Orca Tl450 Nano Reef Log

[daveo_irl]

DISASTER!!!

I have an outlet pipe going from my return powerhead back into the tank. Overnight it somehow detached and emptied the tank onto the living room carpet!!!
I am in the middle of a rescue operation right now............

 

[youngfisher]

Ouch, sorry to her that!

YF

 

[daveo_irl]

Ouch, sorry to her that!

YF

Thanks YF..... I am still in shock,

Ok I have got a bucket with a powerhead and heater, and the live rock which wasn't exposed to the air (unfortunately most of my live rock is dead rock, as there was only about 3 inches of water left in the tank when I found it). All my inverts are alive and in the bucket, hopefully they will make it.
I will be making a trip to my LFS when it opens and hopefully they will take the dead rock off me, which they can then cure, and I can exchange it for a couple of cured pieces. My live rubble is also in the bucket as this wasn't exposed to the air.

I just spend the last 2 hours cleaning up the mess, and I have to phone into work at 10 to take one of my "duvet days", as they call it.

I was completely gutted this morning and thought all was lost, but see some light at the end of the tunnel now. I am lucky all my inverts are alive, so the only damage is to the live rock & my carpet. Also, I suppose at least my hitchhiker crab is gone now.

Anyway, I have a busy day ahead. Will update later

 

[daveo_irl]

Ok, back from LFS with replacement live rock and lots of RO water. I have the tank with the water and rock, and the critters still in their rescue bucket.....

 

[daveo_irl]

Ok, basically I have the tank back up and running with new water, some of my old live rock & a lot of new rock. I acclimatised the critters to the new tank and added them, but they seem to be in a bit of shock, unsurprisingly.

The only way I can describe it is as if they are drunk or asleep. It is mainly the snails, they look dead and then when you pick them up they move. I found one upside down this morning and I thought he is dead so I picked it up and tipped the flesh that was visible - nothing, so I put it back in the water for a minute and it then "woke up". The hermits seem to be a little better though, moving around etc.

I just hope the tank doesn't go through much of a cycle now.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Really sorry to hear that Its good that you managed to get the LR exchanged. The hermits should be fine, snails could be an issue as they are more sensitive.

At least it happened now before you had it fully stocked with corals and fish (not much consolation I know).

 

[daveo_irl]

Really sorry to hear that Its good that you managed to get the LR exchanged. The hermits should be fine, snails could be an issue as they are more sensitive.

At least it happened now before you had it fully stocked with corals and fish (not much consolation I know).

Very true Barney! I am very lucky it was a new setup with no fish or lots of corals. I did lose my zoa colony which was starting to do really well, but I saved the clove polyps. I don't hold out much hope for the snails to be honest, they seemed very dodgy as of this morning. Will check them again after work and see.

However I suppose you have to look on the bright side of these events. I have learned a valuable lesson, I haven't got a nuisance crab anymore and my new live rock looks better. However, if I lose all my snails I would be very disappointed as they have been great since I got them.

 

[seffieuk]

oh, ouch, that must have been an awful shock

Seffie x

 

[youngfisher]

Atleast the shop swopped the LR, I doubt the shops near me would do that.

YF

 

[daveo_irl]

Yeah, my LFS were really good!

Seffie, it was a complete shock. Even when I saw the tank with only a couple of inches of water it didn't register with me for a second.....I just thought "Nah, I'm seeing things". I am just thankful it wasn't worse.......the guy in my LFS said the same thing happened another customer a week before, but his tank was 450 litres and he lost everything.

 

[daveo_irl]

All my critters are still alive and kicking as of this morning......maybe they will pull through! *fingers crossed*

I will post pics of my new tank setup tomorrow.

 

[youngfisher]

Wohooo. Fingers crossed for you Dave. You have any stocking plans as yet?

YF

 

[daveo_irl]

Wohooo. Fingers crossed for you Dave. You have any stocking plans as yet?

YF

Cheers! As for stocking plans....well I make them, and then I change them, then I make another one, and then change it!! Basically I can't make my mind up!

 

[youngfisher]

Haha, I do exactually the same!

YF

 

[daveo_irl]

Ok, some pics:

My rescue bucket during Operation Save the Critters

Lots of water needed!

Added new live rock

Tank finally back up and running 8 hrs later, and so far no critter losses!

Also, on my old live rock I had something which I could never identify. Now I have about 4 more in the new rock and a much better looking specimen also. It looks like it could be some sort of worm, and it is in a hole in the rock. It has these long filaments sticking out which look almost metallic and sort of change colour depending on the angle you view them from. I got a good shot of it, so if anyone can enlighten me!!