Worst Nightmare has occurred

[Gina]

Very sorry to hear of your misfortune!
I can understand why you may feel like giving up right now but, you can also start thinking in a positive direction like your setting up a brand new tank.
Just imagine your starting up a new tank and try to remember the feelings you had and how excited you got coming up with the plans for it!

Good luck!

[lcstorc]

So sorry to hear!
Sounds like you have been given some good advice to prevent a reoccurrance of this problem.
Sorry for your losses.

[ghostwolf]

Dave, sorry to hear of your loss. Don't give up on this wonderful hobby(life). Apply what you have learned from the start up of this tank and remember the excitement and joy of adding each new inhabitant. Best wishes.

Lin

[billyr98]

Keep Jugging!!! Sorry about the mishap

[searoyalwulf]

Hey Dave, I feel your pain. I recently suffered a similar loss in my 90g tank.

I had been on vacation the first week in Aug and near as I can tell the circuit breaker on the wall outlets for my tank had tripped just 48 hrs after I walked out the door (thur). Well as luck would have it I wasn't able to return the day I had planned to come home (Tue).

My car died in Sacremento and I had to abandon it there and hitch a ride with my brother and his family on their way home, which got me home Fri morn. Well, when I opened the apt door the smell hit me. It seemed all my fish & corals were dead, the water was so cloudy I could barely tell what was living or dead. Among the dead.
Fish
1 Foxface Rabbit, 1 Longnose Hawk, 1 Lawnmower Blenny, 1 Scooter Dragonet and 2 Green Chromis.
Corals
3 Colt Corals, 1 anenome, 1 Toadstool Leather, 1 Yellowstar Polyp, 1 Greenstar Polyp and 1 Frogspawn. Most of which were frags I picked up at the LFS's.

Plus about 8 Turbo Snails and 8 hermits..

But all was not lost. I discovered my two Perculas in a column of water isolated by the corner overflow.

Well... Now the tank is recovering slowly... I have algae coming out of my ears. I even discovered a surviving coral, ID is unknown thus far. Looks like either a star polyp or zooanthid. I'm really quite new to reefing so I don't know my species all that well.

Anyway, I do as Cougra suggests and do a complete power loss test regularly. I want to make sure it won't flood the apt and check to see that everything starts up as it should.

So I surge ahead with plans for rebuilding and restocking.

I did do a little power mod as well. I discovered the tank wall was on a 15 amp breaker and was able to switch the wires with a 20 amp breaker meant for the kitchen outlets.
John

[Warnberg]

All thanks for the words of encouragement. Here are my plans.
1) Run two new independent circuits, tied into my sub panel for the generator to the tank.
2) make sure each pump is on a different circuit.
3) larger sump
4) re-adjust lock line returns so that they are closer to the surface of the water.
5) put small stand to elevate pumps approx 6 inches up from bottom of stand.

that should take care of the issues, now I just have to wait for the new sump to get done and then get to work. Still cleaning, looks like I am going to have to pull the rock out a little at a time to scrub the bubble algae off.... nasty stuff and spreads like wild fire.

[Woodstock]

Excellent plan Dave

[Yarr]

Best of luck mate. I know how hard it is.

Stick with you. we will all help you as much as we can

[Warnberg]

Well, got a call the other day, sump guy is a little behind schedule so may be a few more days. Still cleaning, 240 gallons is a lot of water, but found that somethings are finding a way to live. My leather I thought was completely gone, went to pull it out of the tank and I now have two babies from it, one about the size of a quarter the other the size of a pencil eraser. The frog spawn is toast, lost 2 large colonies of coral but the rest seemed to have survived. My ricordia I thought where all gone, however I found 2 tiny little ones attempting to come back. The biggest issue now is the bubble algae, it is trying to take over the tank. Once the sump is done and I get the re-plumb done I may have to start removing rock and scrubbing the bubble algae off...... anyone else know of a way to get this stuff out?

Thanks

[cheeks69]

Have you tried Emerald Crabs ? I had some that would pop up every know and then but since adding my Purple Tang I don't see them anymore. I think Doni had a Regal Tang that ate it but it's hit/miss with surgeonfish.

[boozeman]

sorry to hear about such a big loss.
the idea of walking into a house with 400gal. of rancid seawater is the stuff that would give me nightmares once my tank is up and running.
Can you please post pics of your planned back-up system once you get it set so members can plan ahead also?

[Warnberg]

I certainly will boozeman....

cheeks69, I had emeralds in there, but have not seen any since the disaster, I will probably add some back to help control it, but I have to get it under control first.

Thanks,

[Warnberg]

Well the sump is in, now time to plan the re-plumb. Shooting for this weekend to get it all setup. I'll post some pic's of the sump, longest sump I have seen (5'). Still trying to get ahead of the bubble algae and the constant algae blooms, but after the new sump gets installed I'll really get after it.

Wish me luck.

[Woodstock]

The best of luck to you Dave! I envy your 5' sump! Sweeet~

[powdertang05]

sorry to hear what happened but the best thing for you as i had to go through the same thing on small scale is to have sump big enough to hold what water some o0ut when the tank stops circulation. also i would recommend a battery back up their is ones at like best buy and circuit city that when they come on they beep pretty loud so i wake up and start working on it right then and there. also a small generater that works on gas i have used about 3 times i always have extra gas and a extra long extenion cord for my tank. but best of luck and hope to see a tank better then ever here shortly!