Our mission

I'm an IDIOT...I need some questions answered please.

Lyn

Lyn

Guest
BARcard
I decided to post this here because it gets more viewers, and I need to know the answers to the questions on the bottom of this post before I make anymore grave mistakes. Please give me your educated advice as to what I should do with the tank and equipment now that it has been contaminated.


Posts: 635


Re: Lyn's 46 gal. Bowfront, 2nd of 3
« Reply #13 on: Today at 10:17:59 PM » Quote Modify

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm an idiot! I killed most of the fish in quarantine.

Last night I decided to do a 50% water change. We made sure the replacement water was the same temp as the water to be changed, but what I didn't account for was the old glass heater being exposed to the colder air.

This morning I got up and found the tank cloudy. When I turned on the light, the water was green, the heater was broken with all the inner workings laying on the bottom of the tank, and some of the fish were laying down and floating a little weirdly. I quickly set up a smaller tank with new water. I transfered the fish to the little tank, but all the fish perished except for the Ocellaris clowns. (Why would only the clowns survive?)

I am so sick about this. Especially since we were nearing the completion of quarantine for Ich with no losses. My kids are really sad. We have had the Royal Gramma and Pyjama Cardinal for 5 years, since My daughter was 3 yrs. old. We even mailed them from Hawaii to California because they were our pets.

I told the kids maybe we should go fishless. They said they wanted fish because they were the funniest part of the tank. I don't know, I'll have to see.

Here is a picture of the poisonous water of death...

IMGP4151-4.jpg



Questions: 1. Is there copper in the water which causes the green color? And if so, why weren't the clowns as affected?

2. Can any of this equipment be used again?
 
Lyn

Really sorry to hear about this. As for your questions, I'm sure there probably was a little bit of copper in the heater, but not sure if there is enough for the water to turn green. It might be from some algae too? Clowns are some of the sturdiest fish I've encountered. They're in the same family as damsels, and we all know how damsels live through most anything.

I'm sure some of the equip can be used. Tank and filter probably, but with new filter inserts. Just give the tank a good rinse/cleaning. Maybe a soak and maybe a little vinegar.

Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I have a few small powerheads you can borrow if you want, along with some carbon and salt. Not much, but let me know and I'll try to bring them up.
 
Hi Phishphood,

The water was crystal clear before this mishap. :( I will wash it out and run carbon through all the filters and tank water. I am hoping that whatever chemical caused the color change and ultimate deaths of my fish, did not fully absorb into the silicone and plastic...sigh.

Thank you for your offer :) , but I'm ok in the carbon and salt department. I'm going to run this tank with fresh for a while. I am a little worried to put other animals in it though. How long do you think I should soak it?
 
Hopefully it wouldn't have soaked in, especially considering the time frame in which you emptied it. If I remember right from labs, it should take a really hefty dose of Cu to color up that much water to that dark of a shade. After a good wash down with a papertowel or something to remove residue from the glass, I would probably just soak it in a mild vinegar bath overnight and then go from there. Set it up with some new SW and then see how a snail does. I'm not sure what size that is, but if you want a 20g tall then let me know.
 
Sorry to hear :(


It's hard to say what caused the color change. Many things can turn green. Likewise you could get a blend of two or more colored compounds that look green.

2) with the obvious exception of the heater, all the equipment should be usable. If we assume the contamination is a heavy metal, there are a couple things you will want to do.

1) Vinegar bath: Most metal salts (soluble metal compounds) become more soluble in acidic solutions. The vinegar will help leach out stuborn contaminations. Just get 1 or two cheap gallon jugs at the market and add to the tank, and top off with water. Circulate it for a few hours then clean it out with clean water.

2) Check for residual contamination: Get a Polypad and toss it in your clean tank circulating with clean water. These soak up contaminations and turn a color based on the contamination.

hth
 
I had a heater break in a clients tank a month ago, all of the corals had started RTNing when I got the call. I did a large water change and added one of the big Poly-Filters (used in dialysis machines not just poly floss), a week later she called me and everything was fine.
 
Thank you for your kind words. :) The people in this club are so supportive. :)

That green stuff stained the little bit of cyano in the aquarium and in the filters. I am running the tank and filters in fresh H2O and lots of carbon.

My female Ocellaris (Splash) was apparently more affected than I realized. She is on her last leg (fin?). :(

Phishphood, Tony,

Is it ok to run carbon with the vinegar or should I remove the carbon? Likewise, can the polyfilter be run with vinegar?
 
[quote author=tuberider link=topic=6038.msg76550#msg76550 date=1232733228]
I had a heater break in a clients tank a month ago, all of the corals had started RTNing when I got the call. I did a large water change and added one of the big Poly-Filters (used in dialysis machines not just poly floss), a week later she called me and everything was fine.

[/quote]

Where do you get hospital-type of polyfilter?
 
Lyn sorry to hear about the heater. If you want to I can make room in my QT tank if you want to bring Splash over. It might be more stress to move her but its your call. Let me know.
 
Splash has gone to the Ocean in the Sky. :(

There is only Pizza left, her mate. He was our first venture back into SW; as part of my son's 1st grade school report on clownfish.

Thank you anyway Chicken. :)
 
[quote author=Gomer link=topic=6038.msg76604#msg76604 date=1232750086]
I would run the carbon and poly filter without the vinegar.
[/quote]

OK, thanks.

How long would you run carbon/poly and then vinegar (or vice versa)? I'm not on any time frame since I don't need the tank for fish.
 
vinegar first for a couple hours, then rinse and carbon/poly for a couple hours.

This is probably an overkill method, but that's just how I am lol.
 
[quote author=Gomer link=topic=6038.msg76607#msg76607 date=1232752550]
vinegar first for a couple hours, then rinse and carbon/poly for a couple hours.

This is probably an overkill method, but that's just how I am lol.
[/quote]

Doesn't hurt to be cautious. Thanks for the feedback. I'll go vinegar my tank right now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top