"The Nuked Tank"; Or "Why I hate Lysol"

new2u · 10/27/2006, 07:59 PM

Well, some detering news folks I've experinced a semi-tank crash today, and I thought I'd reccored the events so that others can avoid similar fates....

It starts on Thursday the 26th, I was ill with a stomach bug, and laying on the couch watching both the TV and my 120 while resting up, and my mom was taking care of me during this little vacation for highschool. After I got well, she decideds to sterilize the area with a good amout of Lysol, I'm still a little groggy and think nothing of it, clean the tank later and head off to sleep.

In the morning rush on today the 27th, I fly out and think nothing of the aquarium, but Head home on my lunch hour and free 6th to find a catastrophe. The tank is clowdy, and I proceed to think, why is my urchin laying on the sand? I take a peek, and the urchin is not the only thing, but all of my fish (some of which I'd had for 2-3 years) are laying belly up on the sand, in this filthy cloudy mess. I proceed to flip out. While in this frenzy I notice that all my corals don't seem to be suffering a bit, and fearing the worst, call up my buddy Frank at Franks Tanks and explain the situation and he readily obliges to house my corals during my prediciment. I bag up all I can, and head over there and grab 40 gallons of RO-DI salt, and rush home to change the water and "Bring out 'cha dead". I pull my light fishload out, and had a tearful moment bagging them up to freeze them (as i do with all my casualties) and notice that the corals that are stuck too rocks to well to take out to Franks are looking fine/good. So, i siphon out about 60 gallons of water, and add in the 40 that I bought. Surprisingly, now (about 4 hours later) the tank looks clear, and my remaining corals are open, but most of the other inverts are about 50-50 on the life-death ratio. I've found that most of the brittle starfish are dead, while the little baby 6 sided ones are fine. The hermits and narssisus are cleaning away, while the astreas and turbos are adding to the kill count. Thankfully, my rock filled with ricordia, clove polyps, and devils hand (which were too large to remove) are actually fully open, and looking fine. I am now running carbon, polyfilter, and my skimmer in the tank, and plan another 50%ish water change tommorrow. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks for weathering the long post/rant

-Willis

(Pics to come)

lllosingit · 10/27/2006, 08:11 PM

Sorry, that would really suck.
No other suggestions, Looks like your on the right track.

kiknchikn · 10/27/2006, 08:20 PM

Man, that really sucks! I hope your remaining corals and other inverts make it out just fine. Good luck.

amphirion · 10/27/2006, 08:21 PM

Good luck! i lost some of my fishes and corals earlier this year me too and it is very difficult to deal with... I hope that everything left in the tank is in good shape.
Could you post some pictures?
Good luck

littlemannin · 10/27/2006, 09:00 PM

Load up on carbon and wet skim skim skim. I had a similar problem about 3 months ago when my niece went to "pet" my fish after she oiled her bike chain, leaving me with oil slicks in my tank! I lost 2 fish but everything else made out fine. Good luck!

Chicago · 10/27/2006, 09:07 PM

are you sure it wasnt a one kill ..maybe natural causes that started to domino? add to cycle ..cant handle it so another fish dies and more load on capcity of tank and more die ..amonia spike?

can we really blame mom for this one?

new2u · 10/27/2006, 09:21 PM

I might agree otherwise, but I'd say that an ammonia spike wouldn't leave the corals happy, rather they'd be the first to go

IndyReefMan · 10/28/2006, 10:11 AM

Lots of carbon and change it everyday for a week or so.

new2u · 10/28/2006, 01:31 PM

Soon as I get off work, I'm picking up another 30 gallons of water, and plan to check ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, wait on the other stuff untill those 3 are in good shape. How often should I replace the carbon? I have a big bag on my CL intake, and last night it wasn't look that bad after being in there 10-12 hours. On the bright side, my nitrate levels will go down a bit, and I'll finally be able to keep a flame angel. /sigh

-Willis

new2u · 10/28/2006, 01:33 PM

Oh by the way, the anenome in my avitar was saved as well as my corals, and this morning my massive cowrie and 2 of my giant starfish had been moving around, and showing signs of life. Also, the corals that I left in partly because i thought they were dead and partly because they were too big to transport are opening up and looking good. These include a massive devil's hand, clove polyps, zoas of all kinds, ricordia, and various mushrooms. Thanks for the support guys (and gals)

-Willis

Cosmo^Kramer · 10/28/2006, 06:58 PM

Lysol is mostly alcohol.If it got into the tank it's probably a huge bacteria bloom.When you get a bloom that clouds the water it depleats oxygen quickly.Get some power heads breaking the surface and maybe some air stones and pumps running.After the bloom clears up you'll probably have nice clear water and lower phosphates and nitrates.It's like someone dosed your tank with alot of Vodka.If you read some of the Vodka threads thats one of the bad things that can happen when they dose too much,If you didn't have fish it wouldn't have been too bad.

new2u · 10/29/2006, 09:36 AM

My God, your right.

