Tank Crash. Lost all my corals :(

[Kabong]

Heres some links for the mini chiller's.
I havent seen them on any canadian sites,
But I've seen a few guys with them so I presume there is a source.
For the Ice-Probe
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_...be.asp?CartId=
For the Micro-Chiller
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_...ler.asp?CartId=

[OCDP]

Originally Posted by Kabong

Heres some links for the mini chiller's.
I havent seen them on any canadian sites,
But I've seen a few guys with them so I presume there is a source.
For the Ice-Probe
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_...be.asp?CartId=
For the Micro-Chiller
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_...er.asp?CartId=

Man those things are cool, thanks for posting Tim. I am going to look into these for next summer . I never even knew these existed... guess I should do a little more research huh

[OCDP]

Oh yeah, a little update: I just spoke with my friend and, being the good friend he is.. he has agreed to help pay for some new live rock. I will then use the old rock and cook it, then it can be re-used in my new setup.

I think it's a pretty nice deal... I get to rid my tank of the worst pieces of LR and replace them with new ones... I think when I replace them, I am going to vacuum out the sandbed. No more sand for me... too much of a pain these days.

[reeferaddict]

Hey Scott - just one final word. I just had someone look after my tank for the first time a couple of weeks back, a local LFS owner who knows his stuff. He did a great job, (only had to stop by once to fill the Auto Top Off in a week), but I had told myself before I left that even if I came home to a fresh seafood broth that I couldn't hold him responsible.

While your friend has made you an honourable gesture by offering to replace the rock, I'm sure it was an honest mistake and he was as horrified as you were - otherwise I doubt he would have made the offer. IMHO I would let it go, and in fact he would be the best candidate to watch it if you left again - he certainly would be a lot more wary of problems that may arise. Like I said in my earlier post - everyone can learn from this, but that's just my opinion....

[OCDP]

Originally Posted by reeferaddict

Hey Scott - just one final word. I just had someone look after my tank for the first time a couple of weeks back, a local LFS owner who knows his stuff. He did a great job, (only had to stop by once to fill the Auto Top Off in a week), but I had told myself before I left that even if I came home to a fresh seafood broth that I couldn't hold him responsible.

While your friend has made you an honourable gesture by offering to replace the rock, I'm sure it was an honest mistake and he was as horrified as you were - otherwise I doubt he would have made the offer. IMHO I would let it go, and in fact he would be the best candidate to watch it if you left again - he certainly would be a lot more wary of problems that may arise. Like I said in my earlier post - everyone can learn from this, but that's just my opinion....

Yeah, see.. I know he was scared shitless, I would be too. I was very calm about the entire thing, didn't really bother me a whole lot that I lost the corals, more so the following problems and work it creates (he thanked me very much for being so calm and understanding with him about the whole thing). Anyhow, he said he'd replace everything (I would have said the same as well) I told him not to worry about anything, everything was fine. He insisted on replacing things or helping me pay for things. (he just setup his own first ever SW tank) anywhoo, I told him no it's okay... I don't need you to replace anything, we're cool. It didn't seem to matter, he just said okay on Tuesday we'll go to the LFS and I'll get you anything you may need...once again I said it's fine, but he said we'll go... anywhoo....

This morning I was trying to think of how to make this work for him and not only myself (because he just setup his first tank) I told him he can take some of my rock, some bad pieces, some good... and he can have those, and if he'd like to buy me a couple new bigger pieces, then I'd be okay with that ( so at least he gets something out of this deal, and isnt buying a bunch of stuff for me.. I figured I would try to help him out here as well) He still insists he buys me some rock when he goes to the LFS.

It's kind of one of those situations where you have to just go ok ok fine . Don't worry, it's been in my head the entire time, I can't take stuff from him as I know it was a complete honest mistake. I would feel like a douche bag taking stuff from him. He insists though... just one of those guys in one of those situations I guess? If I do end up getting rock, I will be making sure he doesn't break the bank .. there's no need for any of this, he's just being very polite I guess.

I'm in a pickle!

[reeferaddict]

Ya I know where you're at Scott... I would have been the same way as your friend. If it makes him feel better even though you have declined then that's a different story... good luck!

[OCDP]

Originally Posted by reeferaddict

Ya I know where you're at Scott... I would have been the same way as your friend. If it makes him feel better even though you have declined then that's a different story... good luck!

Yeah, oh I've declined... once, twice, three times, four , five... hahaha... Ahh well, I'll keep the thread updated.

[midgetwaiter]

One thing to think about when you are setting your tank back up.

If you are in a situation where a simple failure like leaving your lights on overnight will kill off the tank then IMO your system is broken. There will always be something that can go wrong but little things like someone making a really simple mistake should not put the whole system at risk.

To address this specific problem, a temperature controller costing less than $100 could have saved you. I know hindsight is 20/20 etc but this is how you learn things like this. Any time you are building a system you have to consider possible failures and have a plan for them.

[OCDP]

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

One thing to think about when you are setting your tank back up.

If you are in a situation where a simple failure like leaving your lights on overnight will kill off the tank then IMO your system is broken. There will always be something that can go wrong but little things like someone making a really simple mistake should not put the whole system at risk.

To address this specific problem, a temperature controller costing less than $100 could have saved you. I know hindsight is 20/20 etc but this is how you learn things like this. Any time you are building a system you have to consider possible failures and have a plan for them.

You are right.. no denying that, such a small mistake cost me too much time and money.

Another update: I just did another big water change, and things are clearing up nicely, and the smell is going away slowly. Things are looking up . The fish look fine, and even better since the water change. My buddy and I are off to the LFS tonight for some more rock, I have the old SW I am going to put the old rocks in, I will decide what to do with them when the time comes (most likely cook them)

I am going to most likely get rid of my sandbed and vaccum it all out, I am also going to buy some carbon for my AC500, and a couple new chunks of live rock. Things are slowly looking up...

[Matt]

Originally Posted by reeferaddict

IMHO I would let it go, and in fact he would be the best candidate to watch it if you left again - he certainly would be a lot more wary of problems that may arise. Like I said in my earlier post - everyone can learn from this, but that's just my opinion....

OT, reminds me of a business "case study" once related to me. Abbreviated, it goes: young line manager at Ford; accidentally sets the line using yesterday's shift orders; overproduces the wrong things for a full shift, and none of the needed-for-today stuff; line stops, millions lost. Manager tries to resign; Director refuses, saying: "I just spent 3M training you."

In other words, NOTHING teaches like experience.

On topic, Scott, you have my sympathy to go with all the others... I crashed my tank a while ago, and also lost a lot of my corals. Soldier on... Keeping a slice of a tropical reef in the middle of the bald prairie is not for the faint-of-heart, but we few (the bold, foolish ones...) we get to watch something special in our living rooms.