restarting everything ??!!

kevin1234 · 01/02/2009, 12:28 PM

My 265g tank has been running for almost 2 years now but since my sea cucumber got sucked up in a stream it has been my tank's downfall. I lost 25 fish that day and 3 others in the 3 days that came.
This ''event'' was the worst thing that happened to my tank and changed everything for it, I did ALOT of water changes without success because when I first started the tank I was rushed by the lfs guy to do a sump without baffles and now I can't take out all the cr** in my sump.
Is there some sort of vaccum I could buy ??? cause I can't syphon the sump as it is placed directly on the ground.
I had a dsb and took it out , I might aswell sell back my rocks and fish and start all over and the first thing I'll do is take my sump out and put in some separations in it as well as micron bags on the arriving water outputs.
Do you guys think its the best way to go?? or is there another way to get my tank up and running nicely again??

please help me out here .... its just killing me...

kevin

thomasp123 · 01/02/2009, 12:39 PM

Kevin I use a small pump attached to some tubing to pump water around. you could use something like that to pump out the sump.

You could also disconnect the sump for a while and clean it thourally out and put in the baffles. Home depot has sheet glass and cutters as well as silicone glue. if you start now you could be up and running by sunday morning.

good luck!!!

THolleyH46 · 01/02/2009, 12:40 PM

Sucked up in stream of what?

rgrobe · 01/02/2009, 12:41 PM

You can use a good canister filter. It will create it's own suction, filter the debris from the water, and allow you to return the water to any location you choose.

And as if you didn't already know, serious water changes for a while. The tank will probably cycle again so protect whatever you have left.

THolleyH46 · 01/02/2009, 12:45 PM

I use something like this for set-up/take down, you can get them at any home improvement store, generally around 30-50 bucks:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...t_6970_792_792

Additionally, you could use a wet/dry vac as well, but I'd remove the filter or it'd just get ruined.

Good Luck!

THolleyH46 · 01/02/2009, 12:51 PM

You can use a power head or cansiter filter too, but with a 265 g tank, you probably need a good pump on hand anyway. I move occassionally and its worth it to have on hand, if you are permanently placed maybe not so much, if you were local, I'd let you borrow mine. Find a friend with a pool, and they probably have one they'll let you borrow.

kevin1234 · 01/02/2009, 04:46 PM

thanks for the help guys I really appreciate it.

What kind of canister filter you'd recommend? hagen , eheim etc...does it really matter??

I have a pretty good gen-x pump lying around if I find it I'll try something up and post back later if it works but I rather get a good canister filter and use it for something else latter on.

Oh and for my sea nuke it got caught in a tunze stream and got ripped open killing almost everything I had... on 36 fish I only have about 7 left... its sad in a tank this big.

and one last question concerning the baffles of my sump.. I have a acrilic pane in my garage, its in perfect condition but I was just wondering what could hold it to glass as I believe silicone doesn't attach well with glass??

and thanks again for the info

BigJay · 01/02/2009, 04:53 PM

First off, I'm truly sorry that you lost so many of your pets so fast. That's a terrible thing to happen to anyone, and you have my most heartfelt condolences. Wow, that's terrible, 28 fish gone!

As to fixing your tank, you can indeed break down and add baffles to your sump. Leave lots of air pumps and powerheads going to keep plenty of oxygen in the display, and keep the lights out. A reef can take three days without lights no problem if necessary.

If possible, drain the overflows, remove the necessary plumbing, and drain the sump. You can use a powerhead (MaxiJet 400 or so) and a clear plastic gravel vac tube to drain the water. Keep all of the sump macro algae and critters in an aerated bucket. Clean the sump out well and glue in the baffles. After the silicone cures, you can refill the sump with fresh new seawater (water change) and start the return pump again. Check out melevsreef.com for any sump building tips (dimensions, etc).

I hope this helps.

