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View Full Version : Major Disaster 6 Month Tank Crash!!!!


68551
08/31/2008, 05:48 AM
AFTER 2 1/2 YEARS OF HAVING MY 75 GAL REEF TANK I AM UNSURE OF WHAT TO DO....This morning I just disposed of my final favorite occupant...A Purple Tang that was my favorite fish...He died last night after a 6 month decline of death after death....6 months ago I thought having a tank was easy....I had a Mandrin that lived 2 years, was fat & happy!!! I had a pipefish that was soooo cool to watch....I had a Divided Leopard Wrase that slept under the substrade every night, A Coral Beauty Angel & an awesome Lawnmower Blenny....It all started with an incredible show of all of my snails spawning....It was really cool seeing green eggs comming from the females & smoke from the males....I wasen't sure what I was witnessing....Suddenly within a week they all died & fish after fish started dying about one month apart....& a red velvet growth started to blanket the live rock....I looked at many ID posts & couldn't find the cause or cure...I have never been able to keep inverts or anything other than fish but now the fish were dying 1 BY 1.....
As I threw away my prized Tang I wondered if I should just move to fresh water....I've been awake & reading since 3AM & I need advice....I don't know how to start over.....Or even if its worth it...Its such a personal downer.....

68551
08/31/2008, 05:55 AM
A little more....I had feather dusters, Cleaner Shrimp & watched as one after the other died....I never overstocked the tank...But muy nitrates were always high....Never seemed to hurt the fish....I have Tunze Pump & was so happy with the flow in the tank that I just spent $250 on a skimmer that I installed 3 weeks ago.....It is awesome!!!! I can't believe how much crap it pulled from the water but I think it was too little too late.....I am soooo sad....

68551
08/31/2008, 05:56 AM
Does anyone have any info about starting over or giving up????

FishNFun
08/31/2008, 06:03 AM
How high is high for your nitrates? If you knew your nitrates were "always high" then there's no mystery why your tank crashed. Sounds like all your critters just eventually died do to the long term nitrate exposure. What are your other params?

68551
08/31/2008, 06:09 AM
Nitrates 80....Ph...8.3....Substrade was from CC...Currently don't have an overflow tank....Have a refugium....Even the pods & bristle worms died

68551
08/31/2008, 06:11 AM
If I stay in the hobby I will get an overflow tank, put in sugar sand....have a sump & scrub the rocks & put them in a dark circulation tank for a month....

reverendmaynard
08/31/2008, 06:19 AM
What kind of water are you using? Tap? RO? RO/DI?

FishNFun
08/31/2008, 06:23 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13262639#post13262639 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 68551
Nitrates 80....Ph...8.3....Substrade was from CC...Currently don't have an overflow tank....Have a refugium....Even the pods & bristle worms died

If you don't have an tank with an overflow, how exactly are you getting the water to the refugium?

Nitrates at 80 is VERY bad. What about Alk, Ammonia & SG? Did you do any water changes to try to bring down your nitrates? How often did you feed?

OneReef
08/31/2008, 06:25 AM
I have always read that crushed coral as a substrate is not good in a reef tank as it traps junk and leads to high nitrates. If you start over, you might want to use a finer sand. Good luck, sorry about your tank.

68551
08/31/2008, 06:34 AM
Did many water changes weekly of at least 20 % tested water before & after & nitrates were the same with different test kits....SG 1.025-1.026 constant with refractometer....temp between 76.5 - 80....Vacuumed substrade....Have LR piled high with voids for fish & water to flow through....I can't believe the tank is absoliutely empty....I don't have the heart to shut off the pumps & flow....

68551
08/31/2008, 06:35 AM
Did many water changes weekly of at least 20 % tested water before & after & nitrates were the same with different test kits....SG 1.025-1.026 constant with refractometer....temp between 76.5 - 80....Vacuumed substrade....Have LR piled high with voids for fish & water to flow through....I can't believe the tank is absoliutely empty....I don't have the heart to shut off the pumps & flow....

