And so it begins...HELP

[Meredith]

I got the new tank yesterday... http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=49475

The three fish that went into the tank are now dead, and there is a CARPET of what I was told are bristle worms all over the bottom of the tank. How sting'n are these things? The lfs guy told me they usually give him a rash. How do I get these things out? And also, my house smells like low tide. I cant stand it. Is that because of the dead fish, or will it always smell this bad?

 

[Meredith]

here are some pics of the worms. I cant tell really but it looks like some are dead and some not. What a stink'n mess.

 

[EJS4]

Test your water. Your tank is probably going through a cycle.

 

[Hara]

The bristleworms are not a bad thing....the reason you are seeing them is because of the die off you are experiencing...and yes, that will mean a cycle again.

It is normal to have some die off when moving a tank. The additional "stress" of all fresh water may/may not be a contributing factor depending on how close it was in chemistry to the original water. Another factor would be the disturbance of the sand bed. At this point in time, I would leave the bristleworms alone as they will help clean up the dead micro critters.

Sorry this has been such a pain for you.

 

[EJS4]

Just think of how great its going to be when things settle down. 150 gallons Nice! what are you planning on putting in it.

 

[Meredith]

well, cleaning out all the fish, I noticed that the carpet of worms is a carpet of dead worms. I have to get them out of there. Also what about this smell???

 

[EJS4]

The dead fish and worms are the source of the smell so getting rid of them is your first step.
Have you tested water for ammonia? Carbon filter & Water change might help.
How's the weather in Washington? Because if all else fails opening a window will get rid of the smell. After the source is removed the smell won't get as bad.

 

[Meredith]

I am going to have a serious breakdown. I need to go get a test kit, all I have is FW. I am terrified to take apart this ancient filter because it took the lfs guy like an hour (or more) to get it started, and besides it doesn't seem to be moving much water. I am going to have to get new. I am almost regretting this whole thing. Oh and its raining and cold.

 

[Phyl]

Wow. That's REALLY nasty! I've never seen so many worms (dead or alive)! I'd remove every last one you see (dead or alive). There will probably still be 100 when you're done by the looks of things!

It definitely kicked into cycle. I wouldn't put anymore fish into your system until the cycle has completed. Watch your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. When Ammo & Trite drop back down to 0 you're good to add a fish or two. The cloudy water is likely because of the ammonia/bacteria bloom. About mid-cycle you'll see a diatom bloom. After that you're in the home stretch.

Welcome to saltwater. Man that sounds like an ordeal to move the tank. Hopefully it will be well worth it in no time! Was there coral in there or just fish and rock?

 

[Meredith]

just fish and rock. Getting fish is the least of my concerns at the moment. I need to get some decent filtration going, and new heaters, and a test kit. I am sure my credit card company is going to call to make sure someone hasn't stolen my card.

 

[EJS4]

I won't worry about the filter. When the tank is up and running the LR will take care of most of your filtration. Do you have a skimmer? That you should get it removes proteins,fats, suspended particles from water. Skimmers and LR should take care of your filtration needs. Power heads keep the water moving.
If it cold you may not want to keep the window open long but I would definitely air out the room. Will help a lot.

 

[Meredith]

heh heh. Its really cold, but I have fans going. (the kind that suck the air out of the house) So I should look into a protein skimmer. I am going to the lfs today so I will see what they have. Thanks everyone.

 

[EJS4]

Before you buy compare to prices online. www.Captivereefs.com gives discounts 6% to aquarium advice members.
Just remember the worst is over.

 

[Meredith]

I hope you are right. I went in and spoke to the lfs guys, and they are sure this is all very normal when moving a tank of this size that has been established for so long. They said the key to the odor control is carbon. Since I don't want to touch that old canister for fear of never starting it again, I pulled my canister from my freshwater and loaded it with carbon and moved it to the sw. The lfs guys gave me great deal on a smaller filter for my fw which worked out perfect. At 11:30 I am DONE for today. Tomorrow I get the fun job of scooping out all those dead worms.

 

[mjvincent]

I hope you are right. I went in and spoke to the lfs guys, and they are sure this is all very normal when moving a tank of this size that has been established for so long. They said the key to the odor control is carbon. Since I don't want to touch that old canister for fear of never starting it again, I pulled my canister from my freshwater and loaded it with carbon and moved it to the sw. The lfs guys gave me great deal on a smaller filter for my fw which worked out perfect. At 11:30 I am DONE for today. Tomorrow I get the fun job of scooping out all those dead worms.

I would get that old canister out of there as soon as possible. Canisters require more work than other filters... You have to keep them clean, clean, clean otherwise you have problems with nitrates as gunk accumulates in the filter and breaks down.

 

[lando]

Wow, you have your work cut out for you. The smell is from the dead worms and fish and it will go away. You need to remove all of the worms if you can. Getting the water back in check is going to be a lot easier then moving the tank, so the hard part is over. It will just take some time. I would start doing some 20% water changes and running some fresh GAC to help clear some things up. You can also consider using Chemi-pure but that can be exspensive. Good luck and relax. Reserve yourself to the fact that there is no fast way to fix this. It will just take time.

 

[Fluff]

Meredith,
I don't know if anyone answered your question about how to remove the worms. I would just scoop out as many as you can with a net, then use tongs or something. It's true you don't want to touch them. Also, did you get my pm yesterday? Good luck.

 

[Meredith]

Well, we have multiple air fresheners going to mask the smell, and today I can actually see the rocks!!! Yes there is some visibility. I can just make out the back of the tank. The water is starting to clear. WOOOHOOO!

 

[Fluff]

Yay!! Almost time for new pics.




P.S. Your package is in the mail.

 

[EJS4]

Sound like your turning the corner. Change the carbon every couple of days until the smell is gone. Carbon can only absorb so much. What are your waters parameters?