Mac's 20g Reef Build

[Macscale]

Hey guys,
I'm gonna make a long story short - This weekend, my 20g crashed. That's as far as I am gonna go into depth.

Earlier I did a 95% water change, leaving 5% for the sand bed to stay submerged. I made sure non of the rock was exposed to water, that way there wouldn't be any die off.

Sadly, when I got back, my bigger Clown fish had nipped off the males fin, so he was relocated to a 10. Yes, he is the only fish in there for you guys against clowns in a 10, just like me. My other clown is in QT, waiting to be re-homed, as for the goby he has been moved to my other 10.

The water is extremely cloudy, because my sand is just terrible like that. Pics are to come.

My lights are supposed to come in within the next few days, so hopefully it will be clear by then.

This will be the new tank log!

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Sorry to hear that, good luck with the re start

 

[Macscale]

Thanks!

Seems like it's gonna take a while to clear up really frustrated.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Did you re use the sand?

 

[Macscale]

Did you re use the sand?

Yeah, never took it out of the water. It just came with a ton of the murky stuff, because I fell for the live sand scam for this tank.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

If you think the crash was a nutrient issue I would just ditch that sand and replace it.

 

[Macscale]

I would, but I'd hate to have to empty all the new water I just put in. :/
I'm not sure it was nutrients though... I knew my clowns were having an aggression issue, so that wasn't a surprise.

In reality, I was getting a snail upright. Then tested the params before my normal water change, and I noticed my parameters (ammonia at 2ppm) went out of whack and my clownfish was missing a fin. I had to take the tank apart, just to catch the clowns, leaving cloudy water. I then proceeded with the water change, and then while filling it up, sand exploded everywhere (must have been an air bubble). I separated all the fish where I could. Considering the sand bed isn't every disturbed, there could have been die off of some bacteria being exposed to oxegyn. So now I'm here, and man would it have been a great time to upgrade if I had a spare 40b around.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Just siphon out the sand and dump the water that comes with it back in and repeat. It's actually pretty easy, and adding it with the water in can easily (and relatively "clean") by using a funnel and a piece of PVC pipe. Just my $.02 though

 

[Macscale]

Just siphon out the sand and dump the water that comes with it back in and repeat. It's actually pretty easy, and adding it with the water in can easily (and relatively "clean") by using a funnel and a piece of PVC pipe. Just my $.02 though

Red, your $.02 is always the best! I just wonder how I am so stupid some time. Won't the water that I take out with the stand still by cloudy though?

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Are you running a hob filter on this? If so just throw a sponge or some filter floss in there for a day or 2 and it'll clear up no problem

 

[Macscale]

I have a sponge and carbon in there actually. It just broke though. Uh, frustrating, frustrating. Motor must have stalled or something, it was just a spare I had on hand because the original broke too.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Aqua clears?

 

[Macscale]

Aqua clears?

Nah, I wish. Aqueons. Not the best, but they work.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Ac's are pretty cheap and pretty much bullet proof
Edit: an ac30 is about $35 and would work great for you

 

[Macscale]

Oh yeah definetly, just wasn't gonna buy one if I didn't need one yet.
I have to order it online when my next check comes in though.

 

[Macscale]

Well, still no luck with it clearing up over night.



We had a birth in the family last night, so it's gonna be a busy day. (He's a cousin).

Gonna try to make it to the LFS and pick up some new sand.

Here's the QT tank, it's a food grade storage bin.

 

[Macscale]

My goby is looking happier then ever in one of the 10's. I think I may just leave him there. (yes I know there is some detritus issues.)

 

[Macscale]

Ooph... Parameters are out of whack.

Ammonia- 5ppm
Nitrite -1ppm
Nitrate- 10ppm
PH- 8.2
ALk- 10dkh
Phosphates- 0

Well, that's a not-so-mini mini-cycle. Sounds like it's gonna be a complete re-cycle. Sad too, i was looking forward to adding corals right about now. On the bright side, I might be able to upgrade to a 30b or 40b...

 

[Macscale]

Not that anybody cares, because no one ever does.

Well, as if my day wasn't already bad enough. I think this tank is seeing it's final days :/.

I was removing the sand using a siphon, and bam! A hose bursts off sending a storm of sand and water everywhere. As if that incident wasn't enough, my 4 year old cousin came in and tipped over a 5 gallon jug of freshwater. So at this point my room is a beach. Just wait there's more, I Knocked over a full bottle of Dr. Tim's right onto the floor.

The QT looks great, the DT looks like the ocean when you kick up the sand. I have carbon running hoping to clear the Murky water up. Oh well, I guess that's the name of the game.

 

[Macscale]

Yet another update to my ghost thread.

The tank has been filled up once again with brand new water. The sand has been thrown away. I'm still working on the scape. I seriously just want to throw this tank out the window.