Mini Cycle

[hfp75]

Well, I'll tell my story...

Two weeks ago I switched from biopellets to biocubes. Biocubes have been working miracles in my frag tank so I figured it was time to get them switched into the larger system.

Recently, I've noticed some dark red flat worms in my sump (on the display tank). I went out and got Flat Worm Exit. I added it into my display tank & it worked as described, dead worms floating all over. Did a large water change and ran activated carbon. No issues.

Then a few weeks later I noticed a few more worms. So I dumped in a whole vial of FWE (want them dead). Everything looked good. Couple corals looked offended but nothing serious. Technically the FWE isn't bad for the tank it's the dying worms.

For good measure I put a bit of FWE in my frag system - no issues at all.

Well, a few days later (after a work marathon) I noticed that the corals are all withdrawn & my two Darwin clowns are missing. My curiosity peaked and I hunted them down - DOA. Problem!!!

I quickly tested some water and found ammonia at .25-.5 (API colours are so close). I moved the withdrawn corals into the frag system & really couldn't get much more into the smaller tank.

I have done some large water changes hoping to controle the ammonia exposure & am running activated carbon again. It's kinda working. After 3 days of water changes Ive noticed that the NO2 is showing up, the fish are more active & some corals are more lively.

I hope that by the time I'm home tonight my ammonia is gone and it's just NO2. It's basically over. Maybe the long exposure to FWE and ammonia has killed off the worms. Otherwise I need to do this again....

I have lost a few things - pair of darwin clowns, two cleaner shrimp & a nice long spaghetti torch. My hammer and elephant ear mushroom might not make it either... I've been dipping corals and cutting them up to try and save a few frags to restart from.... We'll see.

I don't know for sure..... Was it a perfect storm? Changing out my biomedia & then killing stuff with the toxic worm carcasses/FWE? So just not enough bio-capacity to handle the curve ball... Maybe had I run carbon earlier....

Remind me why I did this to my tank?

I am sure others have been here & where did I get flat worms from......

FYI..... I'm on the hunt for some nice clowns and cleaner shrimp... Anyone?

[kien]

Sorry to hear :-(

Dumping chemicals into your tank that's meant to kill off organisms is always a risky proposition. You just have to stay on top of it, observe closely and be prepared for the fallout (with water changes, carbon, etc), as you've discovered.

In my experience it is not very helpful to ask where I got flatworms from, but rather how did I let them get into my tank? Two very different questions :-)

At any rate, it sounds to me like you're on top of the situation and have it under control. Good recovery!

[Skimmer Juice]

The thing that I hate about fwe is you never know how many fw are in the rocks so when you treat the tank there could be thousands dead in the rocks . Have seen quit a few of people have the same issue after using fwe . Ammonia spike could be from dead flatworms that never got siphoned out . I never used fwe I just siphoned them out everyday and then I think the banded pipefish I got ended up finishing them off . I quit siphoning them out but they all dissapeared and the pipes are the only fish in the tank oh and a candy basslett to so maybe he ate them . Good luck with recovery .

[hfp75]

I contemplated getting a predator but they were only visible in the sump... Nohing visible in the main tank so my fish were obviously preying on them. The sump has 3 chambers where they were safe....

Hence the FWE.....

[hfp75]

Well, after a few days of letting things settle now that we are back on track...

I have lost:
-Paired Darwin clowns
-2x large heads of a Spaghetti Torch
-2x Scarlet Cleaner shrimp
-Forest Fire Digi
-Ultimate Rastas zoos
-Toxic orange zoas
-Blue Acro

I saved from near death:
-My neon Elephant ear mushroom - just a clipping that Im trying to get to foot itself.... PITA but its alive!!!
-Hammer Coral - no biggie, they are common.
-Sunny Ds
-and a few others.

Water params are stable now & I'm gonna be rearranging my corals back into their respective tanks.

After this I do have a few frags cut - ironic....

If you've got any of the things that I lost as little frags to help rebuild, let me know.