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View Full Version : How many people have had a tank crash


Palmer
03-16-2010, 01:34 AM
Okay so I am new to saltwater and reefing but I read alot about tanks crashing. I searched and didn't see a poll on this. I am wondering if this happens to everyone at one time or another or just how many people this has happened to. Also assuming the more tanks you have (i.e. MTS) the greater likelyhood of a problem I would like to include # of total tanks at the time as part of the poll.

Lets define a crash as a loss of at least 50 % of life in the tank.

BTW- My tank is fine at the moment I am just curious!

Palmer

christyf5
03-16-2010, 01:40 AM
Just one tank. In 8 years, I've had two crashes due to heat (one with chiller (blown fuse), one without), one due to cold (moving episode). Those are just the ones I remember. Frankly I'm surprised I'm still here :razz:

marie
03-16-2010, 01:49 AM
I have never had what I would consider a tank crash (*knock on wood*)

Lance
03-16-2010, 01:51 AM
I have never had what I would consider a tank crash (*knock on wood*)


ditto

PoonTang
03-16-2010, 01:52 AM
I have had 1. Due to a blown GFI while I was away for 3 days. My god what a smell !!!

Flash
03-16-2010, 01:56 AM
does a stressed out tank and losing all fish count..?! lol! not a good month!

mark
03-16-2010, 02:07 AM
Once, basically lost all my SPS (here (http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=57979)). Had been running a mixed tank, SPS/LPS/softies/zoas/shrooms and a whack of GSP leaning towards a little chemical warfare action in the water column.

kien
03-16-2010, 02:40 AM
I voted for 1 tank crash but then I read your actual post and notice your note about 50% loss of life as consider a crash.. Well if thats
the case then I've definitely had more than one! :(

Most of my crashes have been due to heat (ie. Stuck heaters). I'm hoping that I have solved this by putting my heater on a controller. Controller will give it power if it decides heat is needed and it will cut power to it if no heat is required. In theory this should eliminate the stuck heater situation.

Palmer
03-16-2010, 03:53 AM
I voted for 1 tank crash but then I read your actual post and notice your note about 50% loss of life as consider a crash.. Well if thats
the case then I've definitely had more than one! :(

Most of my crashes have been due to heat (ie. Stuck heaters). I'm hoping that I have solved this by putting my heater on a controller. Controller will give it power if it decides heat is needed and it will cut power to it if no heat is required. In theory this should eliminate the stuck heater situation.


Wow I have never heard f this as being a common occurance. Well perhaps the controller has just went up a notch on my wish list.

mark
03-16-2010, 04:14 AM
had a heater go over temp too but caught it before any damage done so now also use a controller. If you don't want to go all out check out a Ranco thermostat (http://www.rancoetc.com/ranco-etc111000000-digital-temperature-controller-p-86.html)

Murminator
03-16-2010, 04:24 AM
Crash due to power failure

tgoeujon
03-16-2010, 04:35 AM
I crashed 3 times in the first year:sad:. since then ive learned that you just cant put everything you want in a tank. first time it was way too much livestock in a fairly new tank, second my magnifica anemone got sucked into the pump and poisoned the tank, third i decided to try introducing a long horn cow fish and a sea apple at the same time ( shoulda known better, they both looked sick by the time i got them home ) both died the first night and made for a damn near completely dead tank in the morning. Each of my crashes has been almost complete except one yellow fin fairy wrasse that has survived with me for 5 years now. Looking back im surprised im still here:biggrin:

fishoholic
03-16-2010, 04:39 AM
When I 1st started in the hobby and didn't know much of anything I lost almost all the fish I had due to an ich outbreak. However it was due more to my poor unknowledgeable QT skills then it was the ich that killed them. My corals and inverts were fine.

The 2nd one was when my boyfriend added a fish to my tank without my knowledge from a questionable fish store and a marine velvet outbreak occurred. All my corals and inverts were fine however I had to deal with 8 weeks of QT, copper treatment, 50g water changes every other day and after all was said and done I still lost 26 fish (between two 230g tanks) and only 8 survived. That was so far the worst thing that I have experienced in this hobby and I hope I never have to go through anything like that ever again.

kien
03-16-2010, 04:54 AM
It is unfortunate but this hobby truly is governed by Murphy's Laws. If it can happen it probably will. The true test and what's important is how well prepared we are when something does happen. If you can catch it early enough or learn from past experience(s) (both your own and others), you'll be ahead of the game.