68551
08/31/2008, 06:42 AM
Ps....Have RO machine to make water.....kept in 2/20 gal circulated contaiiners for top off & water changes....Only Parameter that was off was nitrates....I sucessfully cured the Tang of ICK when I first got him.....(Stress of being moved) He followed me around the tank all the time after that which is why he was my favorite fish....Seemed to know I saved him but was unable to do so this time....Could have been old tank sindrome....Bought the tank & inhabitants from person getting out of hobby transported all of the water & restarted the tank....Nitrates were high from the start....No Amonia or Nitrite problems...Inspected the tank numerous times daily....Removed anything before decay as death occured in past months...

68551
08/31/2008, 06:47 AM
Refugium is a HOB & water is pumped to it & flows slowly back to tank...Even removed calerpa when I read of the hazards....Never went sexual but just to be safe went to Cheato instead....Pods died as soon as I put them in the fuge....

useskaforevil
08/31/2008, 08:00 AM
you were never able to keep inverts and pods died as soonas they hit the fuge? do you have any copper pipes used in this setup?

68551
08/31/2008, 08:09 AM
No copper except for plumbing in the house....Really looking for the cause....I don't want to keep killing animals.....I have always wanted a reef tank & spent more time in front of it than the TV....I am considering getting an overflow tank....5 inches Oolic live sand....Putting all of my LR in my 25 gal tubs covering & adding a heater & keep covered with a skimmer running for a month.....I am desperate not to quit this facinating hobby but I am devastated at the loss after so much time & money was invested....Need to do it right without the previoud owners old CC substrade this time....

manofcoral
08/31/2008, 08:13 AM
Well if the levels are good, my guess is not enough oxgen in the water. Without a good overflow churning the water, it could just be a matter of time before the O2 get too low for life in your tiank. Just my 2 cents.

Sk8r
08/31/2008, 08:18 AM
That's scary...pods dying. How is water pumped to fuge?
Copper or brass anywhere, any Y connector of brass, etc...?
Where did you get this HOB fuge? Sure it wasn't in a tank where copper was used?

Recommendations: first: run polyfilter pad in tank waterstream as is, and see if there is ANY blue coloring turning up on pad. (copper).

Discard sandbed. Discard water. Put rock in tub with discard water until you resolve copper issue.

If clear of copper, clean tank in straight vinegar and do re-setup.

My slight suspicion is that the snail spawn tipped the tank over the edge chemically, re nitrates, not a strong enough skimmer to handle it.

But we need to know why pods couldnt' live. That's alarming.

I would recommend on re-setup that you start clean, new sand; rock needs to be proved copper-free.

I would recommend you install some hardy coral species like green star polyp and discosoma mushrooms--early, esp. the gsp, to react to water problems by closing up. It's like a smoke alarm in a house.

Be sure you've got inverts to live and gsp happy.

Then start thinking toward the tank you want to have: we can walk you through a clean, good setup that will hold up, plus maintenance procedures that will keep this from happening again.

papajojo
08/31/2008, 08:18 AM
couple of questions

what are your plans for battling your nitrate problem?

are you running carbon?

do you have any marco to help with the nitrate reduction?

how much were you feeding?

what is your flow in the tank?

what were your ammonia levels?

sory for your loss if you can learn from it though i think you have the passion that is required for this hobby

i think you are on the right track by wanting to cook the rocks etc.

68551
08/31/2008, 08:18 AM
What about the red velvet growth on the rocks....Not coraline....I never saw picts to id but there was a post once about a type of algae that is caustic to inhabitants....

68551
08/31/2008, 08:27 AM
For the last 2 posters....Had Cheato in the fuge...Not enough o2 is a good observation Tang kept looking like he was gasping for air beore he died.....I thought the skimmer with all the bubbles put in o2.....For nitrate problem...No cc in my future...Yes, ran 1/2 cup carbon in canister filter...Very low feeding 1x daily or every other day....Low amount (pinch) of food or seaweed....Very good flow w/ Tunze pump.....O amonia always....

