complete tank wiped out

[denise.gardner]

dont know what happened i got up this morning and had an early doctors appointment,i noticed that spike had given birth during the night so rushed around and moved the babies to the nursery tank.as i was running late i didnt turn the lights on the reidi tank but saw they were swimming around.i went to the docs and when i came back checked the barbouri to see if there were any more babies then went to do their food .i went in the front room and turned on the reidi tank and noticed anne lying at the front i couldnt see any of the others i looked around and moved some of the rocks and found all the seahorses had died as well as the pipefish and the firefish.the damsels and the manderin seemed sluggish but alive.i did water tests no ammonia or nitrates the only thing was the phospherous was a little high at 2.we dont know what happened we can only assume either something poisened the m or they had some kind of electric shock.i dont use sprays or anything like that near my tanks.it happened in the space of an hour and half so i have no idea what could have happened:upset::weep:

[craig m]

sorry to hear your loss :(

[Long dave]

oxygen depletion leading to ammonia possibly?

[benb]

Sorry to hear about the tank :(

Could be oxygen levels, do you have a powerhead breaking the surface of the tank?

[saltyell]

OMG!!!

I am so, so, so sorry to hear that!!! :(

So you are talking about the display jewel tank??? The babies are all OK?
Oh my goh whhat on earth could happen and why, so quickly???? :confused:

[saltyell]

Oh thats a point about electric shocks, a few times when I take off my coa or dressing gown and put my hand in the tank the staic causes a shock on the water surface, and the fish all flinch. But obviouslt it must ave to be a much stronger shock - any corals died or anything like that that could have poisoned the tank? Or maybe your caulerpa did the thing where it goes pale and releases all that stuff, I know of someone who's tank was wiped out when he didnt notice the caulerpa which went pale anddid that (I cant rememeber what the term is for it)
is this a possibily - maybe theres a hidden clump of caulerpa thats done this mind you the water wud have clouded so I aint sure :(

[denise.gardner]

thanks elliot,the babies are fine spike even had another 54 babies this morning the barbouri tank is ok im just making sure that i dont use anything from the other tank in there,but i have always used different stuff for each.it happened in the space of an hour i had seen them swimming before i went docs bu8t hadnt turned their light on because i was in a rush because of the barbouri babies and my appointment.it wasnt the caulerpa as i always kept that trimmed although i have taken it out of the tank now.it wasnt ammonia as i did tests after and they were all clear so unless something got spilt into the tank or they got shocked i dont know .i run three filters on that tank so i think they would have had enough oxygen.i feel absolutely devestated and i think if i didnt have the others i would give up.althougth there is never a good time for something like this to happen it doesnt help that my cat was recently killed by a car a few days before christmas.i done a 90% water change and put the manderin back in the tank with the damsels and just hope that they survive i dont want to put them in the other tank in its a bacterial infection although i run uv so it shouldnt be

[saltyell]

Grief you havent had a good time have you?? Sorry to hear aout your cat too:( we lost one of ours recently, the one we still have is 21, older than me!! lol.

I have no idea, just a suggestion is it possible there s a clump of caulerpa that u didnt know about? Coz I often find bits of it growing in awkward places in my reef.

The lights wouldnt have made a differnece, could there have been a powercut? maybe the heater overheated the tank - this has happened to me before and it wasnt pretty, went up to 33 ish because the heater was broken, thankfully all was well.
maybe something got spilt into the tank, I dont know. :(

Im so sorry for you you put so much time and effort into your tanks and you really dont deserve it, the peeps out there with tangs in biorbs always seem to get away with it!!! :(:(
You have removed all the stock havent you? I hate the flushing I always cry :(:(

[howard6466]

dont know what happened i got up this morning and had an early doctors appointment,i noticed that spike had given birth during the night so rushed around and moved the babies to the nursery tank.as i was running late i didnt turn the lights on the reidi tank but saw they were swimming around.i went to the docs and when i came back checked the barbouri to see if there were any more babies then went to do their food .i went in the front room and turned on the reidi tank and noticed anne lying at the front i couldnt see any of the others i looked around and moved some of the rocks and found all the seahorses had died as well as the pipefish and the firefish.the damsels and the manderin seemed sluggish but alive.i did water tests no ammonia or nitrates the only thing was the phospherous was a little high at 2.we dont know what happened we can only assume either something poisened the m or they had some kind of electric shock.i dont use sprays or anything like that near my tanks.it happened in the space of an hour and half so i have no idea what could have happened:upset::weep:



hi denise,

sorry for your all your losses including puss :(

michelle.

