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Work tank - Now simply a FOWLR


Sunstar

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Our work, I offered to fix the tank, or work on it some months ago, but they hired some woman who clearly is not doing her job. I am not sure if she understands the problems, or even cares about the tank. I work there, that tank is adopted by me. I love it. I dream of having such a huge tank... it breaks my heart to see it in such disorder.

Here is the problem.

Massive flatworm infestation. I mentioned it before in a different thread. The owner of the tank keeps saying, Well, we got good things like carbon that will take care of it. Not flatworms.. cyanobacteria maybe.

But here is the thing. during the day when lights are on, a cobwebby like formation develops - I think maybe cyano, but after lights out, it recedes, even the flatworms seem to withdrawal. At lights out the problem seems "less apparent"

I noticed symptoms of unhappy reef when I was at work wednesday. bubble tips are withdrawn and disappearing, the leathers are withdrawn, zoanthids buried under this cobweb of whaterver. Now i detect a smell coming from the sump and the fish have cloudy eyes. That was what the manager brought me over to see. I think she is sad the tank is in such disarray too.

I have taken water home to test for most of the problems. I also think the salinity is shot due to the Smart ATO being knocked off the sump.

I want to know, what would create a cobwebby like coating on rocks, corals. It doesn't look like dino - atl east I do not see air bubbles. What would it be that it is heavy during lights on and barely present during lights out.

I will come back shortly with my test reads and compare it to my own tank reads.

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I would see vermatids. I don't see them. I got the water tests done...

 

SC23-01-16.png

 

I cannot tell you yet, if it is RODI. I am taking my TDS meter tomorrow.

I need a new nitrite kit.

 

Just to compare... my own tank's last read.

 

19-01-16.png

 

Edit, I got the DKH and ALk Switched around in my reading.

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You're getting ammonia at 1 and nitrate at 50?! I would take correction action asap. Dose some Prime. Large water change is warranted. Blow detritus off the rocks. I doubt the sand bed has been touched for a long while so I wouldn't disturb it.

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How big of a water change, the tank is at least 100 gallons, possibly more. I got prime, a tiny bottle. I could use that.

 

Unfortunately for us, its not my tank, I don't know where supplies are kept. the owner is out, and I state again, the person "taking care" seems to be more interested in growing out frags than maintaining this one properly. I am not sure I would be allowed to do an emergency WC at this point. I would though if I knew where RODI, and water was kept.

 

I am using a picture of my 10 gallon and comparing it to the read of the 100+gallon we have at work. the work tank is so unhappy.

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Sounds like it needs a total overhaul or at least several weeks/months of work to get it cleaned up.

 

How deep is the sand bed? How much rock is in there? How many fish? Do they have a wrasse? Do you know what kind of filtration it uses? What kind of lighting?

 

 

I would just dose some prime since it doesn't seem like much else you can do right now. If you get permission, they need to realize the tank is in such dissmay that drastic measures will be needed (large w/c's, maybe remove sand bed, perhaps QT the fish/corals and nuke the tank for flatworms, ect).

 

It sounds like they hired a hobbyist to save money and not a professional company. She may be lazy but she also may be limited to what she can do. That is, maybe they didn't give her the okay to spend $ or do drastic changes? Things like, if it uses t5's, it might need a bulb change, ect. Sometimes it can be hard to explain to people they need to spend $100 bucks on bulb changes every 9 months even though the bulbs still turn on and appear functioning.

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Basically, I think QT fish/coral. removal of all rock, drop in RODI, removal of sand bed, which seems fairly shallow. I would have to look again. but doesn't seem deeper than an inch.

 

They have a yellow fish, a tang, two eels, a sandsifting goby, a wrasse, one clown and a couple others. there are some zoanthids, gsp, bounce, leathers, mushrooms and flame BTA

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I agree with Tamberav that dosing prime would be the easiest thing to do right now to neutralize ammonia for the time being. According to seachem prime is only active for 2 days, so you'll have to dose every 48 hours until something can be done. I'm certain that you know it is just a bandaid. From there on you may have to see what permission you can get from the owner to fix the tank. If they're not willing to spend any money on it, then maybe they should think about taking it down or downsizing it to something manageable.

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Along with prime, you may want to dose something like Microbakter. That'll work on the ammonia a bit at a time, but also attempt to outcompete whatever the stringy stuff you mentioned is.

 

How's flow in the tank? Mechanical filtration?

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Along with prime, you may want to dose something like Microbakter. That'll work on the ammonia a bit at a time, but also attempt to outcompete whatever the stringy stuff you mentioned is.

 

How's flow in the tank? Mechanical filtration?

 

they are going to call in ther tank person, but I added prime to hte tank tonight.

 

I am not sure what the flow is like exactly , only that there is a maxspect gyre in the front right hand corner of the tank.

 

I am wondering if the sand sifting goby is being the problem. that was added very recently and it seems to be turfing the sand bed all around.

 

They are also using tap water for top off, it seems. TDS reads 176.

 

Alas, they will let thier "person" do it.

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A person, (you) a reefer who cares enough to try to save a tank that isn't theirs, cares enough to spend their own money (your chemicals), who has noticed several problems with the tank and wants to help fix it, and they would rather have their "person" handle it. You obviously love animals and want to help. Sounds like their person is doing the bare minimum or doesn't know what their doing. Sucks to watch a tank or any living thing go downhill and not be allowed to help out. That sucks. You tried.