68551
08/31/2008, 08:38 AM
Does anyone have any good links for restarting an aquarium????

hyperfocal
08/31/2008, 08:52 AM
The red velvet you are seeing on the rock could be red turf algae, the appearance of which is probably connected to your very high nitrates. I'm battling it myself right now, it's a bugger. Turbo snails seem to be one of the only critters that seriously eat the stuff... my yellow tang pecks at it, but doesn't even make a dent.

Nitrates at 80 are pretty high, but I don't think that's high enough to crash a tank. I know fish-only tanks can run forever with nitrates that high.

It sounds like it might be some kind of poisoning to me. It's been gradual (more than 6 months of decline), affecting creatures over time; perhaps some contaminant that has been building up over the months. Does anyone use any harsh cleansers around the tank? Detergents, Windex, rug shampoo, air fresheners maybe? Do you have other pets that get flea/tick medicine? Maybe fumes from painting or the garage? Any kids with dirty fingers in the tank? Any heavy smokers in the house?

I'd be thinking down those lines...

Macimage
08/31/2008, 08:56 AM
Does anyone have any good links for restarting an aquarium????

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1031074

Good Luck!
Joyce

chrismunn
08/31/2008, 09:26 AM
what did you use to treat the fish for ich, and where did you treat the fish? did you use a copper or formaldahyde based treatment in the main tank???

ihavtats29
08/31/2008, 09:34 AM
crushed coral must be vaccumed out with a weekly water change to avoid nitrate issues, my friend has crushed coral in his 55 and has had the hardest time keeping nitrates low now he vaccumes it out weekly and nitrates are below 5 ppm

Sk8r
08/31/2008, 09:49 AM
Let's talk about what you can do now.
First, check to be sure no copper.
1. Save your rock. Discard your sand. You're a 75 g? Get 75 lbs medium or fine grade aragonite. I prefer medium: doesn't blow.

2. Get a TDs meter. 25.00. Test to be sure water you're using is 0 tds in the first place.

3. Establish what salt you will use and stick to it.

4. Clean out with vinegar. Do not plan to set up filter in system: they're a pain. Plan to have your fish load match your live rock/sand capacity. It's just safer.

5. lay down eggcrate for a rock base. add your rock, add your new sand (washed in ro water! keep dust out) and add salt water at 1.025 salinity.

6. set up your sump/skimmer, autotopoff system.

7. do not turn skimmer on , but do have autotopoff running.

8. set up quarantine. get your initial fish in clean salt water, etc, you know the drill: test daily, watch for disease. By the time this tank has cycled, they'll be ready to go in.

You've had a terrible shock: most of us that have been long in this hobby have been through it and sympathize with you from experience. The best thing to do now is to start planning how to make it better and bulletproof. There ARE longlived tanks---I was just noting online someone has one that's been going for 21 years. So plan to be one. Be sure that your skimmer handles at least 2x the tank volume, that your flow is large, and that you have those 'mine canary' corals in the tank: if the corals look anything other than deliriously happy, start testing water, and test to the following parameters at least once a week:
temp 80
salinity 1.025
nitrate---as close to 0 as you can hammer it; and you can't do that with filters in the system.
ammonia---never.
alkalinity: 8.3-9.3 dkh scale
calcium 400-440
magnesium 1200-1400.
These are coral reef values, but they will be useful to you in keeping that water safe. And watch your mine canaries. It would be scary to me to try to keep a tank without those tell-tales: the minute green star retracts is time to hit every test you own and find out what's the matter.
We are all here for you: no blame, no guilt---it's a learning curve, and sometimes it's a nasty one. Get back into planning and get it fixed. Limit your fish load to the combined oxygenation capabilities of your skimmer, your downflow, and your fuge, and be aware when you have a spawning event, your skimmer needs to be working overtime and you should run carbon and do a water change (any time ANYthing happens, run carbon and do a water change. Spawns are dangerous in a closed system. If you want absolute assurance of being able to control such an event in the future, get yourself a diatom filter and learn how to use it: it's not a filter you run except in emergencies, but it could clear a tank that size of a spawn to crystal clear in probably 30 minutes. They're not used often in modern reefing, but now and again you run into a situation where they might have made a difference if they'd been an option.
I so hope you will continue reefing: you can get past this.

LulusMoogle
08/31/2008, 10:46 AM
Dang, that's way scary. o.o

Yep. People have already said it all. I don't have more to add. Make sure you find the cause of the crash before setting up the tank again. Otherwise it'll just happen all over again. :/

LUVSPS
08/31/2008, 11:42 AM
What Sk8r said!

GlassReef
08/31/2008, 01:17 PM
I agree with hyperfocal. Over a 6mo period - sounds like some kind of slow poisoning. Have added anything made of soft plastic - a container, etc. Some plastics contain softening agents which will leach out and poison the water.

jrdoan
08/31/2008, 01:38 PM
Yeah something is not right here... I had a similar episode back in the day (I beleve the day was a Tuesday)that I believe was an oxygen issue. I am gonna go a whole different direction here.. Have you changed the filters on your RO unit? They do get old and then unaffective. Perhaps your water was not getting ro'd proplerly and you were putting in water that was less than aquarim quality and as you did more water changes it built up bad things.

68551
08/31/2008, 03:47 PM
I vacuumed the tank a couple times a week not just once a week, I actually enjoyed seeing stuff get sucked up the siphon!!!! No kids, no smokers....When I cleaned around it I couldn't have been any more anal.....Knowing how anal I was about the tank I think Manofcoral was right....Not enough Oxygen.....I even removed rocks to separate altwater containers when I vacuumed one corner at a time....I have coral 8 inches deep & probably stirred in the anerobic layer which caused even LESS o2....I just got back from work & its really hard to look at a now empty tank...I took all of the rock & put it in the 25 gal tubs & put in the skimmer with a strong pump....Even though it is newly mixed saltwater (3 days old) it is already pulling skimmate....

68551
08/31/2008, 04:02 PM
Thanks for all the help & advice...I used Stop parasites to rid the Tang of ick the first month I had the tank (the Tang came with the tank along with 3 damsels) The Owner of the Stop Parasites Co answered his phone on a SUNDAY night @ 10:30 PM....I was frantic as to what to do because my Tang was dying....He called numerous times the next 3 weeks until the Tang was cured!!!! I was TOTALLY IMPRESSEd....That was 2 1/2 years ago when I first started....so it was really depressing when I lost the Tang...

68551
08/31/2008, 04:04 PM
I am printing a copy of sk8r's plan to start over.....I just really want a reef....This sucks!!!!

exoticmarineres
08/31/2008, 04:08 PM
8 inches of cc on the bottom? that's deep. the size of the cc will allow channeling of the nitrates and disruption of the anaerobic zone. constant 80 ppm NO3 indicates a leaching from somewhere. go with a smaller grain sand and only .5 to 1 inch deep(not a dsb fan - experienced too many probs.) a 75 g is only 20 - 22 inches tall. 8 of it as cc would challenge me aesthetically. less substrate more rock and more room for livestock.

68551
08/31/2008, 04:20 PM
I refuse to re set up this tank...I tried to make due with the tank but started with 2 hob filters....Added 2 sweeping powerheads then got the Tunze turbellestream pump 6000 with the magnet....WOW...Lots of flow but may get 2 with a 90 gal with overflow & a sump.....had a Cyclone skimmer that started leaking & it took 2 weeks to get my Tunze 9005 comline DOC skimmer....I have a reefkeeper 2 installed & fans that go on auto when the temp is over 80 degrees....Moon Lighting & a HOB fuge (smsll) with reverse lighting for light at night....removed calerpa replaced with cheato in fuge....Put a deep sand bed in fuge & bought tigger pods 4 bottles at a time to seed the fuge....
As you can see I spared little expense wise except for the tank which came with the cc & after I had it all set up & lots of lr in I started reading about the cc holding nitrates....I couldn't have vacuumed more....Which led to even more water changes to make up the water I siphoned out with the vacuum....I just wish I had known about the cc & the overflow issues....I never would have bought the tank to start with....I really think lack of O2 did me in.....I had to be doing something right...who keeps a mandarine alive for OVER 2 years?????

68551
08/31/2008, 04:26 PM
My RO unit has stickers all over it for when the last filter change was so I knew when to change again....I changed them on a 3-6 mo basis....We have well water so chlorine in the water is never an issue...I have always used Instant Ocean for salt & never switched brands not even once.....

68551
08/31/2008, 04:33 PM
How warm should the tub with the lr be to kill off the red stuff growing on it???? Right now its 83 degrees just from the heat of the pump & the skimmer is making great skimmate already....(Where"s it comming from if the water is only 2 days old?????)

68551
08/31/2008, 04:43 PM
I treated the Tang in the display .....At the time it didn't hurt anything else in the tank & the Tang was cured....The owner of the company is awesome....It really helped being a newbee & him taking the time to call every other day to make suggestions & see how the Tang was....
I have even tested my RO water....everything is good...even the nitrates were "0".....

papajojo
08/31/2008, 06:59 PM
i also skimped on my substrate i went with crushed coral but only at ~½ inch its been fine for me i know this is an exception but the flow i have from my loop keeps everything from settling on the bottom just because the skimmers pumping serious 02 into the tank doesnt mean its enough in fact i dont think theres such a thing as too much 02 in reef tanks. if your going with a "canary" coral. xenia have been known to crash for no known reasons. id go with a large discomma or ricordia sory about the spelling. the larger the mushroom ime the faster they wont open quite as much to avoid surface area exposure.

prickles
08/31/2008, 07:21 PM
For the "what kills pods" question. I had a crash that killed 90% of my fish and pods within 1/2 hour and didn't touch the inverts or corals. The best guess we have is a sea hare got nipped and released a toxin.

Sorry for your losses. One thing you should consider doing is having a local reefer come over to your house and look at your tank Sometimes you miss something that's obvious to everyone else. For example when I was buying my tank (used) I saw one guy who was soooo proud of his auto top off system that ran all the way from the kitchen sink to the tank by copper tubing. He had no idea that was a bad thing and would probably not mention it if something went wrong.

68551
09/01/2008, 03:33 AM
Thanks for all the suport & suggestions....My plan is not to revamp this system but start with a brand new 90 gal one with overflows & 5 " sugar sized sand on the bottom & a second Tunzee pump....My rocks are cooking at 86 degrees & a skimmer is in the tub the rocks are in & it is covered but not tight to try to get the red junk off the rocks....Someone mentioned it might be turf algae but it is very short, dense & feels like velvet....It is the color of dark red...I have never seen an id picture that matches it...

68551
09/01/2008, 03:58 AM
[QUOTE]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13263564#post13263564 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
[B]Let's talk about what you can do now.
First, check to be sure no copper.

5. lay down eggcrate for a rock base.

NO COPPER FROM TEST
Why eggcrate on the bottom???? You mean the crates a dozen eggs come in made out of styrofoam???? I'm confused.....

sheisadreamer
09/01/2008, 04:06 AM
this is the eggcrate she is talking about.

http://www.thelensguys.com/ProductImages/Eggcrate1.jpg

can be found at hardware stores in the lighting section usually.

68551
09/01/2008, 04:11 AM
ok....Great idea....It makes the rock not slide on the glass bottom....I recognize the picture as inserts for florscent lighting fixtures in drop ceilings....I have never heard them called "egg crates"....Keep talking, I'm learning!!!!!

