So, I unwittingly created a perfect storm with my tank. Hindsight is 20/20. I am sort of journaling, and sort of hoping someone else can learn. I almost decided to give up, but I have recently changed my mind.
My wife was diagnosed with early cancer. The installation of the port and chemo happened within 24 hours of one another. This is not a sympathy post. She is going to be fine and we have a good community around us. The point is, for the next 10 days or so, I was in survival mode making sure kids got to school, I got things at work covered, and my wife was OK. If the tank wasn't blowing microbubbles from the sump evaporation, I didn't pay it much mind.
Then, when life settled down, I took a look at my tank. I almost decided to give up right then. GHS was everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Bubble algae on one frag and Caulerpa starting on another one. My GSP were overgrown, as well as some other small zoa frags. My small clove polyp frag had one of three polyps remaining. My Cyphastrea and cup corals had algae growing in the interpolyp areas. I was pretty discouraged. My wife encouraged me not to give up.
Four days ago I put a Sea Hare in my tank. He has since included me in his will and promised to name his firstborn after me in return for the smorgasbord of GHA I have provided him. Two days ago I unplugged the stunner strips and Orbits for a 24 hour blackout. I took a toothbrush to the affected frags, and reset my Orbit schedule to the default and then tweaked the acclimation program to run for 4-5 hours instead of 8 for a few days starting today. I also removed my older Purigen and put in some Phosban in my HOB. I dipped my smaller zoa frags in 1:1 tank water/peroxide dip.
When I turned the light on for a second this morning for a brief survey, I could see rock! A lot of the GHA has died back. Some of my smaller zoa frags have melted clean
, but I can see the stalks of my blastomusa frag. My Duncan and Frogspawn are ticked at me, but alive, as is my Hollywood Stunner, and my two Favia frags. Blastos seem ok. My largest zoa frag looks like it will recover, but I know I lost some cup corals, Cyphastrea, GSP, and assorted zoa frags.
So, we are sitting in the big room for chemo #2 and this afternoon I plan to get the toothbrush after the rocks and do a 30% water change. Our local reef club has talked about a 'tank buddy' that can help out with your tank when you are out of town, etc., and I know now I need to have one for things besides vacation.
So, this was 100% preventable if I would have not tried to handle everything myself and asked for help. I know exactly what I did wrong, and what I need to do to recover. I just want to say thanks to everyone. This has been one of the most incredible internet communities I have ever been a part of. Thank you for letting me record my failures as well as my successes.
- I changed out my substrate. I documented it on here, and it went well. It resulted in some of the best rockwork I have done and I am very happy with the hardscape. Still, even with plenty of live rock (55 lbs in a 36 gallon tank), I was concerned I had upset my biological filtration.
- I have an Orbit Marine LED lighting system and two Ecoxotic Stunner strips in a light strip housing I cannibalized. Since I know my lights are a bit on the weak side, I decided to cover the inside of my homemade strip with reflective tape I had leftover from when I replaced my dryer ductwork under the house.
- I shifted my lighting schedule. I didn't increase/decrease intensity, but I shifted my photoperiod. What I did not take into account is the change of seasons and my tank sitting next to a north facing window (i.e. more intense indirect sunlight).
My wife was diagnosed with early cancer. The installation of the port and chemo happened within 24 hours of one another. This is not a sympathy post. She is going to be fine and we have a good community around us. The point is, for the next 10 days or so, I was in survival mode making sure kids got to school, I got things at work covered, and my wife was OK. If the tank wasn't blowing microbubbles from the sump evaporation, I didn't pay it much mind.
Then, when life settled down, I took a look at my tank. I almost decided to give up right then. GHS was everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Bubble algae on one frag and Caulerpa starting on another one. My GSP were overgrown, as well as some other small zoa frags. My small clove polyp frag had one of three polyps remaining. My Cyphastrea and cup corals had algae growing in the interpolyp areas. I was pretty discouraged. My wife encouraged me not to give up.
Four days ago I put a Sea Hare in my tank. He has since included me in his will and promised to name his firstborn after me in return for the smorgasbord of GHA I have provided him. Two days ago I unplugged the stunner strips and Orbits for a 24 hour blackout. I took a toothbrush to the affected frags, and reset my Orbit schedule to the default and then tweaked the acclimation program to run for 4-5 hours instead of 8 for a few days starting today. I also removed my older Purigen and put in some Phosban in my HOB. I dipped my smaller zoa frags in 1:1 tank water/peroxide dip.
When I turned the light on for a second this morning for a brief survey, I could see rock! A lot of the GHA has died back. Some of my smaller zoa frags have melted clean
, but I can see the stalks of my blastomusa frag. My Duncan and Frogspawn are ticked at me, but alive, as is my Hollywood Stunner, and my two Favia frags. Blastos seem ok. My largest zoa frag looks like it will recover, but I know I lost some cup corals, Cyphastrea, GSP, and assorted zoa frags.So, we are sitting in the big room for chemo #2 and this afternoon I plan to get the toothbrush after the rocks and do a 30% water change. Our local reef club has talked about a 'tank buddy' that can help out with your tank when you are out of town, etc., and I know now I need to have one for things besides vacation.
So, this was 100% preventable if I would have not tried to handle everything myself and asked for help. I know exactly what I did wrong, and what I need to do to recover. I just want to say thanks to everyone. This has been one of the most incredible internet communities I have ever been a part of. Thank you for letting me record my failures as well as my successes.
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