OT, reminds me of a business "case study" once related to me. Abbreviated, it goes: young line manager at Ford; accidentally sets the line using yesterday's shift orders; overproduces the wrong things for a full shift, and none of the needed-for-today stuff; line stops, millions lost. Manager tries to resign; Director refuses, saying: "I just spent 3M training you."

In other words, NOTHING teaches like experience.

On topic, Scott, you have my sympathy to go with all the others... I crashed my tank a while ago, and also lost a lot of my corals. Soldier on... Keeping a slice of a tropical reef in the middle of the bald prairie is not for the faint-of-heart, but we few (the bold, foolish ones...) we get to watch something special in our living rooms.

Yeah that might work Flusher, but I also may just go with new rock, a fresh start that way. I may not replace all the rock, but a few big pieces at least.

Genix, definitely don't let these stories hold you back from going with SPS and halides... it's worth it. And like reeferaddict said, plan around it.. I could have done things to prevent this... even if I would have had a fan to keep the room cooler.. things may not have been so bad. So plan things carefully I guess and everything should work out ..

is it really, though? i like the way soft corals sway in the current and i'm pretty satisfied with them. i like the colors and shapes of some SPS but the added expense and risk hardly seems worth it. it's too demoralizing to lose livestock for me to attempt SPS just for the challenge.

It IS worth it IMO... and it seems to be a part of the addiction too... :mrgreen:

I am keeping a "mixed reef"... probably more challenging than any other style out there, especially given my fish load... when you get results, I can't describe the satisfaction, and you can't beat the colours and shapes of SPS... I still keep a couple of soft corals too... I like the waving and such, but even at that I've been able to get that effect from LPS corals.

I'm not saying SPS is for everyone, just not to be daunted by stories like this, it can happen to a softie tank too...

Who is to say you will lose all your livestock though? Even so, as reeferaddict stated, if you had a tank full of LPS or softies, and tank temps get out of control, too much light, etc... you'll still lose all your corals. So really, with all proper planning for unexpected heat and anything else you can easily avoid this from happening. If I would have had a temp controller or even a fan blowing at the water surface, things may not have been so bad. Anyways, moral of the story is, it can happen to any tank, no matter what corals your keeping, anyone can suffer a tank "crash" perse... just plan around it. I need to start adding things to my tank like temp controllers and fans, especially for summer, well... only for summer really.

Another update:

I did yet another water change, the tank is clear and stench free. I vacuumed that sand on Tuesday and it worked like a charm. One more vacuum and the sand should be really clean.

I took all my rocks out yesterday after work and rinsed them thoroughly and gave them all a quick scrub. I also rinsed them in FW for a bit as suggested. They look a bit better, I just have tons of detritus sticking to the tank walls and rocks, and it makes my entire tank look like ass. I have been basting it off and using the AC500 with the foam insert to help get rid of some of the large particles.

I also bought a digital thermometer (was using a stick-on previously) I have to admit, they both work well... the stick on is pretty accurate, as well as the digital obviously.

Another thing I forgot to tell you all, was that my Royal Gramma I purchased that I thought jumped never jumped. I must have found (and I am ashamed to admit this) a really old dried up fish of some sort under my sstand. You have to udnerstand though that my tank stand has barely any clearance on the bottom to look under, so I had nooo clue about this (the only reason I looked there is because my female clown made her way under there when she jumped) I got home Monday and he was unfortunately gasping for breath. I have NO idea where this little bugger was hiding, but he did a good job of it. The heat and tank crash must have pushed him over the edge and he never made it :( I just thought it was bizarre, I got home and seen this bright purple and yellow... "Hey! He's ALIVE!!" ... sadly he was stuck on a Seio intake :(. RIP little buddy.

After a few days of working on the tank, I must say I am more pleased with the empty look, although I do miss some of my fav. SPS pieces ... but the tank looks much more "open" . I'll snap some pics... I think my tank would be perfect for a host anemone ... right dead center in the tank where my clam is. I am able to get a free purple H. Crispa from a friend, and I will put him in sometime next week or next weekend. Things seem to be stable now and I have changed out at LEAST 25g of water since Monday. Carbon is being used and I am skimming heavy, cleaning the cup daily.

Man this thread is like a car crash, you know you shouldn't look but you can't help it :rolleyes:

Anyone seen any good movies lately?

Pirates was good.:mrgreen:

OCDP,

Are you sure a hard-to-keep anemone is the best thing to put into the tank at this time?

Alright, well that's it for this thread.

I think I just won't even bother updating anything with my tank anymore... people just seem to have a bad view on me it seems. As if I haven't been keeping an eye on paramaters, you think I would honestly add one in if everything is all out of wack??

Thanks for the posts, maybe I read them wrong, but I found them pretty rude. I'm not sure what to make of them? I haven't done anything wrong here.