68551
09/01/2008, 08:02 AM
Spent the last 4 hours tearing down the system & unplugging everything....Bucket by bucket my aquarium dissapeared as I dumped the saltwater in the gravel drive outside (maybe it will kill weeds!!!!....I noticed an interesting thing....My tank was starting to leak at the back rear corner...Occasionally I would see a little water under the stand but I chalked it up to overfilling when I did a top off....I considered using the tank for my sump but I am entirely done with it now....Thoughts of a new 90g are dancing in my head....Then my lighting strip would still fit....Does everyone go through this???? I am looking at a blank corner where my stand used to sit.....Any suggestions????

tkeracer619
09/01/2008, 08:29 AM
Do you have any of the water left over? When I have issues with my tank I send a sample to AWT for testing. It helps determine if anything else was causing the crash. The pod death worries me. I don't think it was a snail spawn that did this.

cato
09/01/2008, 08:54 AM
Copper was my first thought too. Def sounds like some type of contamination. Anyone spray aerosol furniture cleaner/ air freshener near it?? Good luck.

Mykel Obvious
09/01/2008, 09:12 AM
Listen to Sk8r... very good advice there!!

Read everything you can get your hands on and ask questions here before you spend any $$$ on the latest gewgaw

http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm some good info on setup options

Getting a new tanks is a good idea, just in case... and 8" of crushed coral is most likely one of the major issues you had... research Deep Sand Beds (DSB) if you want to use a deep substrate, otherwise no more than 1/2" to 1" of sand as it will become a nutrient sink over time (that's why you had high nitrates IMO)
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm

Take your time because only bad things happen fast in a reef aquarium!!

Keep fighting the good fight and know that RC will be there to help!!

cnaegler
09/01/2008, 09:20 AM
Man, i feel your loss, brother. I had an entire tank full of SPS colonies melt because of a stupid kalkwasser setup. It was first time my kids ever saw me cry. But i LOVE this hobby and started over, now i wouldn't trade it for anything.
Keep your head up!
Now, to your tank. Sk8r pretty much has the bases covered. IMO, I would put a SSB in the display and keep the DSB for denitrification in the fuge. You shouldn't be vacuuming or stirring the sand around in the fuge! That way when you clean the display there won't be a DSB to stir up( as sometimes on an older DSB theres a buildup of hydrogen sulfide that gets released by stirring the sand) minimizing any damage that could be done. SOMETIMES, that release of Hydrogon sulfide could cause a random dieoff.
Also, IMO, scrap the HOB's and setup a sump/fuge. i wouldn't scrap your tank, find where it's leaking and re-silicone the area. Set it outside to dry for 24 hours and re-test it to see if it leaks. It can easily be converted to a sump/ refugium, saving yourself a little money, as a new one can be pricey.

cnaegler
09/01/2008, 09:23 AM
Check this out, it MAY help you figure whats happened

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/substclng.htm

Runfrumu
09/01/2008, 09:39 AM
I'd send in some water to one of those lab's that will check everything for you.

hobogato
09/01/2008, 09:52 AM
when was the last time you calibrated your refractometer? is it possible that the slow leak drove your salinity down too low and you didnt know it because the refracto was out of calibration? i only ask, because it has happened to me.

Sk8r
09/01/2008, 09:53 AM
Cheap, hardy corals that are really good early problem detectors: they DO spread, so unless you like the look, keep them off your structural rock!

Green star polyp: one of the first to close up if water goes 'off'.
Frogspawn: (a stony, so you have to have calcium/alk test and supplements) it really hates alkalinity going off kilter. Unfortunately rabbitfish may think it's edible.
Discosoma or actinodiscus mushrooms: tough, spread like weeds, but shrivel if water is off.
I keep only one softie: green star, in a corner of my tank, where the darned stuff has grown right up the glass: the jawfish lives in the heart of it, as a tunnel. But if it isn't coming out, I run every test I own to find out why, even if every OTHER coral in my tank is happy as, well, the clam.

68551
09/01/2008, 10:11 AM
I want a tank with an overflow for the oxygen boost....There was no copper (I tested it with a pad) I said before how I vacuumed deep in the cc....8 inches is probably a slightly too high ...It was probably 6 inches in many spots...I think that constantly having my hands in the tank vacuuming & stirring up the anerobic layer was more than my system could bear....the spanning I thought put gammes (sp?) in the tank, I never thought to do a water change or put in carbon....I was hoping for baby snails...After that the red stuff grew only on the rocks not on the gravel.....(Not Cynao didn't look like the id pictures)....Downhill from there with death after death & only off test was nitrates....Unfortunately I never tested for O2...

