A BOATLOAD of issues.....

[ga_daisy]

Well....I'm basically already there. I've been working alot and taking a full load of classes for.....well, it seems like forever!

I've really let my tank go over the last six + months and now I'm paying for it all.

I started dosing up calcium a couple of weeks ago (blindly)......too busy to take the three minutes to test the freaking levels. At any rate, I was hit with tank issues this morning (long story for another thread) and decided to sit down and test my calcium. Unless I lost count of the drops, I'm running around 700 ppm on Calcium.

Now....before anyone jumps on the band wagon of I'm a horrid individual for letting my aquarium go for so long without testing.....and such, I KNOW this already. I've had my wake up call and have beaten myself up MORE than sufficiently.

The long and short, the power went out last night around 8:30, didn't come back on until 7:30 this morning. It was only on for a hot second when I saw my Coral Beauty on the bottom. I had lost an Anthias a couple of weeks ago, but basically blew it off because the rest of the tank was doing fine. NOW.....however.....I have my Naso on the bottom breathing heavily and one dead CB. So.....I guess I should have tagged this thread as.....Holy CRAP! I F'ed up.....panic mode. The power was only on for maybe 10 minutes.

I've now taken the day off of work. I only had 20 gal of RO salt water mixed up. (sorry....jumped subjects....my nitrates are out of whack). With the power off, I couldn't mix more. So.....I used a cup and a bucket, pulled out 20ish gal, and then replaced 20ish gal.

I now have a 45 gal trashcan out on my front porch mixing salt into NON-R/O water.

I'm not close to a store, how bad would it be to dump 45 gal of non-R/O water that hasn't been dechlorinated into the tank? The power is finally back on so I'm able to mix salt with powerheads.

So.....the bottom line.....could the high calcium have caused drama with the fish?

I know my nitrates are up and that will cause issues.....so, how can I quickly fix this? I know a water change, but am I risking too much by doing a 45 gal water change without dechlorinating the water first? The tank is 235 gal. After the 45 gal I'm going to be out of salt, I'm HOPING that the 45 gal will get my nitrates down to reasonable levels and I can do another change on Friday (I have classes tonight and I cannot miss as I have my lab midterm).

This all started in my Calcium levels posting......but there is MORE going on than calcium overdosing.

 

[cooper]

It sounds like the water lost its oxygen while the power was out. get the water moving asap. Also, I would not put that much non RO water into your tank. One thing I learned the hard way is to panic and over react.

 

[ralph atl]

here:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php</a>


[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</a>


[IMG]http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm">http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm</a>


[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm</a>

 

[brianjfinn]

Not sure where you get your water from in Monticello, but here, being so close to the lake, if I were to use tap water, I'd actually be adding nitrates to the system, among other nasty things.

I would definitely suggest dechlorinating the water before adding it, if you can. I agree that lack of oxygen, and probably even temp swing, has played a part in losing the fish.

You can try to the water change, but be prepared to do more in the next 24 hours, with RO water.

 

[budsreef]

Deanna, I'm really sorry you are having these troubles. I agree that it was probably the lack of oxygen from the power being out that has done the most damage. Unless you treated the tap water with prime and maybe amquel I don't think I'd use it.

What are your actual paramaters? If this is something that has been going bad for a while, trying to correct it all at once may not be the best thing. I would do what you can to get some RO going and get some fresh saltwater mixed as quickly as possible. I know you say you aren't close to a store but I would find the nearest LFS and make the trip to get some RO and or saltwater to try to at least do another 20 to 40 gallon water change today.

Is there any reefers near you that could help out?

 

[ga_daisy]

ok.....after the dramatic running around like a chicken with my head cut off moment (more like MOMENTS) of my day. I believe that the masses were correct.....oxygen levels had dropped to a critical low.

I think I was too busy trying to blame myself and fix things to consider the insanely obvious.....THIRTEEN hours without any water movement at all is WAY too long. Now that the power has been back on for a while, all of the tankmates are swimming around and acting normal and have been fed.

Another lesson learned here......do your general maintenance, then you aren't busy trying to fix what shouldn't be wrong in the first place and you can focus on the real issue, which is probably as obvious as the nose on your face.

My phosphates and nitrates are up, and I will be doing a 70 gal water change this weekend and will prepare to do another hefty water change next weekend pending the TESTING, that I promise myself that I will be doing! I have already mixed up the saltwater using tap water, so a quick stop off at a LFS to pick up some Prime and I will be good to go.

A special thanks to Budsreef for talking me down off of the ledge today! Now, as long as I don't nose dive in my biology lab midterm due to lack of rest, an abundance of stress and no time or electricity to study with....my life will be back to the normal amount of chaos this time tomorrow! :yay: