Everything Dead!

crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
I got a phone call from my girlfriend to tell me My entire tank is dead. My Humu Humu. My Blue Spotted Puffer and new Niger Trigger. Luckly my Blueface is still in QT.
I know what caused it. Its all my fault. I bought a algae scrapper that comes on the plastic stick. Well I got home and started to wash it out before use with just regular water. I recently got a new dog and started to hear her yelp a little. I dropped the scubber and ran over to her. Well one thing led to another and I forgot about the scrubber and the tank cleaning. Day went by and I remebered what I was doing. Well I walked over and grabbed the srubber and used it in my tank. Works great btw. Did some other things and then left.
I wasnt thinking. It didnt click for one second that maybe my girlfriend thought it was a new scrubber for the dishes. Well she did. I put a dawn/bleach filled scrubber in my fish tank.
I have no idea what to do now. I dont know if my rock is screwed. If my sand is screwed. My filters. My Skimmer. They all have been saturated with bleach and soap. I dont know how much was on the scrubber. But it killed my fish in less than 24 hours.
Before I found this website when I started up my tank it got destroyed by ich. I lost two clowns a yellow tang and a diamond Goby and a baby emperor angel. I had no idea what I was doing. Who does when they start out. You see a fish you like it you buy it.
Im almost ready to give up. I have no idea how or what to do about my tank. I have the 75 gallon collecting dust. My angel wont is in my QT that is a 30 gallon. Its under 4 inches so Its fine in there for a while.
I have spent close to $1200 on 3 tanks, fish, rock, sand lights filters heaters and whatever else and now I have 1 fish and a tank I have no idea will be safe for fish.
 
nw2salt08

nw2salt08

Active Member
Hey...sorry to hear about your loss...that sucks! I dunno about the sand/rock....but couldn't you do a really good rinse and then do a vinegar cleaning?? Just a thought...I'd hate for you to give up...
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
I have about $200 in rock and $100 in sand. Another close to $100 in fish all dead. The tank was up and running for almost a year. Now its all gone.
 
salt life

salt life

Active Member
im so sorry CK, stuff like that is a real let down and can really put a dent in the hobby. I wouldn't give up though, you already did put a nice amount of money in to it and should just figure out the best way to deal with it and get it fixed. sounds like you got a deal, for 3 tanks and all the other stuff you only spent 1200, for my 2 tanks and equipment,fish rocks, ive spent over 5,000. keep your head up, crap like this happens, we all get through it one way or another.
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
I always buy used tanks until I was going to go huge and even then I still might. I just find deals like my 75. The light new cost more than the entire set up I paid. My tank was just starting to settle in. Great growth. Fish were healthy and doing great. Then bam. All gone. Im so thankful for the QT set up. If the blueface had died. That would have been it. It would all be up on Craigslist right now.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
I am so sorry to hear this happened...I feel your pain on this one.. I went through the same heart ache a few yrs ago with a faulty hydrometer I wiped out $20,000.00 worth of show fish
in one night
and no thats not a typo 20 k ugh
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/2950383
That thing is probably $2000. Its so gorgeous. I hear your 240 screaming for it right now. Listen you can too! I cant be the person I preach not be. I just need to find out if my rock and sand are a gonner. If they are I dont know what to do. My tank doesnt soak up bleach and soap like they do copper do they?
you might try a few good water changes and running carbons maybe that can help detoxify .you may be able to save it considering a lower volume of soap hopefully was added... add prime to the water also this should help remove the bleach.
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
I have about 30 gallons ready right now. Should I wait till I get the carbon filters or just do it and make more water> it will take me a few days to make more.
 
kjr_trig

kjr_trig

Active Member
Originally Posted by unleashed
http:///forum/post/2950411
you might try a few good water changes and running carbons maybe that can help detoxify .you may be able to save it considering a lower volume of soap hopefully was added... add prime to the water also this should help remove the bleach.
What a nightmare....I agree, I think the LR and substrate are certainly salvageable.
Get back on the horse.....Live and learn.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/2950416
I have about 30 gallons ready right now. Should I wait till I get the carbon filters or just do it and make more water> it will take me a few days to make more.
is there anything left alive such as cleanup crew ? bristle worms etc?any sign of life at all?
 
shyfish

shyfish

Member
Hi, I am sooo sorry to hear what happened.

I would not be able to give up. So this is what I would do...
First after I had a good cry...I would do exactly what you did. Get on this forum and ask what can be saved.
The following is just my opinion, there are much smarter people on this site who can fix anything I am saying if it is wrong. I just want to help. So keep checking your post here so you can get all the advice you can before doing anything.
I believe that rock critters are more sensitive than fish, so if the fish died...well.
I would let the rock air dry to evaporate the contaminated water. Then I would boil the rock. I wouldn't trash it. I believe it can be reused as base rock and reseed it with live rock.
I would get rid of the sand. Everything in it has to be dead and I can't imagine it being properly rinsed without holding poison in it.
Scrub the pumps with vinegar and lots of fresh water. Rinse, rinse and rinse again.
Use lots of clear water to cleanse the tank. Let everything air dry and rinse it again.
I would only toss the sand, everything else I believe can be cleaned. Chlorine is what killed your fish and rock critters. I am pretty sure Chlorine can be diluted. If I am wrong I need someone to chime in.
I wouldn't jump right in and try to reset the tank. I would give myself a week to digest what just happened and be sure by double checking what is salvageable.
Hope this helps,
Don't give up, what's a home without a fishy.
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
I had no CUC. My triggers ate em up. I dont think I ever had worms. It was just the three fish. Thats why I bought the scrubber. I loved the fish but they made keeping up with the tank a full time job ya know.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
to above poster this is what i was getting at.. stranger things have survived worse things.. keeper your obviously using RO water..i don't recommend keeping any of the already contaminated water white vinegar will help remove any chemicals..so do a complete scrub/wash of everything in a fw vinegar bath.. yes you may kill any beneficial bacteria if there is any left.. chances are that has already been done... nothing is going to fix over night.. also clean all equipment and tank with vinegar rinse well and start over... you can always reseed the tank to get it back to where you had it.. you wont need to boil the rock .. as i was typing this i called my fish guy(down state) he says the same as i suggested here..when you get it set back up run your carbons for a while to help be sure nothing is left behind
 
