 times over, 1 at minimum for things like this that could arise. I usually have 10 gallons mixed and ready to go at all times, I just mix a batch after I do a water change because things do pop up.

 

Just take your time and you'll be good to go.

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SpankythePyro

That's weird you have a weaker feeling side now, sounds a little like what happens when someone has a stroke. I hope nothing too serious.

 

Stroke, TIA, or if you have a history of seizure disorder, Todd's Paresis which usually goes away.

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Snow_Phoenix

That's weird you have a weaker feeling side now, sounds a little like what happens when someone has a stroke. I hope nothing too serious.

 

Don't worry - the feeling wears off after a while and thankfully right now my left side is strong again.

 

Health is number one, glad you identified the problem you were having.

 

Your corals will be fine for a few days without the light, I've done 3-4 day black out periods to deal with algae issues.

Seabass is 100% right about the sand, I'd get rid of it and start with new/fresh sand personally. If not then run a lot of carbon through your system to help absorb anything nasty let loose from your sand.

Your CUC will be fine in that small holding tank, you could drop some fish pellets or a small bit of frozen food in there for em.

Rule of thumb for me is I always make sure to keep enough salt on hand to replace my tanks water volume 2 times over, 1 at minimum for things like this that could arise. I usually have 10 gallons mixed and ready to go at all times, I just mix a batch after I do a water change because things do pop up.

 

Just take your time and you'll be good to go.

 

I took a few days to re-fill the tank with fresh saltwater, setup the scape and place the CUC back in. I also acquired 10kg of new live sand that is now being cycled separately in an old salt bucket. I think I'll be running some extra carbon over the next few days though, just to get rid of any excess toxins or gunk since my system is technically skimmerless. Thank you for all the advice, I appreciate it.

 

How are you doing?

 

Doing much better, Hammer. Felt a bit 'out' and 'odd' for the first two days, then am now back to normal.

 

 

Stroke, TIA, or if you have a history of seizure disorder, Todd's Paresis which usually goes away.

 

No stroke, thankfully. Just some temporary weakness that ebbed away eventually.

 

Thank you all for your concern. :flower:

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Snow_Phoenix

Seabass, if you're still reading this, it looks like I might need further help. My CUC in the DT seem to be dying off one by one, three of my corals are sick, some of my fish have developed what might look like fin rot (or maybe they were attacked repeatedly by my overzealous Occy clown), and the ammonia in my live sand that is being cycled separately in a bucket is still at 8.0ppm for the past week.

 

Any powerhead that I place in the bucket full of sand gets clogged with sand and immediately breaks down (I lost both my spare powerheads this way), so I'm only supplementing the sand with an airstone.

 

Will it be alright if I do this:

 

1. Remove all livestock and liverock from 30G DT and shift into basin. Pull over lights on top of basin to supplement corals.

 

2. Place currently cycling live sand in 30G DT instead. Wait for sand to finish cycling and introduce rocks>CUC>Corals>Fish

 

3. Isolate all suspected sick fish (1 Ambon damsel, 1 Allen's damsel, 1 TSB & 1 Pink Watchman Goby) to QT and treat for meds for fin rot.

 

4. Return terrorizing Occy clown to LFS (also return Ambon damsel to LFS - this guy's a jerk too) and keep remaining True Percula who shows no sign of illness in the basin with all the other stuff.

 

I think I'm in over my head again. It was a really bad idea to put everything in without the sand to add extra stability, so I'll take the fall and responsibility for that.

 

Can anyone give me any pointers? I'm going to dedicate the whole of Friday tomorrow to trying to save whatever that's left of my livestock. I've already lost three Trochus snail, 1 Astrea snail, half of my green hard brain colony, half of my 2.5-year-old brown Magician Paly colony, some parts of my 2.5-year-old green Pagoda coral and some parts of my 6-month-old green Goni. :tears:

 

I really don't want to lose anything else. Please help. Any guidance is appreciated.

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Just saw you're feeling better! so glad to read that, Snow. Wish I had some advice for the above, but I'm way too much of a noob.

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Snow_Phoenix

Just saw you're feeling better! so glad to read that, Snow. Wish I had some advice for the above, but I'm way too much of a noob.

 

Thank you, Stella. And I don't think you're a noob though - your progress in your tank thread looks fantastic! I'm still learning and making mistakes in this hobby, unfortunately. I just wish it wasn't at the expanse of my livestock. :(

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Thank you, Stella. And I don't think you're a noob though - your progress in your tank thread looks fantastic! I'm still learning and making mistakes in this hobby, unfortunately. I just wish it wasn't at the expanse of my livestock. :(

Well, what happened was no fault of yours! And you're gonna get it back on track.

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Snow_Phoenix

Well, what happened was no fault of yours! And you're gonna get it back on track.

 

I hope so! It's a pity we can't tag forum members - Seabass and Patback are more experienced in these kind of things.

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Seabass, if you're still reading this, it looks like I might need further help.

Still here. I'm happy to try to help you out.

 

Any powerhead that I place in the bucket full of sand gets clogged with sand and immediately breaks down (I lost both my spare powerheads this way), so I'm only supplementing the sand with an airstone.

A larger bucket (or second bucket) might help. Home Depot carries various sizes of Rubbermaid Brute containers that might work better. Keep the powerhead up toward the top and have enough water so that the powerhead isn't right next to the sand. Without a powerhead, an airstone is the next best thing.

 

The ammonia level in the bucket with sand is very high. Normally you would just let it go until it becomes undetectable. However, there is a point where the ammonia level is too high for the beneficial nitrifying bacteria that we want, and it retards its ability to reproduce. Change out the water and watch it some more. If it gets up to 8ppm again, switch out the water again.

 

It's my guess that the powerheads are salvageable. Take them apart and rinse them out. Then soak them in vinegar and brush off the parts with a toothbrush. Rinse them out again, and give them a try.

 

Will it be alright if I do this:

1. Remove all livestock and liverock from 30G DT and shift into basin. Pull over lights on top of basin to supplement corals.

2. Place currently cycling live sand in 30G DT instead. Wait for sand to finish cycling and introduce rocks>CUC>Corals>Fish

3. Isolate all suspected sick fish (1 Ambon damsel, 1 Allen's damsel, 1 TSB & 1 Pink Watchman Goby) to QT and treat for meds for fin rot.

4. Return terrorizing Occy clown to LFS (also return Ambon damsel to LFS - this guy's a jerk too) and keep remaining True Percula who shows no sign of illness in the basin with all the other stuff.

I'd leave the livestock and LR in the display. A bucket is more suitable for curing the sand.

 

A hospital tank isn't a bad idea to treat your fish. If you have a biofilter (like a HOB filter with some old floss), move it over to the hospital tank to help process the ammonia. You might also need a bottle of Seachem Prime to help detoxify any excess ammonia.

 

A True Perc, False Perc, and Damsel are all related and often have compatibility issues in a nano sized tank. If the LFS is willing to take them back, I'd do that. However, it would be nice to tell them that your fish might be fighting an infection so they can treat them without infecting their other fish.

 

I think I'm in over my head again. It was a really bad idea to put everything in without the sand to add extra stability, so I'll take the fall and responsibility for that.

All the sand does, is help to stabilize the pH (and it's arguable how much of a buffer it really is). Running without sand isn't causing any of these problems.

 

Is there any detectable ammonia in the tank with your fish and other livestock? Water quality is critical. Make sure that you still do your water changes during this process.

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