"120 FOWLR that almost wasn't"
- Thread starter Awibrandy
- Start date
My 120 has gone bottoms up yet again!;( Tank was looking great, and we were very happy with it. So happy that upon hubby's request I took it off the for sales forum.
It took a very long time to bring it back from the disgusting stage it was in after the "Copper Safe" dosing about 2 years ago.
I was very skeptical of it ever being anything other then a FOWLR if that. A little over a year ago I was annoyed with the Blue Hex palys that were taking over my reef. So I removed those rocks that were covered in the palys, and threw them in the fowlr. I did not expect them to live, and quite frankly did not care. Well, they not only lived, but thrived. Next came a small toadstool & capanella, they too survived. Then some hermits & snails, followed by an anemone. After a year of those survivers I added another anemone, and then another, and another, and another. I then added two more toadstools out of my reef.
I got rid of some fish, and added 2 clarkie clowns, 2 pink skunks, a Majestic angel, an orange toad fish, 3 dwarf angels, and this past Sunday a red coris wrasse. All the fish were not added at the same time. Prior to the last fish added this past Sunday it had been at least 3 weeks since any animal had been added. Of the previous animals all that was left are the two eels (zebra & snowflake). Everyone was getting along, and doing great. As a matter of fact my RBTA had even split not so long ago.
I recently began dosing "Special Blend", and this past Monday the tank was due for the 3rd. dose, but I was in too much pain so I left it for Tuesday.
Well, Monday we had a mini power outage which lasted less then an hour. Still in a great deal off pain, not being able to remember where the heck I put those battery operated pumps I resigned myself to the losses. Yes, the thought running though my mind was "of course - yesterday was the swap, I barely got anything, and now this". But then the power came back on, must have lasted tops 45 minutes. Wow, that was close.. Hubby darling, we must get a generator....
Following morning tank appears a little cloudy! I think to myself, well it could be the special blend (bacteria bloom you know). I proceed to run PH, Ammonia, Trite, & Trate test. All read 0 with the PH at 8.4 (HM digital meter). I do the water change, and while doing so the lights came on with me directly in front of the tank. What do I see? A bunch of dead tiny brittle star fish! I'm kinda like WTH, what happened all the test appear fine. Well, I get as many as I can out. I finish the 20% - 25% water change, and throw on a TLF reactor with AC & a little GFO. What else can I do?
Through out the rest of the late afternoon, evening hours I notice the leathers & anemones are all PO. Then the anemones start to release themselves from the rocks, and the leathers start sliming. I can't do another water change I only had 40 gallons, and I had used that up earlier that afternoon. I noticed a low tide smell coming from this one tank. I sit next to this tank: As I turned my head, and looked up at the water surface. Oh man, there was no movement I totally forgot to reposition the Tunze & return lockline. So I adjust them. Next thing I noticed is the Turboflotor Multi 1000 going nuts pulling some nasty grey bubbly mess. I go to dump the cup, and that smelled like low tide by the bay was coming from the skimmer's cup.
The next morning, I find my serpent star fish, 2 chocolate chip star fish dead on the sand bed in the front of the tank. Next I find my baby Majestic dead.;( The fish that I thought was a goner because I hadn't seen it since he went in the tank was out swimming.
I took some water over to Total Aquarium to be tested: Ammonia a little high. Nitrates 100 ppm. One of the people I had spoken with had advised me to put some Amquel + in the tank to help out the animals. I did so, and proceeded to wait this thing out.
70% water change was recommended, but my brute only holds 40 or so gallons. So this morning before doing a w/c I scraped the back glass of all the muck that had accumulated on it, and blew off the rocks. I did another 30% this morning while sucking up the muck off of the sand with my python. I figure I will do so again every other day until my new test kits come in. I will also change out the carbon every other day, alternating with the day I do the water change. Skimmer seems to have calmed down, and I don't smell that low tie smell any more.
Tank is pretty cloudy right now, so no sense in trying to take pix. Almost all the anemones are gaping. Palys are not retracted, but they also look awful, just drooping.
Fish appear fine.
This has been my past couple of days since the swap. :tired:
It took a very long time to bring it back from the disgusting stage it was in after the "Copper Safe" dosing about 2 years ago.I was very skeptical of it ever being anything other then a FOWLR if that. A little over a year ago I was annoyed with the Blue Hex palys that were taking over my reef. So I removed those rocks that were covered in the palys, and threw them in the fowlr. I did not expect them to live, and quite frankly did not care. Well, they not only lived, but thrived. Next came a small toadstool & capanella, they too survived. Then some hermits & snails, followed by an anemone. After a year of those survivers I added another anemone, and then another, and another, and another. I then added two more toadstools out of my reef.
