nuked! and recovering

rosemarie · 06-10-2007, 01:02 PM

Hey, my Nanocube 12DX office tank did great for 4 months and then nuked itself two months ago and hasn't recovered. Everything but 2 corals died (from a thriving tank with 2 clowns and other healthy stuff.

Started when I started using R/O water from a LFS and swapped my very happy arrow crab for a peppermint shrimp (which died and started a spike). I came in one Monday to find everything lying on the sand at the front of the tank - bristleworms, little crabs from the live rock, fish. Yuk - smelled like the dead stuff at the seashore. So sad to see - miss those dancing percula clowns, too.

Lost anemonies, etc. Upgraded the lighting, but have cut it back to 4-5 hours/day to gradually conquer the green hair algae and everything else that slimed over the tank - little by little. Lots of water changes - parameters always low and normal range, so that's weird to see the tank so off balance. (I've been getting R/O water from a local shop with a great reputation, but think I'm going back to home filtered and Instant Ocean, which worked great before.) The friend with an 8yr nano who got me interested said he just tops up with tank water, watches the tank to make sure it's stable (doesn't test). I'm not that experienced! but this has been such a disappointment.

Can't wait to have my thriving nano back! I'll stay posted online to see what others do to keep their tanks on course.

Advice always appreciated!

Psychojam · 06-10-2007, 07:01 PM

A sobering reminder of the perils inherent in keeping a nano tank (or any SW tank for that matter!)

So sorry to hear of these events, but glad to see that you are sticking with it a nd forging ahead

Best of luck!

**CarmieJo** · 06-11-2007, 11:20 PM

Hi rosemarie and

to TR.
Sorry to hear that you had a disaster. I am not sure that I understand what your friend is doing here.

Quote:

The friend with an 8yr nano who got me interested said he just tops up with tank water, watches the tank to make sure it's stable (doesn't test).

If he is topping off with saltwater from another tank he will continue to raise the SpG as the salt does not evaporate and fish and corals can only survive within a pretty narrow range. Were you buying plain RO/ DI water or pre-mixed saltwater? If you are buying pre-mixed saltwater you should always test it even though you are purchasing it from a trusted source. I know someone who asked for saltwater and got fresh instead. He didn't check the water for anything, just did a water change and killed most everything in his tank.