01/02/2009, 12:28 PM	#1
kevin1234 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: montreal canada Posts: 188	restarting everything ??!! My 265g tank has been running for almost 2 years now but since my sea cucumber got sucked up in a stream it has been my tank's downfall. I lost 25 fish that day and 3 others in the 3 days that came. This ''event'' was the worst thing that happened to my tank and changed everything for it, I did ALOT of water changes without success because when I first started the tank I was rushed by the lfs guy to do a sump without baffles and now I can't take out all the cr** in my sump. Is there some sort of vaccum I could buy ??? cause I can't syphon the sump as it is placed directly on the ground. I had a dsb and took it out , I might aswell sell back my rocks and fish and start all over and the first thing I'll do is take my sump out and put in some separations in it as well as micron bags on the arriving water outputs. Do you guys think its the best way to go?? or is there another way to get my tank up and running nicely again?? please help me out here .... its just killing me... kevin __________________ 265g reef tank sea cucumber died -->big fish loss is left only: 2 blue tangs, 1 spotted mandarin, 3 chromis, 1 engineer goby, 2 occelaris clowns, 1 blond naso tang , 1 singapore angel Current Tank Info: 265g reef tank

01/02/2009, 12:40 PM	#3
THolleyH46 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: El Paso, TX Posts: 210	Sucked up in stream of what? __________________ TOM "No, I didn't spill any water on the floor near any electrical cords!" Current Tank Info: 120 Tall reef tank

01/02/2009, 12:45 PM	#5
THolleyH46 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: El Paso, TX Posts: 210	I use something like this for set-up/take down, you can get them at any home improvement store, generally around 30-50 bucks: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...t_6970_792_792 Additionally, you could use a wet/dry vac as well, but I'd remove the filter or it'd just get ruined. Good Luck! __________________ TOM "No, I didn't spill any water on the floor near any electrical cords!" Current Tank Info: 120 Tall reef tank

01/02/2009, 12:51 PM	#6
THolleyH46 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: El Paso, TX Posts: 210	You can use a power head or cansiter filter too, but with a 265 g tank, you probably need a good pump on hand anyway. I move occassionally and its worth it to have on hand, if you are permanently placed maybe not so much, if you were local, I'd let you borrow mine. Find a friend with a pool, and they probably have one they'll let you borrow. __________________ TOM "No, I didn't spill any water on the floor near any electrical cords!" Current Tank Info: 120 Tall reef tank

01/02/2009, 04:46 PM	#7
kevin1234 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: montreal canada Posts: 188	thanks for the help guys I really appreciate it. What kind of canister filter you'd recommend? hagen , eheim etc...does it really matter?? I have a pretty good gen-x pump lying around if I find it I'll try something up and post back later if it works but I rather get a good canister filter and use it for something else latter on. Oh and for my sea nuke it got caught in a tunze stream and got ripped open killing almost everything I had... on 36 fish I only have about 7 left... its sad in a tank this big. and one last question concerning the baffles of my sump.. I have a acrilic pane in my garage, its in perfect condition but I was just wondering what could hold it to glass as I believe silicone doesn't attach well with glass?? and thanks again for the info __________________ 265g reef tank sea cucumber died -->big fish loss is left only: 2 blue tangs, 1 spotted mandarin, 3 chromis, 1 engineer goby, 2 occelaris clowns, 1 blond naso tang , 1 singapore angel Current Tank Info: 265g reef tank

01/02/2009, 12:39 PM	#2
thomasp123 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hadley MA Posts: 345	Kevin I use a small pump attached to some tubing to pump water around. you could use something like that to pump out the sump. You could also disconnect the sump for a while and clean it thourally out and put in the baffles. Home depot has sheet glass and cutters as well as silicone glue. if you start now you could be up and running by sunday morning. good luck!!!

01/02/2009, 12:41 PM	#4
rgrobe Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: San Diego area Posts: 416	You can use a good canister filter. It will create it's own suction, filter the debris from the water, and allow you to return the water to any location you choose. And as if you didn't already know, serious water changes for a while. The tank will probably cycle again so protect whatever you have left.

01/02/2009, 04:53 PM	#8
BigJay Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Southlake, Texas Posts: 1,872	First off, I'm truly sorry that you lost so many of your pets so fast. That's a terrible thing to happen to anyone, and you have my most heartfelt condolences. Wow, that's terrible, 28 fish gone! As to fixing your tank, you can indeed break down and add baffles to your sump. Leave lots of air pumps and powerheads going to keep plenty of oxygen in the display, and keep the lights out. A reef can take three days without lights no problem if necessary. If possible, drain the overflows, remove the necessary plumbing, and drain the sump. You can use a powerhead (MaxiJet 400 or so) and a clear plastic gravel vac tube to drain the water. Keep all of the sump macro algae and critters in an aerated bucket. Clean the sump out well and glue in the baffles. After the silicone cures, you can refill the sump with fresh new seawater (water change) and start the return pump again. Check out melevsreef.com for any sump building tips (dimensions, etc). I hope this helps. __________________ PBITAWA