68551
09/01/2008, 10:14 AM
Leak was very minimal....Calbrated refractometer once a month in ro water for 0000....

On my way to LFS (2 hours away) to check out tank options....Be back tonight....Still listening to any and all advice....

Snapper66
09/01/2008, 01:11 PM
:( :( :( .

Snapper66
09/01/2008, 01:14 PM
:( I am Very Sorry to Hear of Your Tank Crashing,it Sounds Like Some Kind of Long Term Poisoning to Me.

bohlke
09/01/2008, 01:34 PM
As bad as I tank crash is (been there) it is an opportunity to start over with a clean slate. I learned many lessons from my tank crash and the rebuild process. I would keep away from sugar sized sand as its such a pain to deal with from a flow perspective. I now only use it in my RDSBs. Good luck!

68551
09/01/2008, 07:17 PM
I'm back from the lfs....Picked out a cool 92g corner tank with sump MH lighting, moonlights...etc,etc......Finally feeling good for the first time in days!!!!.....Called to tell my husband...
He thinks I should not set up another tank, (too much time, expense, & sorrow if it doesen't work out again)....But he says I can do what I want.....(Hate when he says that!!!!).....I am back in the blahs again.....Not sure of what to do....I don't want to be unhappy but don't want him to be either.....Anyone have this dilemma????

cnaegler
09/01/2008, 07:49 PM
My wife used to fuss...then i learned to quit telling her when i got new livestock!!! LOL! " Is that something new, Craig?" "No hon, that's always been there." But in all honesty, when my wife and kids saw me cry when my tank crashed, my wife said the same thing, but i'm not one to let things get the best of me. She didn't care for it but she knew it made me REALLY happy to have my tank. Now she doesn't bother me anymore about it. She knows that's my "thing." She didn't even flinch when i "informed" her of the new 514 gallon going in the new house's basement. Whoo-hoo!

68551
09/01/2008, 07:55 PM
We may also be building a new house to downsize....He also said that if I got it running well it would be too hard to dismantle & move to the new house....(He's GOOD!!!!)....

tkeracer619
09/02/2008, 09:30 AM
I would set it up and have him help you move it to the new house. Just work on it slow. Having it set up and running with no or little fish in it will make the tank that much stronger down the road.

cnaegler
09/02/2008, 01:04 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13275344#post13275344 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tkeracer619
I would set it up and have him help you move it to the new house. Just work on it slow. Having it set up and running with no or little fish in it will make the tank that much stronger down the road.

I agree. At least get the equipment rounded up.

jrdoan
09/03/2008, 11:14 AM
HAHA the reef spouse. I am pretty sure that many of us have delt with just such a delema. From my personal experience the Spouse should be handled just like the reef Slowly. Well where she would notice. If I showed up with a total new set up she would flip out and ask about the money. But If I just kinda add a coral here or there or change out my skimmer in the sump where she never goes I am usually ok. Truth be told when you get it up and running and it starts to be the beautiful tank you are seeing in your mind he will probably get on board with it and it could become a shared hobby. I'll never forget the day I came home from work and my wife was sitting on the couch reading Corals (E. Burnman) to "Find out more about the wavy one" (the Hammer coral) But if not that is ok too. I know that I will never share my wifes passion for shoes and she will never share mine for Football. So I guess what I am saying is if it is done right and you seem like you are doing your homework, and it will make you happy go for it. He may just be saying that now because you have had a tough go of it as late and that is what he is thinking about.

68551
09/04/2008, 07:45 PM
Took 3 days to "get away" on our boat with 2 overnights....(Just what I needed....Seeing LIVE FISH swimming in the water!!!) Had problems with the new boat, which is now at the boat doctor getting fixed....When it rains it pours!!!!

There's a light at the end of the tunnel....Truck is now detached from the boat trailer making it easier to go pick up the new system at the LFS!!!!! Hint Hint...Wink Wink!!!!!