18 hour power outage - aarrgghhh!!!

B

bdgenz

Happened last week. At the 12 hour mark I picked up a generator for a couple fridges, freezer, reef tank, Frontosa tank and about 6 computers.

The fridges and freezers along w/the goods survived fine, Frontosas didn't seem to care, customers lived w/out email etc and were OK w/it.

The reef tank was a bit pissed, especially the pulsing Zenia. Everyone else made it throught the ordeal reasonably well (except the cleaner shrimp, no tolerance for this, my bad or what? He actuallly liked me, ate from my hand and all, he will be missed).

Zenia still not looking right, discolored, dark, shrunk all up, yuck. They're improving VERY slowly. I've increased the food, overdosing the trace elements and watching for red slime. Going to do a 50% water change this weekend.

Anything else I might do to help improve these guys outlook on life?

I told them I'm sorry - doesn't seem to be helping.

Thanks for your any suggestions.

Brian
 
Xenia is wierd...

First let me give you some advice, get a Battery Backup or build one, theres a few do it yourselves out there. Put any powerheads you have in your tank on it, youd be amazed what a few powerheads can help in a blackout. If you cant do this go to just about anywhere and buy a couple of battey powered Minnow Air Bubblers, these usually take 2xC batteries and have an air pump, hose, and stone. One of these at each end of your tank and your golden for about 6 hours or until the batteries die.

Ok, to the Xenia (x not Z :wink: ). Xenia is wierd, If given light and current nothing can kill it and to many its a weed. Take away one of those (light for 3-4 days, current 2-3 hours) and it can crash. And when I say crash I mean crash, there seems to be a chemical that when one colony dies it tells all the others to die in the tank, these dead colonies can wipe out a coral tank unless a good water change is done or the dead colonies are removed ASAP.

Dead or Dieing xenia takes on a VERY wrinkled look and a yellow-green tint. Exhume these asap, Ive never seen a dieing xenia colony come back. Xenia has alot of proteins and toxins in it when it dies, so be warned.

Hope that helps.

Nick
 
I agree with everything Nick said except for one bit - I have seen a totally wiped out colony come back. If it goes nuclear on you, I'd snip it off very close to the rock, leaving any flesh that's still attached. With good conditions, this little puddle of Xenia flesh will re-grow into an entire new colony...

But I'll second, if it goes south, get the bulk of the biomass outta there FAST...

And yeah, the stuff grows like a weed... I use it as a bio-filter in my refuguim along with macro algaes and mangroves!
 
I had an alk issue one time in my tank and the Xenia almost melted completly away there was no pulsating stems left just a stump, after several large water changes it starting impove daily, So I agree a just about totaly whipped out colony can and probably will come back. I believe Xenia may be the reef equivilant of crab grass.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top