Tank crash
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Help
Forum Name: EMERGENCY FORUM
Forum Description: If you have an Emergency post here and you should receive a quick reply.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59682
Printed Date: April 26 2024 at 6:13pm
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Topic: Tank crash
Posted By: chuckfu
Subject: Tank crash
Date Posted: October 14 2012 at 3:01pm
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After having the impeller stop wiorking on my filter I lost my blk ice and clown this morning. I woke to a horrible sight. My first indict was to get everything out and siphon out all the dead pods, brisstleworms off the top of the sand. Did this and put everything back in. did a 100% water change. Corals are all back open. Did I do the right thing? Whats going to happen next?
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Replies:
Posted By: ReefdUp
Date Posted: October 14 2012 at 3:09pm
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A 100% water change and taking everything out & putting it back in will have stirred up all sorts of detritus and taken out the majority of the good bacteria. You'll probably have spikes then drops in ammonia (basically you're recycling the tank). I'd start running a ton of carbon, and I'd use a Polyfilter or something else to start taking out the ammonia/nitrite/nitrates.
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Posted By: saltysleeves
Date Posted: October 14 2012 at 7:43pm
The major overhaul was probably a bit of an over-reaction, though it probably won't do any harm. Personally I'm a huge fan of an annual cleaning of this magnitude. Not a good idea every week, but I don't think it does any harm. Most of the biological filtration lives on surfaces, not in the water. So provided you kept the same rock and sand, your bio-filter should still be largely intact. The only concern I would have is if you have a deep sand bed. Deep sand beds if disturbed can release hydrogen sulfide gas into the water and kill your livestock. Personally I'm not a fan of DSBs, in my experience they tend to be a bit more temperamental than a minimal sand bed.
You may experience a mini cycle, you may not. Keep an eye on the Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and Phosphate over the next week or so, you might need some Zeolyte, GFO/phosgaurd, or another partial water change if things get bad, but IME, even a major cleaning hasn't caused much of a mini cycle. If you have some, or can get some a probiotic for the next few days is probably prudent. Seachem Stability, Dr. Tim's One and Only or Zeobak are all good.
Also, while carbon and poly filter are both useful, do be careful about over doing the chemical filtration if you have any softies/zoas/shrooms, azoanthellate corals, or other filter feeders. Water that is too clean can actually starve these, and you just did a 100% water change.
Don't worry too much. Likelyhood is that it will be fine.
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