c.poindexter
Well-Known Member
Hello everyone,
I thought that I would start my new tank post. It has been something that I have thought about for a little bit but have been procrastinating. I have been reeling for 8 years and like all true hobbyist the love never dies. I started with an 85 gallon acrylic tank that was up and running for 7 years. I have been through many light fixtures and varying models starting with PC, LED and T5s. The tank was packed with coral, mostly SPS with some LPS and clams. That was until one day when I came home from work to hear my overflow alarm and on closer investigation the tank had split and lost about half the water and another 20 gallons of fresh. I started making emergency moves to sale the fish and coral. Everything made it safely into containers as I was getting ready to move closer to work. So I started another build 2 months before I moved to set up in the new place. Built the stand and drilled my new 75 gallon tank.
Once I moved I set up the new tank and had everything in tubs doing well while I quick cycled the tank. One day maintenance came in to install new CO2 detectors and the next couple of days was when everything started to go wrong. I went over to the containers like I did everyday to notice that all my euphyllia were dead and started to find dead fish and all on my SPS done for. I quickly did about 10 different tests and noticed the parameters were off and ammonia was off the charts. I started doing water changes to try to save what I could and nothing helped. By the next day I had lost almost everything. The only thing that I managed to save were 3 fish and a hermit crab. So the task began as I started to throw out everything in 3 trash bags. I even tossed all of the rock due to the dead coral and the containers that they were in. I was cleaning out one container when I found a solid copper washer in there. There was the culprit, coral started to die and in turn killed off the fish I assume. Wherever it was intentional or accidental I am unsure. But I can say that is a hard hit to take and as I watched my remaining livestock swim in a tub I thought where do I go from here. Do I donate the fish and call it quits or do I dive back in and start all over.
Here we are 2 months later and the fish are doing well and just started adding coral again. It is a brand new start. Every hobby has its ups and downs and I can say without a doubt no matter what happens if this is one of your true passions you will always find the silver lining.
I thought that I would start my new tank post. It has been something that I have thought about for a little bit but have been procrastinating. I have been reeling for 8 years and like all true hobbyist the love never dies. I started with an 85 gallon acrylic tank that was up and running for 7 years. I have been through many light fixtures and varying models starting with PC, LED and T5s. The tank was packed with coral, mostly SPS with some LPS and clams. That was until one day when I came home from work to hear my overflow alarm and on closer investigation the tank had split and lost about half the water and another 20 gallons of fresh. I started making emergency moves to sale the fish and coral. Everything made it safely into containers as I was getting ready to move closer to work. So I started another build 2 months before I moved to set up in the new place. Built the stand and drilled my new 75 gallon tank.
Once I moved I set up the new tank and had everything in tubs doing well while I quick cycled the tank. One day maintenance came in to install new CO2 detectors and the next couple of days was when everything started to go wrong. I went over to the containers like I did everyday to notice that all my euphyllia were dead and started to find dead fish and all on my SPS done for. I quickly did about 10 different tests and noticed the parameters were off and ammonia was off the charts. I started doing water changes to try to save what I could and nothing helped. By the next day I had lost almost everything. The only thing that I managed to save were 3 fish and a hermit crab. So the task began as I started to throw out everything in 3 trash bags. I even tossed all of the rock due to the dead coral and the containers that they were in. I was cleaning out one container when I found a solid copper washer in there. There was the culprit, coral started to die and in turn killed off the fish I assume. Wherever it was intentional or accidental I am unsure. But I can say that is a hard hit to take and as I watched my remaining livestock swim in a tub I thought where do I go from here. Do I donate the fish and call it quits or do I dive back in and start all over.
Here we are 2 months later and the fish are doing well and just started adding coral again. It is a brand new start. Every hobby has its ups and downs and I can say without a doubt no matter what happens if this is one of your true passions you will always find the silver lining.
