Restoring tank, life to Corals hit by electrical shock.

[Hollifields]

One of my heaters cracked, I believe it sent electrical shock throughout my tank prior to hitting the breaker and tripping it. My tank went without oxygen or heat for eight hours. I had just removed the dedicated GFIC on New Year's when needed (flooding basement at a rental house). From stupidity my back-up power was on the same breaker as my Apex, hence no notice.
I've got (had) a complex mixed reef, 75 gallon, with hundreds of Sun Corals (colonies spawned multiple times), Fathead Dendros, LPS and previously thriving SPS.
Die off has been excessive, hundreds of brittle stars removed by the handfuls and multiple water changes done. Many of my SPS still have visible polyps however little to no color. Corals such as frog spawn with hard base are translucent in color.
My thoughts are the good bacteria and nutritional foods in my system are dead and gone. All of my fish and inverts including a new pipe fish and blenny survived with no visible affects.
I'm dosing Red Sea A & B, phytoplankton, fuel, and other mixed foods. Running carbon and GFO in reactors as well as skimming heavy with dual felt filter socks.
Any suggestions our knowledge on what else I should do to help struggling corals and system feeding fish survive?
Thanks in advance.

[Hollifields]

Nobody's had a tank crash, researched and have suggestions?

BTW, oddly enough heater was an Ehiem and cracked on the back next to the suction against the sump!
http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg495/hollifields/7A8EF79F-D595-4475-A2D8-B347B2B180B2_zpslug4i30v.jpg

[karimwassef]

I'm assuming you already made large water changes - skimmer running, all exports running... ?

[rgulrich]

Might consider running some Polyfilter to pull any stray metals out that may have leached into the water column.

[Hollifields]

I'm assuming you already made large water changes - skimmer running, all exports running... ?


Yes, have done 3, 15 gallon WC, running carbon, feeding phytoplankton ordered pods, dosing stability, using poly filter, skimming heavy with an enormous amount of scum and dad large particles filling up Skimmer and socks.

I'm just looking at my tank and it appears there are no pods no brittle stars none of the foods/hitchhikers that my tank was full. Very worried about my fish that don't eat pellets not being able to find food. So heartbreaking!

[Reef Frog]

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate event. But you can take some comfort in the fact that you've identified the issue where your controller did not warn you so you can correct that in the future. And it sounds as if most of your livestock made it through. It certainly could have been worse.

Do you know how cold your tank got? The fact that your fish, any fish, survived seems to indicate that the temps did not reach truly lethal levels. I'm sure your bacterial colonies are still present and viable but they could be reduced in number for a while. Bacteria will be the last thing to die. Heck, if you buy Pacific live rock, it comes with almost no water, wrapped in newspaper and spends a full day in unregulated temperatures as it flies across the world before getting back in the water again. But the bacteria and many higher level animals still survive in large numbers so a full recover seems quite doable.

I'd feed fish less on the assumption that the bacterial colonies might be under strength temporarily. Keep a lookout for a possible mini cycle by testing for ammonia and eventually excessive nitrates. Be ready with an ammonia detoxifier like Prime. Remove uneaten food right away and having some food scavenger CUC (i.e. Narr snails) to clean up might be a good idea too. Ammonia would be the immediate danger.

It sounds like the corals have lost some coloration - possibly bc they expelled their zoox. Lower light & moderate target feeding might be in order here. Again, try to remove uneaten food promptly by turkey baster, mechanical filtration, wet skimming and water changes.

I'd go easy on the other additives as the corals may or may not be able to take them up & use them. But I would continue to measure Ca, ALK & Mg. lower light levels may be important to the corals that have lost their zoox. They may want to have less less light until they can build those levels back up.

It looks like everything is in place for a successful recovery. Good luck.

[heathlindner25]

I would just keep doing what you're doing, sounds like you're on top of things.

[heathlindner25]

Got a update?

[Hollifields]

Thanks for all replies!


Lost 4 colonies of SPS, others are white yet have colored tentacles under blues. Brittle stars are showing up, LPS are doing pretty good. Rock Flower spawned (?) for over 30 minutes, Sun Coral Spawned and looks like plate coral took it hard and had babies?

I'm doing 10 gallon WC a day, stirring sandbed and dosing/feeding as was prior...
Colors still look horrible on many.