The water was incredibly cloudy, the corals could have easily survived without oxygen MUCH longer than those fish, and the inverts all lived based on their individual tolerance of the low oxygen. Did another 40 gallon change yesterday, to bring it down to about 25% of my original water, and changed the carbon this morning.

new2u · 10/29/2006, 08:56 PM

Tested my ammonia today, somewhere between 0 and .25, possibly non existant but who knows how well my eyes can read it. I plan to head off to the store tommorrow and greab another 40 gallons if my levels are correct (0s) i'll pick up my corals while i'm there, and change 20 gallons, and fill the tank to compacity (its running at about 66% right now I wanted to get rid of all the water I could) and start circulation between my refugium and main tank, and order a new cleaning crew. I'll be updating this thread periodically, and post some pics once i have the full system running it just looks all bubbly and gross right now, but astondingly clear due to the bacteria's cleaning...

10/27/2006, 07:59 PM	#1
new2u Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Atlanta / DFW Posts: 861	"The Nuked Tank"; Or "Why I hate Lysol" Well, some detering news folks I've experinced a semi-tank crash today, and I thought I'd reccored the events so that others can avoid similar fates.... It starts on Thursday the 26th, I was ill with a stomach bug, and laying on the couch watching both the TV and my 120 while resting up, and my mom was taking care of me during this little vacation for highschool. After I got well, she decideds to sterilize the area with a good amout of Lysol, I'm still a little groggy and think nothing of it, clean the tank later and head off to sleep. In the morning rush on today the 27th, I fly out and think nothing of the aquarium, but Head home on my lunch hour and free 6th to find a catastrophe. The tank is clowdy, and I proceed to think, why is my urchin laying on the sand? I take a peek, and the urchin is not the only thing, but all of my fish (some of which I'd had for 2-3 years) are laying belly up on the sand, in this filthy cloudy mess. I proceed to flip out. While in this frenzy I notice that all my corals don't seem to be suffering a bit, and fearing the worst, call up my buddy Frank at Franks Tanks and explain the situation and he readily obliges to house my corals during my prediciment. I bag up all I can, and head over there and grab 40 gallons of RO-DI salt, and rush home to change the water and "Bring out 'cha dead". I pull my light fishload out, and had a tearful moment bagging them up to freeze them (as i do with all my casualties) and notice that the corals that are stuck too rocks to well to take out to Franks are looking fine/good. So, i siphon out about 60 gallons of water, and add in the 40 that I bought. Surprisingly, now (about 4 hours later) the tank looks clear, and my remaining corals are open, but most of the other inverts are about 50-50 on the life-death ratio. I've found that most of the brittle starfish are dead, while the little baby 6 sided ones are fine. The hermits and narssisus are cleaning away, while the astreas and turbos are adding to the kill count. Thankfully, my rock filled with ricordia, clove polyps, and devils hand (which were too large to remove) are actually fully open, and looking fine. I am now running carbon, polyfilter, and my skimmer in the tank, and plan another 50%ish water change tommorrow. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks for weathering the long post/rant -Willis (Pics to come) __________________ Whats the use of Aqua man anyways. There isn't really that much water based crime... Current Tank Info: Reefer 850 XXL - LPS/Zoa Dominant mixed reef

10/27/2006, 08:11 PM	#2
lllosingit Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Des Moines Iowa Posts: 3,190	Sorry, that would really suck. No other suggestions, Looks like your on the right track. __________________ It Was Funny Until Someone Got Hurt..........Then It Was Hilarious! Current Tank Info: DD 250 60x36x27 450 gallon total system.

10/27/2006, 08:20 PM	#3
kiknchikn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bel Air, MD Posts: 1,556	Man, that really sucks! I hope your remaining corals and other inverts make it out just fine. Good luck. __________________ I am a proud member of the Chesapeake Marine Aquaria Society (CMAS). If you're in the Maryland area check us out! Current Tank Info: 30g nano reef

10/27/2006, 08:21 PM	#4
amphirion Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Quebec, Canada Posts: 209	Good luck! i lost some of my fishes and corals earlier this year me too and it is very difficult to deal with... I hope that everything left in the tank is in good shape. Could you post some pictures? Good luck __________________ François-Étienne Current Tank Info: 110g Mixed Reef

