need to do major change

sassyfrassy · 05/08/2010, 02:26 PM

Came back from vacation yesterday to find a very large (silver dollar size) snail dead - didn't realize it was dead until saw it was in same location this morn. When I picked it up it fell out of shell - terrible smell - don't know how long it was dead (been gone 6 days). Why do things like this always happen when you're gone? So ammonia is at .25 & nitrate is at 5.0 - everything else test at 0. I also have a lot of hair algae on back of glass, rocks, & on sand. So what I want to do is remove rocks & clean w/brush, scrape back glass & vacuum sand - figure I'll lose about 25% of water in process. Will this be OK or will it be a disaster?

Indymann99 · 05/09/2010, 08:22 AM

I would remove dead snail... do a REGULAR size water change and Let your tank deal with the extra dose of Ammonia.. the level is still relatively low. removing your rocks and scrubbing and seriously disturbing your sand bed may do more HARM than good... I would give your tank a bit of time to recover on its own.

my 0.02

thebkramer · 05/09/2010, 08:28 AM

I totally agreen with Indymann
Doing more than necessary will in turn give you more work later.
Do a good water change and give it a day or two and test again.
I hope it all works out for you

Welcome back! I hope your vaca was relaxing!!

sassyfrassy · 05/09/2010, 08:47 PM

I'm not so concerned about the ammonia (now 0) or even the nitrate (now 2.5) b/c I figure the skimmer & bacteria will take care of them. But I have a SERIOUS HA outbreak. I bought turbos (one which died) leaving me 2, and hairy chitons which do a great job on the rocks, but are very slow moving (and I only have 3), and a spotted sea hare which doesn't seem too interested in the HR, so I put him in my fuge where he's eating all the macro algae! But I hate the look of the tank w/all the HA on back glass & sand, and really wanted to clean it up & remove some sand at the same time, so I could wiggle the base rocks deeper in the sand (to bottom), & re-landscape, so I could get a diamond or red spotted watchman. So if I can't do that all at once, just how much can I do at one time?

05/08/2010, 02:26 PM	#1
sassyfrassy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Kings Mountain, NC Posts: 912	need to do major change Came back from vacation yesterday to find a very large (silver dollar size) snail dead - didn't realize it was dead until saw it was in same location this morn. When I picked it up it fell out of shell - terrible smell - don't know how long it was dead (been gone 6 days). Why do things like this always happen when you're gone? So ammonia is at .25 & nitrate is at 5.0 - everything else test at 0. I also have a lot of hair algae on back of glass, rocks, & on sand. So what I want to do is remove rocks & clean w/brush, scrape back glass & vacuum sand - figure I'll lose about 25% of water in process. Will this be OK or will it be a disaster? __________________ Faith, hope, and love abide; but the greatest of these is love. Current Tank Info: 40g breeder DT LR & Macro Algae - 2" sand, 6 T5s & 2 fans in hood; 30gL sump/fuge w/MSX 200 skimmer & other equip.; (mangroves in DT - roots are great look)

05/09/2010, 08:22 AM	#2
Indymann99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 2,447	I would remove dead snail... do a REGULAR size water change and Let your tank deal with the extra dose of Ammonia.. the level is still relatively low. removing your rocks and scrubbing and seriously disturbing your sand bed may do more HARM than good... I would give your tank a bit of time to recover on its own. my 0.02 __________________ 120g DT 100lbs LR / 200 lbs LS, 45g fuge, VectraM1 Return, Herbie drain, 4x RW-8, 2x AI Hydra 26 w AWM, ASM G2, Apex controller, Apex BoB w floats ATO

05/09/2010, 08:28 AM	#3
thebkramer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 3,198	I totally agreen with Indymann Doing more than necessary will in turn give you more work later. Do a good water change and give it a day or two and test again. I hope it all works out for you Welcome back! I hope your vaca was relaxing!! __________________ Rhonda There is NO such things as Dumb Questions!! There are However.. Dumb Answers!!! ;) ____________ Current Tank Info: 55g reef....Current Orbit SunPaq Lights, HOB Eshopps, HOB AquaClear 110, 2-1400 Koralia Powerheads & 1 Nano Koralia, 40+ lbs LR, 2" LS

05/09/2010, 08:47 PM	#4
sassyfrassy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Kings Mountain, NC Posts: 912	I'm not so concerned about the ammonia (now 0) or even the nitrate (now 2.5) b/c I figure the skimmer & bacteria will take care of them. But I have a SERIOUS HA outbreak. I bought turbos (one which died) leaving me 2, and hairy chitons which do a great job on the rocks, but are very slow moving (and I only have 3), and a spotted sea hare which doesn't seem too interested in the HR, so I put him in my fuge where he's eating all the macro algae! But I hate the look of the tank w/all the HA on back glass & sand, and really wanted to clean it up & remove some sand at the same time, so I could wiggle the base rocks deeper in the sand (to bottom), & re-landscape, so I could get a diamond or red spotted watchman. So if I can't do that all at once, just how much can I do at one time? __________________ Faith, hope, and love abide; but the greatest of these is love. Current Tank Info: 40g breeder DT LR & Macro Algae - 2" sand, 6 T5s & 2 fans in hood; 30gL sump/fuge w/MSX 200 skimmer & other equip.; (mangroves in DT - roots are great look)