So My Tank Nuked....now What?

[Ben]

Well my tank crashed and burned.

Everything was fine one day and the next. BANG
Cloudy water, dead worms/stars/crabs and this layer of skin on the surface which i think is salt creep.

I think it crashed due to the high rise of SG

So im in the middle of a massive 50% water change.
And will keep on doing those.

So does my LR die off? oviously everything is dead and have to remove it all?

Whats my next steps?
DD

 

[steelhealr]

Water changes. Not keeping up with topoffs might have done it if the evaporation rate was fast and s.g. gravity rose quickly. The lr may possible recycle, so, start doing the water changes and start from scratch. Pick out whatever dead animals are in there. Don't add anything in until the water is clear and the params are completely normal. WAIT!!

Topping off is an important step in maintenance....at equal evaporation rates, a 75 gallon tank may show an imperceptible drop in s.g. whereas a nano may drop critically. Nano reefs require the most diligence during setup and maturation. SH

 

[Ben]

Thanks SH.
I'll be doing water changes everyday
The only reason i wasnt doing top offs was because i couldn't really tell if the water was being evaporated,, there wasn't a clear drop in water.

I'll definitly be waiting. I wont add anything untill i have everything sorted out, and when i do...ill wait a week or two.
Thanks again
DD