[Dive Master]

Sorry to hear your loss. I have a big main tank and feel pead off when I have something dead; in another tank I keep ponies too. When the kudas died I was extremely upset rather than pead off.

Are you sure that they had an electric shock? If the case, get yourself a circuit breaker for the future. It costs about £10

If its possibly poison, then always have a internal filter packed with super-charged active carbon. Just have this in a cupboard where you can get easy access to it.

I know the above won't bring your ponies back, but I hope that if the future repeats itself, at least you are better prepared.

[ceg56]

I am so sorry about your loss on the marine livestock and your cat, that is such bad news for you, really sympathise. Good luck with the babies and hope all works well with them. xx

[denise.gardner]

tyhank you divemaster i run carbon in my filters anyway we took the filter housing apart and found the heater cracked it must have happened when i was at the docs its just with everything at the moment this just seems to be one thing on top of another.if only i had check them before the docs and not the barbouris who knows they were all swimming around when i left.i dont know why it didnt trip the main breakerjust blew then fuse

[Dive Master]

tyhank you divemaster i run carbon in my filters anyway we took the filter housing apart and found the heater cracked it must have happened when i was at the docs its just with everything at the moment this just seems to be one thing on top of another.if only i had check them before the docs and not the barbouris who knows they were all swimming around when i left.i dont know why it didnt trip the main breakerjust blew then fuse

Hi Denise

If you have all the electrics from the tank plug into one mains socket, then invest in one of these:

http://www.rapidonline.com/Electrical-Power/Elect-Prod-Lighting/Domestic-Mains/Plug-in-RCD-circuit-breaker/64114/kw/23-4816?source=googleps&utm_source=googleps

Its only £6.50 for peace of mind. Our cleaner knocked a pipe once; a little bit of water sprayed onto a socket (which has since been moved and re-wired by a sparky!!!! )But this plug, tripped the necessaries, possibly saving the life of my tank occupants and the cleaner!

[denise.gardner]

i run them off two mains im just glad i had not moved the older babies in there yet.how long do you think i should leave it before putting any stock in there as i said i did 90% water change double checked the electrics the manderin is ok so are the damsels but the strange thing was whatever happened killed some toadstools and some bristle worms.

[Dive Master]

And the manderin- one of the most sensitive of livestock survived OVER the toadstool?!?!

WOW! Amazing!

Get yourself two of those plugs!

If you are sure it isn't disease, then the electics MAY have killed off useful bacteria. I would leave your tank to re-mature itself before adding anything new. Do the usual- ammonia, nitrite tests, etc.

[nallaakk]

Ohhh my words! how on earth this happend and so sorry to hear about all your missfortune. I never knew marine life is soo difficult to keep in a tank.. I am worried as I am new... good luck

[denise.gardner]

thank you for your advice i have taken some filter media from the barbouri tank to help with the bacteria.it is very hard as i count all pets as members of my family and had some of these two years.i am going to change to one of those snake heaters as there is no glass to break.i am pretty sure they were not ill as i dont know anything that can kill a fish in an hour plus they had fry yesterday and had been mating that eve.both arnie and sylvester had bellies full of eggs when i found them and they would not mate if they were ill

[denise.gardner]

nallakk.please try not to worry as this is a one in a million thing and i am sure nothing like this will happen to you.i have kept marines for over twenty years and have never seen anything like this before

[Dive Master]

Denise, just in case there was a sudden ammonia surge (which MAYBE something else that would have killed your ponies) May I suggest that you get a much better and efficient skimmer than the one you currently have?

Boyu's are really NOT good skimmers.

