-SCREAM- Possible Tank Crash. I'm so stupid sometimes...

S

Serk

Been mixing up a fresh batch of saltwater for a water change the last few days. Was getting ready to do the water change today, plunged my hand into the mixing tub to get the powerhead out to get everything ready, and got the jiggly wigglies...

Started unplugging things to figure out where it was coming from, as the only things in the mixing tub were a MJ1200 and an old 50 watt heater it didn't take long...

The 50 watt heater had shattered.

Unplugged it and set it aside, meticiously went through the mixing tub picking out any small pieces of glass, or anything else...

Briefly considered just dumping the entire batch of water and starting again... STUPID STUPID STUPID... Shoulda dumped it.... Argh!

Did the water change this afternoon... Went off to run errands. When I came home I noticed a few things:

-The tank looked VERY clear, bright white almost.
-All corals shriveled up/retracted/off color/not looking good.
-Skimmer overflowing with foam. Foam floating in my sump.

I'm assuming something from the innards of the heater leached into the water change water, and I happily pumped the contaminants right into my system.

For now, I've shut the lights off early to put everything into "night" mode, bumped my skimmer up to skim super wet, and put all the carbon in the house into the sump...

At this point, about the only thing to do is wait and hope... I HAVE to work for the next hour or so, afterwards I might go to Wally Mart and get a bunch more carbon to put into the system as well... I could start making more water for another change, but at this point, I'm afraid that wouldn't be enough...

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
 
Todd,
I appreciate the offer, I really do, but my total system volume is around 250 gallons, and I don't think anything less than a near total water change would do any good at this point... I'm almost done with work, and am gonna head to Wally World and get a ton of carbon (Kingsford, right? See, even now I haven't lost my horrid sense of humour!) and gonna put as much carbon into the system as I can, as well as continually emptying my skimmer...
 
Not Kingsford. :wink: The other carbon. :D

Sorry this happened to you. Sounds like some possible copper got in the system. Are your invertebrates dying?

If you'll run to one of the open LFS tomorrow, get some PolyFilter, the product that takes stuff out of the water and changes the pad to the appropriate color.

http://www.aquariumsuperstore.co.uk/mall/biomarinepolyfilter.asp

The one I buy doesn't look like this packaging, but maybe they changed the look. PetOrama tends to keep it in stock, and you get 10% off with your club card.
 
I have an 80 gal where you could have move all your fish and corals until you get your tank back up and running.
 
I hope everything turns out ok. Please keep us informed as to what is going on. I know it isn't a lot, but even a 10%(25g) water change would help. It would be 25 fewer gallons for your tank to have to clean.
-Chuck
 
Man, that's a bummer! I had a set of DIY moonlights fall into my tank one night, and just the 3 very small resistors that blew caused many of my SPS and BTAs to lose most of their color. Hang in there and let us know how we can help.
 
Well, I bought all the generic Black-Diamond my Wal Mart had, hooked up my filter socks to the return into my sump, and dumped all the carbon into there...

I'm afraid Marc might be right about the copper though... If there's anything left to salvage by morning I'll see if I can go find a polyfilter... If only there were a 24-hour well stocked LFS!

I still see amphipods alive though, so I'm hopeful. I don't know how they rank on the "resistant to copper poisoning" scale, but I'd assume with their small size they'd be some of the quickest to go, but I don't know that to be true...

Among all the other sad sights in my tank, two of my serpent stars are either spawning, or dissolving. I fear it's the latter... They've climbed to the highest point in the tank, completely wrapped around each other, and stringy white stuff is being expelled by them or one of them. The tank's gotten very cloudy very quick. This doesn't bode well, not well at all.

The skimmer's still going absolutely berserk (Even worse than when I use 2-part epoxy!), and I'm doing all I can to keep the collection cup clean so whatever it's pulling out it can do as efficiently as possible...

Argh! If this is a full on crash, I honestly don't know if I have the heart to rebuild... I just don't know if I could do it again, at least not for a while... Hopefully it doesn't come to that, but I'm trying to psychologically prepare myself for it if it does...

Thanks again for the offers of water or holding space. I know any amount of dillution would help, but I just don't think it'd help enough to offset driving all over the metroplex after midnight on a Saturday night (When I'm already beat down tired to boot). And for temporary holding space, to get just about anything outta my tank would require a major tear down, it's all so inter-connected, and the stress of doing that right now I fear would be worse than whatever else is happening in there. Thank ya'll though for the offers, I really mean that!!!
 
Brian,

If your tank should crash and you need to rebuild, I don't mind fragging you a lot of my ricordeas to help you rebuild your tank. You have been a great asset to our club and I will hate to see you give up. I am available to help you out all day Sunday if needed.
 
Thanks Tri... I don't know if I could AFFORD to rebuild though, live rock, sand, everything...

-sigh-

I just examined the shattered remains of the dead heater...
How could i have been so (*$@)#$ STUPID?!?!?!

Copper heating element... Nicely corroded...

If anyone's reading this and happens to have a polyfilter they'd be willing to let me come get tonight, PLEASE let me know!

I think I'm gonna go crawl into a corner and cry now...

(I had my cell # here, but took it out. I put this note here so the discussion later on referring to my cell # being here would make sense. :) )

Thank you.
 
I don't have a poly-filter, but do have a jar of Aquarium Systems Copper Remover that I bought on clearance a year or so ago. Apparently, you pour the stuff into the included mesh bag and dunk it in the sump or someplace. It's only rated for 100 gallons, but you're more than welcome to it. I'm going to be up for a while making sure my AC compressor can keep the house under 85 degrees. :roll: I have to go out every 15 minutes or so and hit the fan blade with a good blast of water in the right direction so the motor will spin.
 
Kevin - I'll try just about anything... I'd really appreciate it! I'm gonna get ready to head out, please PM me your address if you're sure you don't mind, and I'll head your way... I REALLY appreciate it!!!
 
Don't worry Tri, I'd already thought of that and was gonna edit the thread once this is all over with one way or the other... :)

I'm heading out to Plano to pick up GraviT's generous offer of the copper remover... I also found an old polyfilter I'd had about a year ago... It's brown from when I used it last time, I rinsed it in some RO/DI and placed it back in the system. Let's hope it turns green fast, and gets this #(*@) outta my system!!!

Ya' know... Whenever I get kinda bummed out about some of the more bureaucratic aspects of any club of this size, something like this happens and renews my faith in the PEOPLE that make up this club... Seriously... The offers of help, both public and in PM's, have totally floored me... Thank you to all, from the bottom of my currently broken heart...
 
I wish I had a better solution. I know Frank tends to be up late, but he's way over on this end of the metroplex and I don't know if he'd be willing to bring you a truck load of saltwater. I did ask him to stock PolyFilter, but don't know if it came in yet. I'll send him a PM now.
 
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