I got rid of some fish, and added 2 clarkie clowns, 2 pink skunks, a Majestic angel, an orange toad fish, 3 dwarf angels, and this past Sunday a red coris wrasse. All the fish were not added at the same time.
Prior to the last fish added this past Sunday it had been at least 3 weeks since any animal had been added. Of the previous animals all that was left are the two eels (zebra & snowflake). Everyone was getting along, and doing great. As a matter of fact my RBTA had even split not so long ago.I recently began dosing "Special Blend", and this past Monday the tank was due for the 3rd. dose, but I was in too much pain so I left it for Tuesday.
Well, Monday we had a mini power outage which lasted less then an hour. Still in a great deal off pain, not being able to remember where the heck I put those battery operated pumps I resigned myself to the losses.
Yes, the thought running though my mind was "of course - yesterday was the swap, I barely got anything, and now this". But then the power came back on, must have lasted tops 45 minutes. Wow, that was close.. Hubby darling, we must get a generator....Following morning tank appears a little cloudy! I think to myself, well it could be the special blend (bacteria bloom you know). I proceed to run PH, Ammonia, Trite, & Trate test. All read 0 with the PH at 8.4 (HM digital meter). I do the water change, and while doing so the lights came on with me directly in front of the tank. What do I see? A bunch of dead tiny brittle star fish! I'm kinda like WTH, what happened all the test appear fine. Well, I get as many as I can out. I finish the 20% - 25% water change, and throw on a TLF reactor with AC & a little GFO. What else can I do?
Through out the rest of the late afternoon, evening hours I notice the leathers & anemones are all PO. Then the anemones start to release themselves from the rocks, and the leathers start sliming. I can't do another water change I only had 40 gallons, and I had used that up earlier that afternoon. I noticed a low tide smell coming from this one tank. I sit next to this tank: As I turned my head, and looked up at the water surface. Oh man, there was no movement I totally forgot to reposition the Tunze & return lockline. So I adjust them. Next thing I noticed is the Turboflotor Multi 1000 going nuts pulling some nasty grey bubbly mess. I go to dump the cup, and that smelled like low tide by the bay was coming from the skimmer's cup.
The next morning, I find my serpent star fish, 2 chocolate chip star fish dead on the sand bed in the front of the tank. Next I find my baby Majestic dead.;( The fish that I thought was a goner because I hadn't seen it since he went in the tank was out swimming.
I took some water over to Total Aquarium to be tested: Ammonia a little high. Nitrates 100 ppm. One of the people I had spoken with had advised me to put some Amquel + in the tank to help out the animals. I did so, and proceeded to wait this thing out.
70% water change was recommended, but my brute only holds 40 or so gallons. So this morning before doing a w/c I scraped the back glass of all the muck that had accumulated on it, and blew off the rocks. I did another 30% this morning while sucking up the muck off of the sand with my python. I figure I will do so again every other day until my new test kits come in. I will also change out the carbon every other day, alternating with the day I do the water change. Skimmer seems to have calmed down, and I don't smell that low tie smell any more.
Tank is pretty cloudy right now, so no sense in trying to take pix. Almost all the anemones are gaping. Palys are not retracted, but they also look awful, just drooping.
Fish appear fine.
This has been my past couple of days since the swap. :tired:
Last edited:
scarf_ace1981
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- San Juan, PR
sorry to hear awilda. have you checked your equipment? maybe something is rusting... i don't know. best of luck
Thanks Jon!!:hug:
Found the culprit! Stray voltage from the heater.
I knew the 4 water pumps were working just fine, and I know they have no parts to rust. So I went for the heaters. As my arm brushed the stand I felt the tiniest of electrical current. But as I pulled the one heater out man did I get buzzed.
God forsaken Stealth heater strikes again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:screama::supermad:
I thought that because I had them plugged in to a Ranco my tank was safe. Well it was safe from being cooked. But not from it blowing up like the one in my reef last year.:supermad:
I should have gotten rid of them, but honestly I totally forgot that those were in the fowlr's sump.:redface:
Found the culprit! Stray voltage from the heater.