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At least if something does happen to the tank they cannot blame you. If ammonia has been present for who knows how long the tank could potentially be beyond saving.... First animal for then the decay will cause a chain reaction. Hopefully the prime can buy some time.

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they are going to call in ther tank person, but I added prime to hte tank tonight.

 

I am not sure what the flow is like exactly , only that there is a maxspect gyre in the front right hand corner of the tank.

 

I am wondering if the sand sifting goby is being the problem. that was added very recently and it seems to be turfing the sand bed all around.

 

They are also using tap water for top off, it seems. TDS reads 176.

 

Alas, they will let thier "person" do it.

 

 

The sand-sifter could just be 'uncovering' the actual problem, which could be lack of husbandry for the sandbed/general tank in addition to the bad source water. If organics are trapped in there and decaying, but not allowed to filter out, the problem just gets worse and worse as food gets added to the tank or inverts begin to die. Hopefully the prime every 48 hours helps, but if that person doesn't pick up the slack then things are headed downhill..

 

I say sneak some microbakter and purigen/carbon in there... :unsure:

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The sand-sifter could just be 'uncovering' the actual problem, which could be lack of husbandry for the sandbed/general tank in addition to the bad source water. If organics are trapped in there and decaying, but not allowed to filter out, the problem just gets worse and worse as food gets added to the tank or inverts begin to die. Hopefully the prime every 48 hours helps, but if that person doesn't pick up the slack then things are headed downhill..

 

I say sneak some microbakter and purigen/carbon in there... :unsure:

I cannot afford right now to run out and buy microbakter, and more prime to maintain a 100+G tank. I used up my Prime bottle - which I had bought for a nano reef a while ago, last night. Mostly because I am spending a huge amount of money trying to get the best possible equipment so my corals and inverts can be kept as healthy as I can keep them. But I do have carbon/purigen I can drop into their tank providing I can find a sock.

 

My pets seem to be what I spend most of my cash on...At least my coworkers comment about my shopping list for my pet foods as gourmet. I buy clams, shrimp and periwinkles for my inverts. I give them fish, brine shrimp and mysis shrimp. I change it up during my feeds. My pigeon is a picky eater, who eats only peas, safflower, french lentils and black finch seed. I don't have children so my pets become those that I spoil with love.

 

I just can't understand why someone would have a reef tank and not love it. Everyone I see on the forums here loves their tanks. I would absolutely love to have a tank the size we got at work. Iove the fact we have such a tank at work. I am offended by the lack of care and concern for the water quality and animals - particularly animals who are entirely dependant on us to give them a quality life. I try to improve quality of life in my reef by upgrading DIY equipment with something more reliable - that said, my DIY stuff has done very well by me.

 

This was why I went as far as writing an instruction manual for my husband. and it came out to 37 pages detailing the tank and my own personal experiences so he has on hand something I am explaining so he understand how to care for the tank in the event I am unable to do so. I impress upon him that the tank is very important to me and that it is very expensive to run and operate. Its also useful if I have to have someone else check the tank too.

 

Sorry that was a rant.

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Sorry that was a rant.

 

 

Nah, don't apologize! I can totally understand why it'd be frustrating, and being able to vent about it is good.

 

Seriously, I'm crossing my fingers that the person in charge actually steps up and gets the tank under control. Good luck!

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Sunstar, you are okay to rant, I would too. I feel the same way when I see a neglected tank. I've tried to get restaurants and establishments to do better by their finned friends but it falls on deaf ears, we are emotionally connected, they are not. Over Christmas I saw a 30G with 9 tangs in it in a nail salon. True story. :(

 

If the person taking care of that tank is only interested in the frags, the ammonia won't help the frags, maybe using the frags as an angle to get that person to do something would be something that works.


I wonder if putting in coral snow will help get an emergency water change performed.

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I am not sure. I get the feeling the women comes just once a week. I am there 4 - 5 times a week. I could do it. But yeah, I can't..... Oh it frustrates me. These are living creatures not ornaments.

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I was thinking coral snow too. I've Been doing the Coral snow microbakter mix in my tank that Kat suggested on another thread. But it can get really visible and your ignorant coworkers may scream at you making the tank cloudy. Plus doesn't it work best with a skimmer? From what I hear it doesn't sound like you know if they have a skimmer.

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I know the feeling.. I have a tank in my office and I get nervous being away more than 2 days... I'm out of town starting tomorrow so I entrust the care of my fish with my co-workers. I only have a 10 gallon now, but want to add a 50 gallon to our front area, but need to wait to find out what the future of our company is going to be..

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I was thinking coral snow too. I've Been doing the Coral snow microbakter mix in my tank that Kat suggested on another thread. But it can get really visible and your ignorant coworkers may scream at you making the tank cloudy. Plus doesn't it work best with a skimmer? From what I hear it doesn't sound like you know if they have a skimmer.

There is a skimmer. My knowledge of skimmers is not great so I am not sure if it is working right or not. Not sure what brand it is. Big guy in any event. My own skimmer on my tiny tank is high up on my rep lacement list.

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There wasn't much in. I saw the tank, on saturday. think she comes in around the end of the week. I can take a look when I go in tomorrow.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Okay, something is apparently going to happen.

 

I was told they were going to "bomb" the tank. I am not sure what that means other than they might be hitting it with flatworm exit. My understanding is this happens friday and saturday its getting a huge water change.

 

My understanding is that this can have a huge catastrophic impact. I am still betting flatworm exit.

 

anyhow, to preserve some of the livestock, I took a few frags - with permission FINALLY. I am doing a full quarantine on these frags. And one bubbletip.

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