SeaHorse_Fanatic
03-16-2010, 05:23 AM
The closest to a tank crash I had was when my breaker blew overnight when both my wife & I were sleeping over at our respective parents' homes. The water became quite cold (probably 68 F or less) and I lost some of my fish. As soon as I reset the breaker, the tank fully recovered. No corals or anemones were lost.

A full tank crash is when most everything dies, by my definition.

This was a partial crash, but only very temporary.

Marlin65
03-16-2010, 05:40 AM
I would have to say none. I did have a nem nuke my tank but I only lost about 5% so i guess that does not count.

fishytime
03-16-2010, 06:05 AM
No crashes......*knocks on glass*

Delphinus
03-16-2010, 06:14 AM
Had a few incidents over the years. Some were equipment failures (GFCI trip in one case, lost a pair of flame angels in the affected tank - they were the only fish in there), and some were livestock reasons and not necessarily "tank crash" but still fit the posted definition (had an extremely large H. magnifica anemone for many years that was capable of killing off an entire tank of fish if it so much as burped. In fact, the reason I sold it after close to a decade of caring for it was that it was just too lethal for my tastes :( ).

goldie
03-16-2010, 12:25 PM
my 3 year old dumped an entire can of fish food in my 33 gallon. I had to do a 90 % water change and all I lost was a starfish and a torch coral. My clown fish were laying on the sand gasping and they bounced back. I couldn't believe how resliant everything was.

StirCrazy
03-16-2010, 01:32 PM
I voted one crash, but I have to quantify that.. it wasn't realy a crash but rather a heater stuck on overnight in a temp holding tank and cooked my corals and fish, so not realy a crash as the main tank wasn't running if that makes sence?

Steve

banditpowdercoat
03-16-2010, 01:38 PM
I guess if the definition is 50% livestock, I've had a crash then. Lost most of the fish in my 45g to ich once. Another time, Heater malfunction, wasn't a full on crash, lost a cleaner shrimp, and a Hammer coral. BUT, I didn't have much i the tank so it was like 33% of the livestock LOL

Dez
03-16-2010, 02:11 PM
Had one major crash once - it was a direct result of a qualified fish-sitter being lazy over Christmas time not topping up water causing pump to run dry. Lost most corals.

untamed
03-16-2010, 10:44 PM
Never happened to me. I can't imagine how horrific a sudden collapse must be.

Funky_Fish14
03-16-2010, 11:48 PM
Luckily never had to deal with it. Have 11 tanks running at the moment... really hope I never have to deal with it! Have come close latey with filters quitting cause of the crappy power service (power flickers so often shut off filters and they dont re-start every once in awhile). Keeping my fingers crossed.

danny zubot
03-17-2010, 07:10 PM
I've had some close calls that had done a real number on a couple of my tanks, but nothing that totalled the entire tank fortunately.

walloutlet
03-18-2010, 08:23 PM
And now that I have voted, I am sure to go home to a completely dead tank!

Palmer
03-21-2010, 04:40 PM
Interesting results, for some reason I was expecting the number of people who have had a tank crash to be higher. Basically it looks like 2 out of three people who responded have never had one.

BlueAbyss
03-21-2010, 06:42 PM
I had a pair of mini-crashes close together, first one due to changes in my practices and moving some sand around at the same time... DON'T MOVE ESTABLISHED SAND! And the second was due to moving the tank, again had the sandbed get stirred up. My tank doesn't seem to like having the sand disturbed.

Bzar
03-26-2010, 05:18 PM
And now that I have voted, I am sure to go home to a completely dead tank!

LOL seriously I'm debating if I should pull a sicky and go home early to check everything out.

whatcaneyedo
03-26-2010, 11:54 PM
I dont want to say anything. I think i might jinx myself if I do.