Reef nutrition

Failed tank while on vacation

Just needed to vent...

My 5G work tank had been set up and running for about 1.5 years and been going great. Enough so that I wa going to move some of my bounces into the tank as a back up my mothers.

While in Kauai last week, my coworkers called and text to let me know that something was wrong with my tank...and that it started to stink.

And stink it did... when i got back, first thing I did was go to the office to see if I can save anything. Needless to say, it was a lost cause...and a total stock loss. I smelled the tank coming out of the elevator from 50 ft away. The whole floor stunk.

Did a near 100% water change. Went back the next day and ammonia was 8ppm+ so basically my tank has to restart a fresh cycle from scratch.

Did another near 100% water change... that resulted in 1ppm ammonia and tossed in some bacterial starter

Hopefully, it'll kick start things a bit to rein in the stench. Otherwise, I will have to tear down so as not to offend folks in the office.

My tank went from this
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To this:

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Turned out that somebody messed with my autofeeder and opened the door way wide and literally poisoned the well. Ugh.

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damn.... so sorry to see this. I just picked up a rock of the exact same mushrooms you have in your tank from MarcS. When your tank is up and ready again, I can give you some. Got 6 or so large ones that should mimic your old ones exactly.


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Not to say it didn't get messed with, but I always tape those in place. Some are very tight and don't tend to move. Some move very easily. Varies feeder to feeder it seems.
Was it newly set up?
 
Not to say it didn't get messed with, but I always tape those in place. Some are very tight and don't tend to move. Some move very easily. Varies feeder to feeder it seems.
Was it newly set up?
No, had that running for nearly as long as my tank... usually it's only open at 1 notch. This was opened at least 4, maybe 5 notches.

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damn.... so sorry to see this. I just picked up a rock of the exact same mushrooms you have in your tank from MarcS. When your tank is up and ready again, I can give you some. Got 6 or so large ones that should mimic your old ones exactly.


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Thanks for the offer!

There is still some tissue left on the rock... hoping that it might survive the cycle and regrow... otherwise will definitely take you up on it.

My lightning maroon clown loved hosting on it... sadly, she was part of the casualty list

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Thanks for the offer!

There is still some tissue left on the rock... hoping that it might survive the cycle and regrow... otherwise will definitely take you up on it.

My lightning maroon clown loved hosting on it... sadly, she was part of the casualty list

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If it has part of its foot or some tissue left, it should regrow. The main reason why I got it is because it is a known clown magnet haha.


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Dang, major sympathies.

Sadly, Probably done by a friend trying to help.
Fish look hungry - he must have forgot when he went on vacation - I will just open this up a bit.

Bring it home, clean it right, start over.
Fighting the mess will take longer and just make you more frustrated.
 
I tape them too
But, damn!
That’s just wrong
I hope whoever did that had to sit next to it and smell it!
Also I hope you find out the culprit
Hypothetically, I migh collect a 10ml syringe of that nasty water and inject their chair with it!
 
my guess is either someone's kid came in on the weekend and mucked around with my tank or someone borrowed my desk and twiddled with the feeder out of curiosity. I finally sat in my chair this morning and noticed my arm rests up... I always leave them down so at least I know my desk had been visited at some point.

Days like this is when I miss having my office. sigh.

Day 3 of 8ppm ammonia. Another near 100% change and tossed in more bacterial starter.

I'd bring the tank home but already out of room in my home office where all my tanks go. In fact, I had to break down 2 of my nanos already when I set up that new nem tank.

On brighter side, I can do a clean start guilt-free for this tank. Maybe I will let it cycle and turn it into a bounce tank after all... and add a few nano gobies. hmmm...

But either way -- definitely taping the feeder door from now on!
 
I'd be so upset too... if I had to work there and smell a decaying tank for a week while the owner was away on vacation. I know anywhere I've worked would put the kibosh to any office tanks should that happened to me.

That's what I am worried about... just waiting for the nasty note from facilities...

The person I feel the worst for is my EA. She sits right next to me... Guess she'll be getting a really big something on admin day and a nice lunch in between at the very least.
 
So sorry! All because you were kind enough to leave your fish with a feeder. Let me know if I can help. You can have my pygmy angel if I can catch her, they can survive on pods and algae and are great fish for tanks that don’t see feeding over weekends or trips.
 
That's what I am worried about... just waiting for the nasty note from facilities...

The person I feel the worst for is my EA. She sits right next to me... Guess she'll be getting a really big something on admin day and a nice lunch in between at the very least.
It would be ironic if it was her. There’s no cameras up in there?
 
That's what I am worried about... just waiting for the nasty note from facilities...

The person I feel the worst for is my EA. She sits right next to me... Guess she'll be getting a really big something on admin day and a nice lunch in between at the very least.
And a lesson on how to take care of the reef when you are gone :cool:
 
So sorry! All because you were kind enough to leave your fish with a feeder. Let me know if I can help. You can have my pygmy angel if I can catch her, they can survive on pods and algae and are great fish for tanks that don’t see feeding over weekends or trips.
Thanks for the offer!

I'll probably give some thought on how I want to restart the tank once it's cycled (sigh) again... Almost tempt to take out all the sand and replace it with live sand to just get it done and over with... :/
 
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