[denise.gardner]

ive upgraded to a turbofloter sl weeks ago just hadnt changed my signature i did an ammonia test and it was nil i also have an ammonia constant reader in my tank and if i had had a spike it would have shown it .also my temp probe blew

[Wombat]

really sorry to hear about this, heaters I hate them unreliable things

[saltyell]

so so sorry.
I dont think upgrading the skimmer is a necessety I am going to be running no skimmer anyway.

Try and raise the fry you currently have and restock the tank with these, take your mind off it all. :)
Glad the mandarin is OK, theyre my fave fish. :)

Just persevere, it happens :(

[Joanna]

Oh Denise, I've only just seen your post as UR was down last night when I got home. I am absolutely gutted for you and so so sorry. There is nothing I can say that will make you feel any better. I know how you must feel as I know how I would feel if it happened to my babies. :cry:

Joanna xx

[denise.gardner]

thanks you all for your sympathy i did manage to save one seahorse she was knocked out and i didnt expect her to survive.i put her in the isolation tank and turned the temp down and left her in the dark.she just lay there not movingthe next day she started to stir so i moved her back to her tank in a baby net.she just sat and laid there most of yesterday but this morning she was swimming around.i have now put her back in the tank but she wont eat she seems to be looking for the others so i dont know whether to get her a friend and hope it will get her to eat or what.she just seems so sad:(:(:crying:

[saltyell]

AAww..
It happens in all the vids and stuff, they are wonderful animals hat once they lose their mate feel dpressed, their mate is for life. :(
I would get another one shorty, but equally not TOO soon, let ur tank get back on its feet again.

Once again I am so orry to hear this, I am glad the mandarin is OK too. :)

[denise.gardner]

the manerin is fine i might put the juvenile in with her shes one of hers and slys

[saltyell]

Cool. I hope all is well for you.

What do you normally do with the ponies that you raise? If I were you I would keep some in the main display. :)

[denise.gardner]

i keep the youngsters in the nursery i was just in the process of getting a larger nursery for them because i have 54 new babies to look after.in a few weeks im going to get some new horses im going for giant orange reidi ,leopard tails and bright yellows .im also thinking of getting some pot bellied for the other tank and move the barbouri adults into a nano because there are only two of them at the moment and it is a 240litre tank they are in

[Joanna]

thanks you all for your sympathy i did manage to save one seahorse she was knocked out and i didnt expect her to survive.i put her in the isolation tank and turned the temp down and left her in the dark.she just lay there not movingthe next day she started to stir so i moved her back to her tank in a baby net.she just sat and laid there most of yesterday but this morning she was swimming around.i have now put her back in the tank but she wont eat she seems to be looking for the others so i dont know whether to get her a friend and hope it will get her to eat or what.she just seems so sad:(:(:crying:

That's really sad. :cry: Maybe if you get her a friend she might feel better.

Joanna

[dobequest]

you must be gutted mate :mad:

[loneranger]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I had a heater break in a trop tank once. The first I noticed was when I put my hand in and a)got a shock and b)the water was really hot. The temp had risen to around 35 deg. Lost most fish, down to the stress of the temp. Dont think the fish even got a shock, well not untill I put my hand in and earthed the tank anyway:o
Gutted for you
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[stefnibabe]

Sorry for your loss denise. :( We had a heater break in my fellas tank. just out of shear luck i spotted it and was able to get it out before it caused major problems. It shattered into tiny pieces as soon as i'd got it out so we were lucky really.
I know that no words can help you for your loss...
Steph x x x

[denise.gardner]

Sorry for your loss denise. :( We had a heater break in my fellas tank. just out of shear luck i spotted it and was able to get it out before it caused major problems. It shattered into tiny pieces as soon as i'd got it out so we were lucky really.
I know that no words can help you for your loss...
Steph x x x

thanks steph glad you were able to save yours.i saved one and now have started to restock but its hard as i had arnie and co for nearly two years.its just that and what happened to kuro its just one thing after the other.i know how much you love your babies so much appreciated ....den:thanks:

[paul123]

sorry to hear your loss

[umzo]

:oO Denise just been reading this thread,I am so so sorry for your loss.feel awfull now p.m. in with my little probs nothing compared to what you must be feelin,thank goodness for your babys.Chin up :)