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What the hell happened?

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 9:16 pm
by turbo98
I recently moved apartments. I had a 37 gallon cube with a 150w halide. It was setup as a reef. I had tons of stuff, mushrooms, rics, hammers, green stars, carpet anemone, toadstools, leathers, etc etc. I moved everything to a 60 gallon cube in my new place. I used 30 gallons of new salt water, new sand, and 37 gallons of my water. I was informed that it would be ok to do this...well, EVERYTHING is either dead or dying. I have no idea what to do. I have a 250w halide on this system. It has a sump, 4 power heads, heater, overflow....what the hell happened? I have had my water tested like 15 times, and everything is fine. Alk., Calcium, ph, salinity, nitrates, nitrites, copper...everything is great. Temperature is at 78-80...NOTHING is alive, they're either dead or dying...this is very depressing...

Re: What the hell happened?

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 10:10 am
by Fishfood
Its possible that the 250 was too much light. If you went right to a full day at 250 you could have done some damage.

Re: What the hell happened?

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 1:11 pm
by turbo98
No, I reduced from 8 hours with the 150w to 4 hours with the 250w.

Re: What the hell happened?

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 7:03 pm
by Amphiprion
Something to keep in mind is that photosynthesis is not time-limited, but rate-limited. That means that although you are reducing the photoperiod by half, you are still doing damage. Granted, it wouldn't be as much damage as a full 8 hour day, but it is still happening. Combine that with the stress of the move and you can have issues. Ideally, you should reduce the overall intensity of the light and gradually increase it, either using height (if possible) or the screen method. Did you attempt to run carbon and/or metal-scouring resins? There's the possibility of some sort of poisoning, as well, especially given the scale of the issue.

Re: What the hell happened?

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:27 pm
by snoopdog
Amphiprion wrote: run carbon
It may be too late but this is the first thing I would do. You have to think anytime you move a tank there is a possibility of stressing your corals. Even the best laid plans do not always go well. You actually would had done better only replacing maybe 8 gallons of water and keeping the majority of the old water in the move. Also keeping the sand would had been a good idea.

Re: What the hell happened?

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:51 pm
by turbo98
Yeah, I guess it's lessons learned, expensive lessons learned! I have 2 mushrooms left and it looks like my anemone might pull through, everything else died. Lost my foxface fish as well...tank looks great though, just naked.

Re: What the hell happened?

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 10:48 pm
by snoopdog
The Anemone would be the first thing to die for me.

Re: What the hell happened?

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:10 pm
by Crustman
You lost your biofilter. Did you add the old sand to the new sand? You are starting a new cycle if the sand is new. Sorry this happened. Run carbon. Find something for nitrite and ammonia.