At this point I won't bother posting any updates on my tank.

I would never add the anemone with tank paramaters being out of line. As of now, I have no detectable ammonia, nitrite and nitrates appear to be lowered a bit since vacuuming my sand and cleaning my rocks.

Sorry if I have wasted all of your time, but you chose to read the thread. Thanks to those who have offered me help and given me advice, I appreaciate it.

You know Scott, seriously, we are all trying to help but it seems so futile. Its like you're not really listening. Perhaps if we're a bit more blunt we'll get our point across??

Your tank JUST CRASHED!!!!!!! That means you're pretty much starting all over again. Doing a few 8 gallon water changes does not a fixed tank make!

Yes you've changed out 25 gallons but really, you've only diluted the problem. Your tanks ecosystem has had a major event and all you've done is masked the problem with a few water changes, a sandbed siphon and now you want to put an anemone in there??

You know that ammonia/nitrite/nitrate aren't the only tank parameters that cause problems. Who knows what was released into the water when your tank crashed. For all you know you could still have toxins from the corals or something in there.

I think part of the problem with your posts is that you come here looking for help, people offer it and then you just go along and do your own thing anyway. Why bother to look for help if you don't feel like listening to it. People are taking time out of their day to respond to your posts and then you just carry on as usual. If you're looking for a group hug, perhaps you should go to ReefCentral.

People have told you repeatedly to let the tank settle before you start adding any livestock and then you tell us that you are thinking about adding an anemone! Cripes, people wait months, almost a year before adding something like that.

Perhaps you should work on your respect for livestock. You don't seem to have much happening in that department.

I am not goign to even bother to start arguing. I will simply say this... when I started this thread I wasn't looking for help at all. I was "venting" , I was overwhelmed. "Tank Crash" May have not been the best term to use... I only lost my corals, everything else in the tank is still fine. I didnt' lose "all" my corals either, I still have all my zoanthids left. Basically the SPS and LPS didn't make it.

You gave me advice and suggestions, and, I think I have done just about every single thing recommended other than adding a chiller and cooking my rock. I have been working hard on getting the tank, rock and the sand clean.

I guess I figured that if the water paramaters are good, everything is looking good and testing good and things are stabalizing, then I should be good. Sorry if I don't know what else to be testing for other than the usual. This is what I am used to and this is how I have been doing it since day 1.

You told me to do large water changes, I did... 8-10g every day since Monday evening. I cleaned the rocks, I cleaned the sand.. removing all the gunk from my tank and cleaning the equipment. I followed all of your suggestions other than rock cooking.

My tank hasn't gone back to square one... I have just lost most of my corals.

Anyways, I am sorry I come across as a person who has no care for livestock.. sheesh, I wonder how I managed to keep , grow and have SPS thrive in my 20g all this time, as well as a crocea clam (which is still alive).

I am a bit confused as to why you say I come here looking for help , and do my own thing. I started this thread to vent like most people do when stuff like this happens, I asked one question in regards to water clarity. Do my own thing?? I am doing everything you told me to do and have been watching my water paramaters daily. I had intentions of receiving the H. Crispa when I got back, because it's in a fellow reefers tank and she cannot meet the requirements for him. I told her I would take him, and she was cool with that.

I am sorry. I figured that if paramaters are in check and are STABLE then things are fine (it's my understanding that stability is the key here)... I don't understand how I could still have toxins (if I did, there can't be much...) from corals as I have new, fresh water, cleaned rocks , sand, equipment. I am not saying it's not a possibility.. I just don't understand how that works, sorry. I didn't think that my tank would need to sit for long if everything went back to "normal"

When you say let the tank settle, I wasn't given a time frame, and maybe I should know this.. but I don't ! Again, I figured if tank paramaters are good, and stable... then why must it sit? What is this going to do? My tank is established.. it's not new... I did wait before adding any of my first anemones. Would I ever add in an anemone to a tank where it will not survive? No. I wouldn't add it if I didn't know I had a damn good chance of it's survival.

Maybe I will take my posts to Reef Central from now on. I feel I am just annoying you all (yet you still keep posting.. ?) And I feel I am being viewed as a bad reef keeper... this is not the case.

Again, my apologies to everyone, maybe my ways of reef keeping (whether they be "right" or "wrong") just aren't nearly the same as yours.

All's I can say is I do care and have plenty of respect for my livestock, yes I have made a few foolish purchases (but who hasn't) I do my best to keep everything happy and thriving (and I feel I have done a great job thus far)

Take care. And again, my apologies if I have wasted all of your time. But if I may make a suggestion, if I make posts that you shake your head at for whatever reasons, please.. don't reply or post rude comments. Save yourself time and save me the time.... and please don't take this offensively, just a simple way to keep me out of your hair is all.
Scott

lock it up, mods.