ironeagle2006

ironeagle2006

Active Member
Cyrpt I hear you I lost 3500+ last year man whhen a massive storm took out a transformer in my area. Well because an IDIOT FRO COMED rewired it Backwards and sent 44K volts to it instead of 4400 volts to it like it should of he took out the power grid for my town. However My back up lasted 30 hours I needed 54 and my fish all died I lost EVERYTHING I HAD in my 150 gallon tank. Yet less than one year later I have gotten it pretty much back up yes I have had a couple losses namely my Juvi Queen she somehow PO my female Clarki clown enough that it killed her. Then my Koran died from what I am going to call sheer Stupidity got in the way of a 20 inch SFE and his SQUID and Garlic and lost a gill cover NOT A PRETTY SIGHT TO SEE. Beyond that tank is a stable as can be. I almost sold it all when I lost it last year however I stuck it out and redid it.
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
Originally Posted by unleashed
http:///forum/post/2950514
to above poster this is what i was getting at.. stranger things have survived worse things.. keeper your obviously using RO water..i don't recommend keeping any of the already contaminated water white vinegar will help remove any chemicals..so do a complete scrub/wash of everything in a fw vinegar bath.. yes you may kill any beneficial bacteria if there is any left.. chances are that has already been done... nothing is going to fix over night.. also clean all equipment and tank with vinegar rinse well and start over... you can always reseed the tank to get it back to where you had it.. you wont need to boil the rock .. as i was typing this i called my fish guy(down state) he says the same as i suggested here..when you get it set back up run your carbons for a while to help be sure nothing is left behind
I thank you very much for all your help and going out of your way by making calls and helping out a complete stranger. That goes for every one else as well.
What would be the vinegar to water ratio or do I just do pure vinegar? How long do I run the carbon filters before its fish safe again? I have patiance. I learned this when I first started. Im in no rush as I can set up the 75 with basic rock sand so that my angel will have a bigger home if this takes longer to do. Its my only fish and as I drank my misery away and watched My best friends girl ,funny as hell btw, I was watching him swim around and that fish is making me want to continue. Its my favorite fish, well only fish now ugh, and he is starting to come around in QT right now. Swimming more out in the open. Eats like a pig.
So bag the sand? Im honestly not that worried about the sand. Its more so the rock. To replace that again will cost more than what I spent due to getting a great deal.
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
Originally Posted by ironeagle2006
http:///forum/post/2950683
Cyrpt I hear you I lost 3500+ last year man whhen a massive storm took out a transformer in my area. Well because an IDIOT FRO COMED rewired it Backwards and sent 44K volts to it instead of 4400 volts to it like it should of he took out the power grid for my town. However My back up lasted 30 hours I needed 54 and my fish all died I lost EVERYTHING I HAD in my 150 gallon tank. Yet less than one year later I have gotten it pretty much back up yes I have had a couple losses namely my Juvi Queen she somehow PO my female Clarki clown enough that it killed her. Then my Koran died from what I am going to call sheer Stupidity got in the way of a 20 inch SFE and his SQUID and Garlic and lost a gill cover NOT A PRETTY SIGHT TO SEE. Beyond that tank is a stable as can be. I almost sold it all when I lost it last year however I stuck it out and redid it.
I could live with a power outage. Still horrible to hear about and it is one of my biggest fears. I just feel my own personal ignorance could have been avoided which is the back breaker on this ya know? Its was a $8 purchase that took out 100 times that.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/2950701
I thank you very much for all your help and going out of your way by making calls and helping out a complete stranger. That goes for every one else as well.
What would be the vinegar to water ratio or do I just do pure vinegar? How long do I run the carbon filters before its fish safe again? I have patiance. I learned this when I first started. Im in no rush as I can set up the 75 with basic rock sand so that my angel will have a bigger home if this takes longer to do. Its my only fish and as I drank my misery away and watched My best friends girl ,funny as hell btw, I was watching him swim around and that fish is making me want to continue. Its my favorite fish, well only fish now ugh, and he is starting to come around in QT right now. Swimming more out in the open. Eats like a pig.
So bag the sand? Im honestly not that worried about the sand. Its more so the rock. To replace that again will cost more than what I spent due to getting a great deal.
you are most welcome and it was no trouble at all .. as for how much vinegar i would say 1/2 and 1/2 equal parts do a dip then rinse well in fw .. i would say ditch the sand as well if you can get new it would be much safer this way IMHO.. then set up the tank as before do your cycle ect it may not take as long this time but you never know.. as stated above add the prime to the water just in case this will also remove some impurity's that the fw may have left .. now this product is safe to use up to 5 times normal dosage for chlorine and ammonia and nitrate detoxification.. use the highest dosage.. add your carbons just to be on safe side..remember to change out all filter media with new .. flush power heads. all tubes etc(vinegar bath and rinse)...be sure to even clean glass tops if you have them do to possible splash ups of contaminated water... next stop buy a mag float for cleaning ******** glass.. this will ensure this mistake can never happen again.. best of luck to you
 
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