Emergency!! Need input. Dead fuge.

[austinsdad]

My mag12 went out last nite. Impeller broke. Got one in the mail today.

In the mantime, Dummy, (that'll be me) got a small rio60 for the fuge to keep it alive. Sexy shrimp, snails, 30 lbs of LR or so. All kinds of growth, worms, limpets etc. Turned the lights out and let the PHs above keep everything oxygenated.

Got home early to take care of it and was greeted by the smell of death.

FORGOT TO TURN THE HEATER OFF!!!!!

Got mostly all the water out of the fuge. Miracle mud base and 1/2" sand. And the rock. And dead (but small) critters.

My thought is to fill the fuge with fesh SW. But what about the tank above. SHould I take the chance on re-circulating in a couple of hours??? Maybe make more water ASAP and get ready for another PWC tomorrow?? 35g now and another tomorrow????

Oh my! Having a housefull of company beginning tomorrow. Sigh!

Thoughts????
__________________

 

[tecwzrd]

If the fuge was cooked which it sounds like I'd empty it completely and put your lr in another container for now and remove everything but the mud. Filling it with SW and running with just the mud will not be an issue. Having extra SW on hand is always a good idea in case your parameters get off.

How's the main tank doing?

 

[austinsdad]

main tank is fine.

You suggesting I re-cure the LR elswhere and leave the mud and sand in the new SW - half full with a small ph (and NO HEATER)?

 

[tecwzrd]

I would re-cure the lr to be on the safe side in case of die-off within it. You have other ways of circulating the main but there isn't any harm in just mud/sand/SW in the fuge if you want to circulate more. I thought you had a heater?

Logged into Yahoo Messenger if you have it as tecwzrd

 

[austinsdad]

No don't have that. Or even if I know I have it.

I'll remove the rock and dead critters I can find. Put it in a bucket with a small PH and measure the ammonia for a couple days (longer if needed).

Refill the fuge halfway with SW and add a small ph. Measure the ammonia there also.

PM sent also. The heater isn't needed now. I go from 78 ambient to 82 with the 3x150s on, but the canopy is up now so they aren't that hot.

 

[cmor1701d]

Wow Ray, sorry to hear about that mishap. But if you're in this hobby long enough something is bound to happen.

I would give the rock the smell test after rinsing in fresh mix. If it's not bad it should not set off a cycle in the main. How much rock do you have in the main?

 

[roka64]

About 200LBs of rock in his tank.