advice needed --> advice taken -->update July 27

[marie]

You can show up on my doorstep anytime...just make sure you bring enough styrofoam boxes to pack everything home

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by marie

You can show up on my doorstep anytime...just make sure you bring enough styrofoam boxes to pack everything home

Thanks Marie, I'll be taking you up on that one day soon

[Aquattro]

When you're down this way, stop in.

[lngrhaul]

Wow Christy, this is just heartbreaking to read. It is also extremely scary for those of use with a lot less experience than you - how will our moves/transfers go.

Once the dust settles, it would be extremely helpful if you could write a kind of "lessons learned" post of what happend, what you think the reasons were and what you would do differently next time.

I know there is a lot of info in this post already but I think we could all benefit from your thoughts and perhaps save another reefer from the same devastation.

I hope things turn around quickly for you.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by lngrhaul

Once the dust settles, it would be extremely helpful if you could write a kind of "lessons learned" post of what happend, what you think the reasons were and what you would do differently next time.

Something like that is difficult at best. I've moved three times, twice without a hiccup, once with results similar to Christy's. Did the same things all three times, it just didn't work once. No idea why. If I tried to give some reasons, they would be guesses only. Mostly, sometimes shite happens. As a habit, I've always given away lots of frags in the event I need some things back for exactly this type of reason.
Christy does the same, so when she's ready, half her stock is in my tank, and she just needs to come pick it up. The new incarnation will be even better than the last.

[christyf5]

I'm still thoroughly convinced it was a temperature issue. The corals just got too cold sitting on the floor and its likely there was enough of a temperture difference going into the tank or enough length of time in the cold that they just didn't like it.

In hindsight:

1. have a full day open for moving the tank. dont' have the shaw guy screw it up halfway through.

2. if this is unavoidable have a husband thats willing to actually leave the shaw guy to drive the truck and trailer to move the tank for 30 mins. Have him not be the guy in the shaw commercials that has the 3 cheerleaders ready and waiting in the background for the full nfl package to be hooked up. (excited much?)

I've moved twice without problems, I've torn down tanks and reset them up, I've upgraded a few times, never have I seen this type of devastation. Minus the delay in moving the actual tank, I moved everything exactly the way I've always moved it with previous success.


Things I can see I did wrong:

1. moved the livestock to the new location. I should have left it at the old location with a regular floor, frags would have acclimated to room temperature (which at the time was stinking hot for humans, lovely for corals). They can sit for quite awhile at normal temp, not so much for the cold (at least the cold makes for a bitch of acclimation which I didn't do as I was freaking out about the temperatures).

2. possibly didn't start damage control soon enough. My reluctance to use chemical means may have been a hindrance because prime sure fixed the problem in a hurry. Not sure what the ramifications will be down the road, however daily 40g waterchanges should be exporting a goodly portion of it.



Ammonia is zero and I woke up to 4 more pieces bone white this am. The fun continues. this will be my 4th 40g waterchange this week. I am done.


At this point I'm going to have the easiest upgrade ever. Move rock over, move fish over. Done.


Brad and Marie. I love you guys

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by christyf5

Brad and Marie. I love you guys

We love you too. Might even have some of Shao's pink birdsnest to cut for ya