I knew the 4 water pumps were working just fine, and I know they have no parts to rust. So I went for the heaters. As my arm brushed the stand I felt the tiniest of electrical current. But as I pulled the one heater out man did I get buzzed.
God forsaken Stealth heater strikes again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:screama::supermad:
I thought that because I had them plugged in to a Ranco my tank was safe. Well it was safe from being cooked. But not from it blowing up like the one in my reef last year.:supermad:
I should have gotten rid of them, but honestly I totally forgot that those were in the fowlr's sump.:redface:
Attachments
Last edited:
- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
That sucks awi!!
Dont give up!!
Dont give up!!
Happy to report that the 120 is on it's come back!
Lost all of my BTAs, the rbta which had just recently split, the gbta, the retiree, the majestic angelfish, the Eibli dwarf angel.
But it looks like the LTPA is going to make it, the green toadstool, and the yellow leather will probably make it as well.
The 2 eels, orange toadfish have come out of hiding, so thats huge!!!!! Now if only the red coris would come out I'd feel 100%.
Lost all of my BTAs, the rbta which had just recently split, the gbta, the retiree, the majestic angelfish, the Eibli dwarf angel.
But it looks like the LTPA is going to make it, the green toadstool, and the yellow leather will probably make it as well.
The 2 eels, orange toadfish have come out of hiding, so thats huge!!!!! Now if only the red coris would come out I'd feel 100%.
Attachments
- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
Awi I have some free coral I can give you if you want to ? lmk
some polys and zoas to get you started again,PM me
some polys and zoas to get you started again,PM me
Thank you Jarrett!! You are a sweet heart!:hug:
I truly do appreciate the offer honestly! Thing is that this tank is my anemone & fish w/live rock tank. Only corals in it were rejects from my reef.lol
So although I really do appreciate your generosity I will graciously decline. I'd hate to put your corals in jeopardy in an anemone tank.
Now if you have anemones that you don't want I would definitely accept those.
Again, thank you very much for the offer!:hug:
I truly do appreciate the offer honestly! Thing is that this tank is my anemone & fish w/live rock tank.
Only corals in it were rejects from my reef.lolSo although I really do appreciate your generosity I will graciously decline. I'd hate to put your corals in jeopardy in an anemone tank.
Now if you have anemones that you don't want I would definitely accept those.
Again, thank you very much for the offer!:hug:
Good news, bad news!
Good news is that Fed Ex dropped off my new test kits, Nitrates are down to 10ppm. Woohoooo I can stop the constant w/c.
Tank is still a little cloudy (barely noticeable), but I imagine it just needs to rebuild it's bacteria.
Bad news is that I lost my oldest coral!;( My cabbage that has been with me for the past 8 years is just a white stub.:supermad:
Time to start looking to replace all the anemones.......hint hint :flirt:
Good news is that Fed Ex dropped off my new test kits, Nitrates are down to 10ppm.
Woohoooo I can stop the constant w/c.Tank is still a little cloudy (barely noticeable), but I imagine it just needs to rebuild it's bacteria.
Bad news is that I lost my oldest coral!;( My cabbage that has been with me for the past 8 years is just a white stub.:supermad:
Time to start looking to replace all the anemones.......hint hint :flirt:
Update
:sigh:Cycling Again:sigh:
Scraped all of the palys off of the rocks, rinsed in 2 seperate fresh saltwater buckets. Removed the last 2 leathers yesterday. I just ran another test with the new API kit, and I'm not happy.:sad2::sigh:Cycling Again:sigh:
Yesterday's results were Ammonia .50, Trites 0, Trates 10
Today's results are Ammonia 1.0, Trites 0, Trates 0!
If I recall correctly this is the 4th. time this tank has gone through a cycle.:sigh:
Not doing anything more then continuing with the "Special Blend"(4th. dose this past Sunday), (and the Amquel + just to keep the fish & eels comfortable), but wait this out.
Thanks Ray! I'll let you know.
So far the fish & eels appear to be handling it well. I did dose some Amquel+ which detoxifies the water of the ammonia, trites, trates, chlorine, chloromine
- Location
- Queens, NY
COOL! happy to see another FOWLR posotive you dont wanna do Bioballs?? :fight2:LMAO looks great! As for me I'm still running empty:trooper:
- Location
- Queens, NY
Push the fast forward button on the tank! what type of lights are u running?
The light fixture is a Hamilton 3 X 175 watt SE with 2 - 160 watt VHO lamps. Only running the VHO until I add the anemones back.
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