Not new at this, just EXTREMELY STUPID!!!

michelle9491

michelle9491

Member
Been in this hobby for 4 years and I have managed to inadvertantly do the most stupid, idiotic, no excuse for mistake. I upgraded my 55 to a 125, now I am upgrading my 29 to the 55. Was setting up the tank last week and thought I was putting water conditioner in the water and instead it was gun oil!!!!! Bottles are the same size & color & somehow it got in my box of supplies. I should have noticed but I was in a hurry. Now what do I do???? Water has been in there for 6 days but I just now realized it was gun oil while mixing more salt water cause the salinity was low. Do I need to start completely over? There is nothing in the tank but water & live sand (probably not live anymore!). Any help greatly appreciated for the dumbest mistake yet found on this website!
:help:
 
dmjordan

dmjordan

Active Member
WOW... Not sure exactly but if it were me I would just trash everything...tank, sand, filters and all.
I would hate to go through a cycle only to run the risk of everything in the tank dieing (sp?). The reason I would trash everthing is that the oil is going to be on and in every piece of equipment in your tank and I'm not sure if it can be removed from the silicone in your tank. Hopefully someone else will have a better suggestion for you through their own experience.
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Thats going to be a problem. The oil has probably penetrated the sylicone by now. I would empty immediately, take out side and bleach it, rinse, swish and dump several times and then let it dry for a day or 2 in the sun. Good luck, atleast the fish won't get rusty. Sorry, had to say it.
 
dmjordan

dmjordan

Active Member
Originally Posted by hot883
Good luck, atleast the fish won't get rusty. Sorry, had to say it.
sorry but that was funny.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Wow, I don't know if I would feel safe using the tank or anything. Definitely clean it quite a few times if you do decide to use it again.
 
reef diver

reef diver

Active Member
All you have to do is ask yourself. Would you drink out of a glass that had gotten gun oil in it, no matter howman times it was washed?
 
my way

my way

Active Member
I doubt the glass would absorb the oil, that leaves the substrate and the silicone. The substrate can be replaced, leaving just the silicone. Contact the tank manufacturer and a manufacturer of aquarium silicone and ask them what the chances of it contaminating the silicone. Worst case scenario, you carefully cut out the silicone, not completely, just the 1/2 rounded sction on the inside,NOT where the 2 pieces of glass meet, then reseal the entire tank, it's work, but much less costly than replacing the tank.
 
michelle9491

michelle9491

Member
I agree with everyone's suggestions, for today I just want to laugh about it cause if I dont I might cry. I'm just very thankful there are no fish in it. Gun oil is going in the trash although I doubt I will ever pick up a bottle without looking closely again! Dumb mistake, just use the stuff all the time & didnt even question it. Learn from your mistakes, maybe at least other people will be more cautious because of my mistake.
 
shogun323

shogun323

Active Member
I was trying to think of a joke about gun oil and a trigger fish but it would be just too corny!!!! Sorry for your misfortune.
 
tangs123

tangs123

Member
run all the equipment in a small tank with all the carbon you can fit in the tank, carbon should take out some of the oil
 
tscuda

tscuda

Member
After cleaning I'd Drop a few BristleWorms in there. If you have or can get any. See if they live. Do that before adding any more rocks or sand. Since most oils float you'll have to fill the tanks again. On a much cheaper note use fresh water and find some kind of water bug. Some might frown if you used a feeder fish for that.
 
cgrant

cgrant

Active Member
Mix up a bucket of water and bleach (50/50 mix)
Wash everything very...very...well!!!
You will need to throw out all substrate and replace with new, any type of filter pads, etc will also need to be replaced.
After you get everything washed with the bleach/water mix rinse everything off with a hose very well and repeat until oil residue is gone.
It is probably best to do this outside.
When my 55 was in storage some mice got in my tank and made a huge mess, The bleach should get rid of the oil...I think?
After everything is cleaned I would run the tank for a couple of days (empty(no filter pads, no rock no nothing) and empty all the water out again and rinse everything out. prob best to set the tank in the garage full of water for a couple of days so it is easier to empty out the water and rinse everything off.
The suggestion about adding a couple worms is a good one, maybe a couple of damsels, they are just salt water rats anyway!
Good luck, If anything gets it out it will be the bleach.
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Originally Posted by shogun323
I was trying to think of a joke about gun oil and a trigger fish but it would be just too corny!!!! Sorry for your misfortune.
I had a friend once on a fish forum that owned a trigger that just would not eat. He figured his sear pin got rusty so he added a few drops of.... ok, not funny, just trying to grease the skids a little. Wait, now that's funny.......................not.
 
clown boy

clown boy

Active Member
I have heard of a Rusty Angelfish and a Rusty Clown Goby

Anyways, sorry about your tank. I don't think I could handle that happening to me. What if it did? :scared:
You don't have to answer that. Just a thought. :)
 
symon

symon

Member
OK now, You are not helping, you are adding to the stress!
I personally would break down the tank, wash everything with a bleach mixture, rinse it out several times!
I have done this myself! Remove all the silacone you can, It's not that hard and replace it with a new bead! I would then fill it will a new salt mixture and start the cycle with any LR or LS, watch your lvls closely!
Once you have gotten through the cycle, throw in some damsels maybe even some cheap snails, you have got to see how they respond!
Good Luck and keep at it!
 
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