10/27/2006, 09:07 PM	#6
Chicago Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: earth Posts: 3,218	are you sure it wasnt a one kill ..maybe natural causes that started to domino? add to cycle ..cant handle it so another fish dies and more load on capcity of tank and more die ..amonia spike? can we really blame mom for this one? __________________ "If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will" ..famous poet.. Current Tank Info: 500 gal starphire, reef sps dominated, 40 plus fish, 300 gallon sump in basement below, reeftek calcium reactor, reeftek kalkwasser reactor, lifeguard fluidized filter for rowaphose, 4 400MH 10k xm, 2 160 vho super attinic, DYI 50 gallon denitrator

10/27/2006, 09:00 PM	#5
littlemannin Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Maine Posts: 276	Load up on carbon and wet skim skim skim. I had a similar problem about 3 months ago when my niece went to "pet" my fish after she oiled her bike chain, leaving me with oil slicks in my tank! I lost 2 fish but everything else made out fine. Good luck!

10/27/2006, 09:21 PM	#7
new2u Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Atlanta / DFW Posts: 861	I might agree otherwise, but I'd say that an ammonia spike wouldn't leave the corals happy, rather they'd be the first to go __________________ Whats the use of Aqua man anyways. There isn't really that much water based crime... Current Tank Info: Reefer 850 XXL - LPS/Zoa Dominant mixed reef

10/28/2006, 10:11 AM	#8
IndyReefMan Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 477	Lots of carbon and change it everyday for a week or so.

10/28/2006, 01:31 PM	#9
new2u Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Atlanta / DFW Posts: 861	Soon as I get off work, I'm picking up another 30 gallons of water, and plan to check ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, wait on the other stuff untill those 3 are in good shape. How often should I replace the carbon? I have a big bag on my CL intake, and last night it wasn't look that bad after being in there 10-12 hours. On the bright side, my nitrate levels will go down a bit, and I'll finally be able to keep a flame angel. /sigh -Willis __________________ Whats the use of Aqua man anyways. There isn't really that much water based crime... Current Tank Info: Reefer 850 XXL - LPS/Zoa Dominant mixed reef

10/28/2006, 01:33 PM	#10
new2u Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Atlanta / DFW Posts: 861	Oh by the way, the anenome in my avitar was saved as well as my corals, and this morning my massive cowrie and 2 of my giant starfish had been moving around, and showing signs of life. Also, the corals that I left in partly because i thought they were dead and partly because they were too big to transport are opening up and looking good. These include a massive devil's hand, clove polyps, zoas of all kinds, ricordia, and various mushrooms. Thanks for the support guys (and gals) -Willis __________________ Whats the use of Aqua man anyways. There isn't really that much water based crime... Current Tank Info: Reefer 850 XXL - LPS/Zoa Dominant mixed reef

10/28/2006, 06:58 PM	#11
Cosmo^Kramer Registered Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Westchester,NY Posts: 1,370	Lysol is mostly alcohol.If it got into the tank it's probably a huge bacteria bloom.When you get a bloom that clouds the water it depleats oxygen quickly.Get some power heads breaking the surface and maybe some air stones and pumps running.After the bloom clears up you'll probably have nice clear water and lower phosphates and nitrates.It's like someone dosed your tank with alot of Vodka.If you read some of the Vodka threads thats one of the bad things that can happen when they dose too much,If you didn't have fish it wouldn't have been too bad. __________________ If you choke a smurf,what color does he turn? The Police never think it's as funny as you do Current Tank Info: Starting up a Cadlights signature series.

10/29/2006, 09:36 AM	#12
new2u Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Atlanta / DFW Posts: 861	My God, your right. The water was incredibly cloudy, the corals could have easily survived without oxygen MUCH longer than those fish, and the inverts all lived based on their individual tolerance of the low oxygen. Did another 40 gallon change yesterday, to bring it down to about 25% of my original water, and changed the carbon this morning. __________________ Whats the use of Aqua man anyways. There isn't really that much water based crime... Current Tank Info: Reefer 850 XXL - LPS/Zoa Dominant mixed reef

10/29/2006, 08:56 PM	#13
new2u Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Atlanta / DFW Posts: 861	Tested my ammonia today, somewhere between 0 and .25, possibly non existant but who knows how well my eyes can read it. I plan to head off to the store tommorrow and greab another 40 gallons if my levels are correct (0s) i'll pick up my corals while i'm there, and change 20 gallons, and fill the tank to compacity (its running at about 66% right now I wanted to get rid of all the water I could) and start circulation between my refugium and main tank, and order a new cleaning crew. I'll be updating this thread periodically, and post some pics once i have the full system running it just looks all bubbly and gross right now, but astondingly clear due to the bacteria's cleaning... __________________ Whats the use of Aqua man anyways. There isn't really that much water based crime... Current Tank Info: Reefer 850 XXL - LPS/Zoa Dominant mixed reef