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Anatomy of a tank crash


Scienceman

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HI all,

I haven't been on these forums for quite a few years because when I got my 6ft display tank up and running and stable the only thing I had to do was repace the odd death due to misfortune or non-transmitable disease - until Sunday......

On returning from 10 days camping I came home to 400L of rancid fish soup :cryblow:

I have analysed the situation as best I could and would like to provide some observations so that others might be aware of how this could happen to them. As I said, I have had the tank up and running for over 5 years and so this was totally expected.

Often when a plane crashes it is because of multiple failures, which in isolation are survivable, but if they occur in close sequence can bring down a plane. This is what happended to me.

A teenage neighbour with no fish-keeping skills was "tank sitting" for me. I gave him a list of dates and what was required, along with my contact information should there be any problems. Feeding was supposed to be twice during the week.

* He lost the paper

* He started feeding them every day

* They went off their food, and instead of stopping, he continued to feed

* the tank was comming up to needing a water change and so was "on the edge" of permissible nitrates etc

* an impeller on one of my Fluval filters broke. This filter was set up to remove particulates from the water. He didnt pick up on this.

* He didnt think to ask his mum if she had our mobile number and basically stopped visiting when he saw it was crashing and didnt know what to do.

Survivers were the bristlenose. They must be tougher than carp. I rescued them and my 10yo girl now has her first 30L tank with these as residents. I got the fitler going, buried ~1kg of dead fish, emptied the tank, filled it with fresh water and added 0.1% sodium hyperchloride (bleach). I needed to sterilise everything and after cleaning and drying, the residual bleach will be inactivated by UV light from sunlight over time.

I was planning on decommissioning the cichlid tank later in 2010 and setting up a marine reef. So for now I will leave the tank fallow while I start the planning and saving for the set-up cost of going marine. I guess one crash in 5 years wasnt that bad but I had some favourite fish which died in this crash that I am saddened for. Especially one big male electric yellow called Nugget. He was a lovely deep golden colour and solid with a boffy head. He has sired many offspring which were distributed to LFS, friends etc so his genes will live on.

If any here also have marine, you will find me starting to post on the MASA website still as Scienceman. I'll be a newbie again but thats half the fun. See you later aligator :thumbup:

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Sorry to here about your loss.

Similar happened to me.. Lost about 14 Comps that I had been growing up for the last 14 months (my first lot of babies).. Only yhing that survived were some juvenile bristlenose.

Cheers

Phil

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:cryblow: Sorry to here this mate, never the teenager next door, always a mate with a tank of their own...

best of luck changing to marine, it's just as addictive...

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Sorry to hear your loss.

I had same happen to me years ago, but not a young teen either. Is he ok !!!!! :shock:

I tell feeder to start feeding 5 days after I'm on hols.

Put food in a container for each feed but only tell them to feed every 2nd day

Better to have alive and hungry fish when i get home

I make sure the air pump is on flat out, change airstone's

Put 2 x internal filters in if its my 6fter, then if anything goes wrong they take up the slack

Unplug heater, if you have not already at this time of year.

Do a water change before I'm enjoying myself,, lol

When you say tank running for 5 years so was totally expected?

I dont understand or maybe its your after thought ?

Which is right.

Good luck with a nice marine. :thumb

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Hey dobbin4, your suggestions are all good. I havent had a major problem in the 5 years I have had the tank set up and from what I hear, it happens to most people sometime, so I guess 5 years is pretty good. I also think I was a little complacent about it happening to me. If only the teenager had been able to call me it could all have been adverted. Unfortunately I dont have any good local friend with fish-keeping skills so was forced to use untrained labour. I showed him how to cope with a power blackout a couple of years ago and when it did happen he managed fine.

I'll be taking more care with a marine set up though, the cost of a crash is so much more.

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that sucks man i dont kno how i would of taken it if it happened to me :shock:

i had gone on a holiday for three months

i cleaned everything filters vacum 30% water change then 20% water change about 7 days later

rules for my house keeper (younger cousin) :lol3:

spoon=feed no more every 2nd day

once a week 10% water change

once a month do your best no need to be perfect gravel clean

dont touch filters or anything power related to this tank

i told him more you feed more YOU clean

i guess i was lucky came back to bigger fish (very happy)

but now :zipit: after reading your post

so much could of happened

sorry to hear about your set up

have you considered that he had freinds over that were feeding the fish ?

i had a friends drop a hole container of fish food in a fish tank at somebody

else's house all the fish died :yes: sound like your problem i would say that

neigbour is not sombody you should trust again with anything.

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Your right Scienceman, ( Gee i hated that at school lol )

All good points you make, And yes we have all had a problem like this. Sucks as stated.

But as you say u learn, can tell from your comments your on the right track.

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