Tank kinda not lookin so good!

gharner

gharner

Member
Okay,
So I know this is all my fault haha, but Im not gonna complain about it. Long story short...A few months ago, I had to move my tank to another room in the house. Between the move and a busy college schedule, and a new puppy (plus a bunch of other distractions) my poor tank went downhill quickly. It started with a cyanobacteria type of outbreak. It looks like a reddish/brown layer that covers everything. Its not a slimy cyano, but kinda silty (it comes off the glass and stuff pretty easy). At night it turns more brown, and almost disappears, but then during the day it regains more color after the light is on for awhile. On top of that I ended up losing most of my snails, and a clownfish (I think the clown fish is dead, he jumps into the back compartment and I usually get him out quickly. I couldnt find him so I suspect he died back there). Well, I decided I should finally do something about it haha. So what do ya think??? Do a big water change and then about one or two regular size water changes a week?
Tank Info:
-12 gallon aquapod
-livestock:some random corals, a few stragler snails, a diadem pseudochromis, maybe a clownfish, and a few blueleg hermits.
-tank has been set up almost 3 years now
-Im too scared to check the params yet
 
kingsmith

kingsmith

Member
Yeah a water change and siphoning out all the cyano you can then maybe two a week for a week or two but you want to find out what the source of excess phosphates you have is to truely solve the problem
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by KingSmith
http:///forum/post/3190126
Yeah a water change and siphoning out all the cyano you can then maybe two a week for a week or two but you want to find out what the source of excess phosphates you have is to truely solve the problem
+ 1
Water changes should clear up the phosphates if you are using RO water. After that look into the kind of food your feeding. Frozen food should be defrosted then rinsed before feeding.
Running phosban pads in the filter will help as well.
 
gharner

gharner

Member
yeah I kinda figured....dang, it was looking really good until I had to move the tank, then it went really downhill when I got busy. I hate seeing something like that tank go downhill, but I just didn't have the time for a little while. I hate to say it but it honestly probably went almost 4 months or so without a water change
 
new2salt1

new2salt1

Member
No one else is going to tell you the truth, so I will.
You should not own a tank. If you have too much going on that you don't have time to save a clownfish from an overflow (and you are going to laugh about it) then you shouldn't own a tank. Also, if you dont change your water for 4 months, you are basically torturing everything in your tank.
Hopefully you dont get "too busy" that you forget to feed your dog for a week.
 
troy989

troy989

Active Member
i know everyone is gonna say some crap about how im lazy but i havnt done a water change in like around 2 months and my tank is fine but im waiting till xmas to get my ro/di
 
new2salt1

new2salt1

Member
Originally Posted by troy989
http:///forum/post/3191032
i know everyone is gonna say some crap about how im lazy but i havnt done a water change in like around 2 months and my tank is fine but im waiting till xmas to get my ro/di
I change my water every 4-6 weeks.
If there is no problem, I dont think 4 months is too long to wait.
The difference is this guy had cyano outbreaks and had a potentially dead fish and just "had too much to do."
So I dont think you're lazy. If your tank is healthy then kudos!
 
gharner

gharner

Member
ok, new to salt....why do you insist on being a tool? I think first of all, you don't know everything that was going on, or my schedule. Second, no one here is going to tell YOU the truth so I guess Ill have to... hate to break it to ya buddy, but a dog is a little more important to me than a fish. Sorry, its the truth. I know I have neglected the tank more than I should, and I love the hobby. It wasn't something I tried to do....things just kept going down hill and getting worse...and the whole 4 month thing I admit was a little over exaggerated (but it was a while before I got a good water change in). The clown in the overflow thing wasn't that I didn't have time to get him out, In an aquapod the 4th chamber is shaped like an L, when he falls back there he always hides under the bottom and is next to impossible to net. I did try, and he may still be in there, I keep checking but have yet to see him. im just a little frustrated with the fact that there is over $1000 total into this tank, which is alot for a college student, and it is going a little down hill. I didn't mean for you to get upset over a few inverts and perhaps a fish not having the best of conditions for a few months, although nothing will ever compete with the ocean. I know it is my responsibility to do the best to provide for these animals since they were taken out of their environment for our enjoyment and they rely completely on us for care, I just have had a very busy time lately adjusting to everything new. Sorry to kinda vent here, no harm meant, Im just a little disappointed.
 
gharner

gharner

Member
Another question...its interesting to me, Why would the snails be the first creatures to show signs of a problem in water quality? All of my corals remain unaffected for the most part, but I did lose some snails?
 
new2salt1

new2salt1

Member
Originally Posted by gharner
http:///forum/post/3191223
hate to break it to ya buddy, but a dog is a little more important to me than a fish...
I know it is my responsibility to do the best to provide for these animals since they were taken out of their environment for our enjoyment and they rely completely on us for care, I just have had a very busy time lately adjusting to everything new.
Yes, it is your responsibility. This is the exact reason your post ticked me off. You made it sound like it was funny that the clown may or may not be dead, and it wasn't just once that you joked about it. Your description said, "I couldnt find him so I suspect he died back there. Well, I decided I should finally do something about it haha."
I don't want to distract your thread, so I'll just say this:
I would be much more heartbroken if one of my 2 dogs died compared to my fish. However, a dog is NOT more "important" than a fish inasmuch as you should feel obliged to meet the BASIC REQUIREMENTS of each. If you CANT meet their basic needs, then you shouldn't own a fish. And a basic requirement of a fish is to make sure it is safe and isnt trapped somewhere. You said it jumped back there many times, yet you did nothing to protect him from getting trapped in the L-shaped chamber. And then when you saw him go missing, you obviously were too lazy to save him.
But I really wouldn't have ANY problem with any of this if it hadn't been for your attitude towards the inhabitants of your tank. People kill fish all the time on accident - Im cool with that. But when you knowlingly neglect them and then come on here and laugh about it...well, that's when people like me are going to call you on it.
Basic needs - that is not a whole lot to ask for...
 
gharner

gharner

Member
No, I know exactly where your coming from. Its not that I thought it funny that he gets back there, I just have tried I don't know how many times to get him out. Its not the first time he did that...It seems that at night time when he sleeps (he sleeps up toward the top of the tank) he would occasionally flip up over the top. I would have to get him out at least twice a week by baiting him with food, then using some dual net action :). there is no way to cover the L part because that is where the power head sits since I upgraded to the maxi jet. I put a cover over for the past approx 6 months, but the dang lights melted/warped it, so I took it out. This last time the clown was going for the bait, but would dive back down as soon as he saw me....he got smarter, and harder to catch. Don't get me wrong, he's my favorite fish Ive owned (except when he'd bite me). Im sorry if I made you mad in posting this thread, but I by no means get any enjoyment out of the situation, and I am upset about it. Again sorry for sounding like a jerk
 
troy989

troy989

Active Member
just need to get everything back to normal again maybe u cuuld cover it with eggcrate i have a mh over it and it dont melt
 
gharner

gharner

Member
thats a good idean, Im gonna have to give it a try and see if it will fit under the hood. Hopefully it will. I tried a sheet of acrylic, and it lasted for a while and worked too...although after a few months it began to warp I think due to gravity/the heat from lights. Thanks for the imput
 
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