HELP : tank overflow / salinity way down

yarrumretep · 03/20/2006, 07:43 PM

This is the first major incident I've had in my 2 years of reefkeeping. I'd greatly appreciate any input from experience folks on how to best recover.

I was out of town for a long weekend - during that time there were a couple of scheduled visits to feed and check on things. Apparently during the second visit, the skimmer (which was cleaned) was left leaning against the side of the sump, thus slowly exporting the water from it's exhaust gradually to my floor.

While this was happening my auto-top-off was working hard to keep up with the perceived higher evaporation rate - importing fresh RO/DI water. Thus, when I arrived home, the specific gravity of my water was down to 1.014 (or a little below that, even).

I have a 72G tank with a 20G (a bit less) sump.

The swimming critters all seem OK (ate when fed and are swimming actively)- but all corals / anenomae are completely retracted and my two tough-as-nails sea-stars appear to be in tough shape (lying limp not responding to light - but they do react to a poke).

So far, I've mixed a batch (5g) of slightly extra salty water (~1.028) and gotten the tank back to it's operating level of water. I'm currently adding salt directly to the sump in small doses to gradually increase the overall SG - it's now up to 1.016.

1) Is this the appropriate protocol to gradually bring the salinity back up? How slowly should I proceed with adding the salt?

2) Is there something additional I shoudl be doing to try to ease this trauma on my critters?

Any advice or perspective would be greatly appreciated.

-pete

2crazyreefers · 03/20/2006, 07:58 PM

IMO it would be best to take 5 gallons out and add salt to it and after mixing put it back in doing so in small doses till you get it back correct.

Anemonebuff · 03/20/2006, 08:06 PM

Slow is good. But you may want to up it a knotch this time. A SG that low may take the corals and serpent stars. I would at least get it up to 1.021 before bed.

yarrumretep · 03/20/2006, 08:10 PM

Thanks for the input - how fast do you think I can take it up safely?

Scuba_Dave · 03/20/2006, 08:13 PM

I've never been that low, but had a low of maybe 1.020
I brought it up to 1.025 over 4 hours
An immediate water change of 30g brought to almost up 1.024
I cycled it to my fuge 1st to dilute it, then switched on the pump to the main tank.
Waited 2+ hours, then did another water change

Anemonebuff · 03/20/2006, 08:21 PM

Get it up to a 1.021 by the night's end. Raise it to a 1.023-1.025 by tomorrow.

yarrumretep · 03/20/2006, 08:31 PM

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm just under 1.017 at the moment. Will get it up into the 1.021 range tonight via addition of super-salty disolved mix. A bit more tomorrow morning and a bit more tomorrow evening.

The stars still have a bit of movement in them, but it's not clear they'll make it. The corals appear (maybe wishful thinking) to be a bit more relaxed than before. There's also a shrimp in there - saw him staggering around earlier - I"ve got my fingers crossed for him, but... Fish continue to be active and perky.

Thanks, again!

Anemonebuff · 03/20/2006, 08:41 PM

Good luck

yarrumretep · 03/20/2006, 09:36 PM

Update: Crossing 1.019... Sea star showed some movement, but still pretty listless. Other sea-star remains on his back - doesn't look good for him. Haven't seen the shrimp. Corals are still retracted (but it's dark now). Fish appear OK. They must be thinking "That was one heck of a rain storm"

yarrumretep · 04/10/2006, 05:46 PM

Thanks to ReefCentral folks for calming advice. I got the salinity back up to normal over an 18 hour period. Despite having looked quite sad (laying perfectly still on his back) the sea-star has recovered 100% and there were NO deaths in the tank. The corals are still getting back to their previous state, but all of the swimming critters are up and running at full-speed.

Thanks again, for the good advice. All of the tank life turned out OK in the end. Now, the hardwood flooring is another matter...

Cheers,

pete

jacksonsmom25 · 04/10/2006, 07:47 PM

thanks for the update Pete! glad everything worked out ok, well except for your floors.

03/20/2006, 07:43 PM	#1
yarrumretep Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Freeport, Maine USA Posts: 24	HELP : tank overflow / salinity way down This is the first major incident I've had in my 2 years of reefkeeping. I'd greatly appreciate any input from experience folks on how to best recover. I was out of town for a long weekend - during that time there were a couple of scheduled visits to feed and check on things. Apparently during the second visit, the skimmer (which was cleaned) was left leaning against the side of the sump, thus slowly exporting the water from it's exhaust gradually to my floor. While this was happening my auto-top-off was working hard to keep up with the perceived higher evaporation rate - importing fresh RO/DI water. Thus, when I arrived home, the specific gravity of my water was down to 1.014 (or a little below that, even). I have a 72G tank with a 20G (a bit less) sump. The swimming critters all seem OK (ate when fed and are swimming actively)- but all corals / anenomae are completely retracted and my two tough-as-nails sea-stars appear to be in tough shape (lying limp not responding to light - but they do react to a poke). So far, I've mixed a batch (5g) of slightly extra salty water (~1.028) and gotten the tank back to it's operating level of water. I'm currently adding salt directly to the sump in small doses to gradually increase the overall SG - it's now up to 1.016. 1) Is this the appropriate protocol to gradually bring the salinity back up? How slowly should I proceed with adding the salt? 2) Is there something additional I shoudl be doing to try to ease this trauma on my critters? Any advice or perspective would be greatly appreciated. -pete

03/20/2006, 07:58 PM	#2
2crazyreefers Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Vt. Posts: 733	IMO it would be best to take 5 gallons out and add salt to it and after mixing put it back in doing so in small doses till you get it back correct. __________________ My 4 part recipie for my acros = calcium - alk - flow & luck.

04/10/2006, 05:46 PM	#10
yarrumretep Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Freeport, Maine USA Posts: 24	Low Salinity Resolved - everyone's OK Thanks to ReefCentral folks for calming advice. I got the salinity back up to normal over an 18 hour period. Despite having looked quite sad (laying perfectly still on his back) the sea-star has recovered 100% and there were NO deaths in the tank. The corals are still getting back to their previous state, but all of the swimming critters are up and running at full-speed. Thanks again, for the good advice. All of the tank life turned out OK in the end. Now, the hardwood flooring is another matter... Cheers, pete

04/10/2006, 07:47 PM	#11
jacksonsmom25 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: bangor,Maine Posts: 475	thanks for the update Pete! glad everything worked out ok, well except for your floors. __________________ Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs. Current Tank Info: 55g SW, 15g Fowlr and 55g FW w/ pair of angelfish and misc tetras.

03/20/2006, 08:06 PM	#3
Anemonebuff Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: LI,NY Posts: 3,877	Slow is good. But you may want to up it a knotch this time. A SG that low may take the corals and serpent stars. I would at least get it up to 1.021 before bed.

03/20/2006, 08:10 PM	#4
yarrumretep Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Freeport, Maine USA Posts: 24	Thanks for the input - how fast do you think I can take it up safely?

03/20/2006, 08:13 PM	#5
Scuba_Dave EMERTXE YID Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Asylum, South of Boston, MA Posts: 10,362	I've never been that low, but had a low of maybe 1.020 I brought it up to 1.025 over 4 hours An immediate water change of 30g brought to almost up 1.024 I cycled it to my fuge 1st to dilute it, then switched on the pump to the main tank. Waited 2+ hours, then did another water change

03/20/2006, 08:21 PM	#6
Anemonebuff Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: LI,NY Posts: 3,877	Get it up to a 1.021 by the night's end. Raise it to a 1.023-1.025 by tomorrow.

03/20/2006, 08:31 PM	#7
yarrumretep Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Freeport, Maine USA Posts: 24	Thanks everyone for your input. I'm just under 1.017 at the moment. Will get it up into the 1.021 range tonight via addition of super-salty disolved mix. A bit more tomorrow morning and a bit more tomorrow evening. The stars still have a bit of movement in them, but it's not clear they'll make it. The corals appear (maybe wishful thinking) to be a bit more relaxed than before. There's also a shrimp in there - saw him staggering around earlier - I"ve got my fingers crossed for him, but... Fish continue to be active and perky. Thanks, again!

03/20/2006, 08:41 PM	#8
Anemonebuff Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: LI,NY Posts: 3,877	Good luck

03/20/2006, 09:36 PM	#9
yarrumretep Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Freeport, Maine USA Posts: 24	Update: Crossing 1.019... Sea star showed some movement, but still pretty listless. Other sea-star remains on his back - doesn't look good for him. Haven't seen the shrimp. Corals are still retracted (but it's dark now). Fish appear OK. They must be thinking "That was one heck of a rain storm"