I think i'm going to be sick...flat worm exit might have just nuked my entire 300G tank.

[scuzy]

*sigh*

I'm so sorry to hear about this. Geez, I hate these chemicals.

Sorry about yours too @yellojello . So sad.

It's not the chemical it's the amount of flat worms in his tank. It sucks but eventually things will crash cause of the sheer amount of flat worms that's in the system. I really don't know how you can keep that in check except for having a predator that eats them.

 

[Desmo996]

Trying! My PH keeps dropping, what can I do other than water changes to bring it up?

Good Luck... don't forget to watch the MotoGP race that starts really soon... it'll surely cheer you UP!

 

[tj w]

So sorry man!!! I know it really sucks. I couldn't imagine. [emoji20]

 

[Lionfish Lair]

It's not the chemical it's the amount of flat worms in his tank. It sucks but eventually things will crash cause of the sheer amount of flat worms that's in the system. I really don't know how you can keep that in check except for having a predator that eats them.

Let me reword that...... I hate the situations these chemicals can create in your tank.

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

I agree with getting everything into clean water. I had something nuke my 240g corals recently. I did not have many corals, but I pulled several out that looked bad and moved them into my 60g reef. They bounced back after a few days while the ones that remained look dead or very close.

Good luck!

 

[Fin]

Really sorry to see this happen to anyone, no matter what the cause. Thank you for sharing the experience though, perhaps it will help someone reading this thread to go about dealing with a major flatworm infestation in a different way. Not everyone shares failure and sometimes that is what helps others the most.

I wouldn't rush to judgement about tearing it all down and selling everything. I lost a smaller tank and that is what I did. I regretted it within weeks. I was up and running with a larger tank in less than six months. If the hobby gave you enjoyment, it is difficult to be without it.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Do you know what the problem was with yours, @NeuroticAquatics ?

 

[ngoodermuth]

I'm so very sorry I can only imagine.

Maybe sit on selling for a few months just in case you change your mind, a blank slate can be enticing...

 

[Rick.45cal]

Sorry man! This is a very difficult hobby at times like this. I don't blame you for stepping away from it. I agree sitting on the idea of selling everything may be the wisest idea you can do. Give yourself some time to mourn and heal, then decide what to do. Even if you do decide to get out entirely you will be less likely to just dump everything for a really cheap price to be done with it.

I walked away from this hobby for 10 years and it was never far from my mind. That being said, the freedom of not having a large system is also a very remarkable thing. Whatever you decide to do, we will still be here, if and when you decided to come back.

Before you go, check out the 300 gallon anemone tank in the Clownfish and anemone forum... if I lost everything, I'd probably start over with something like that.

 

[vic5hands]

That sucks

 

[Lionfish Lair]

@2Wheelsonly , when you say you picked up the flatworms well, do you mean you sucked some out before you started or no? Do you have any pictures of the flatworms at all?

 

[ChiCity]

Well morning is here.

13 out of 13 fish are dead
75 out of 75 sps are pure white dead
All 4 frog spawn are dead
All 4 hammer corals are dead
All snails dead
1 hermit crab dead
Water is cloudy
Coralline algae even looks white

This is a total loss. I am going to empty the tank and start selling off parts. I assume even IF I wanted to start back up again my rock/sand is poisoned beyond the ability to sustain life. This hobby is brutal.

Pictures of the damage?
Sorry to hear

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Pictures of the damage?
Sorry to hear

I'd take pictures of my buckets of dead fish and corals but it's like trying to take a photo of a loved one after they died in a car wreck. Can't bring myself to even remove my camera from it's bag; it's going to sit there for a very very long time.

I am trying to at least get the tank empty and clean so I can sit on it for a month or two to decide what I want to do. My problem is, I can't for the life of me get it clear. Since everything is dead and my local fish store is out of stock of red sea salt I am using instant ocean. Iv'e done more water changes than I can count but the same process of mixing salt iv'e used for the last 7 years is producing cloudy water that shows NO signs of clearing up.

My mixing station sends fresh RODI water to a 55G container; I let the water heat to 78F then pour in my IO salt with a funnel; I have it nailed down exactly how much I need for 1.026. I have a return pump looping water from the bottom to the top for mixing and I occasionally stir with a giant food grade stir paddle inside the container. After 1 hour it's still cloudy as can be; even tried leaving a fresh batch overnight and it's still cloudy?

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I also think it's safe to take all this carbon off the tank? I found 2 survivors, my old frogspawn colony but he is very shriveled up and a melanarus wrasse that was buried in the bed. I think at this point the carbon would have sucked as many toxins out of the water it possibly could and having 3 full canisters running is working against me. Not sure when I can consider this water "safe" again, no do I know what kind of cycle I should be looking at after it's all done.

 

[Servo]

If All of your bacterial load died as well, you would need a senei monitor to follow this live and dose bacteria as needed with water changes before. You could also use the seachem ammonia monitors but the live data is much better. Change out your carbon today. Continue making water and get as much new water in your system as you can. In my experience of over 25 years, this is your best bet for a successful outcome. Good luck.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Would using my standard ammonia NH4 test kit suffice?

 

[Rick.45cal]

I think your ammonia kit will be fine. I'd just treat it like a brand new tank again.

I've noticed that my Instant Ocean is cloudy as well after mixing, and it stays cloudy until I burn off the excess alkalinity with HCl acid. After that it clears up.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I tested all my params.

ammonia = 0
nitrites = 0
nitrates = 20 (this is odd to me, iv'e never seen it over 2) <-- could this be aftermath from all the death?
p04= .11 (again, never seen this over 0.02)

 

[leahfiish]

I tested all my params.

ammonia = 0
nitrites = 0
nitrates = 20 (this is odd to me, iv'e never seen it over 2) <-- could this be aftermath from all the death?
p04= .11 (again, never seen this over 0.02)

Alk? PH?

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Alk? PH?

PH monitored by lab grade probe: 7.9 (normal for my tank, it's in basement no open windows running a co2 reactor on skimmer)
Alk: 8.8 (higher than my normal 7.2 due to switch from red sea to IO) only thing left is a few LPS that don't look so good right now so I wasn't worried about alk swing.