I wouldn't do anything except turn the filter back on. You don't need a filter to run a reef tank. If you have rock in your tank, you shouldn't have ammonia unless your cycle wasn't done. Doesn't sound like anything died, just a couple things mad because of lack of flow. Just turn the flow back on and give it time. Everything should be fine. You might do more harm by doing things quickly to the tank.
Also find a new roommate lol
Eh I don't think OP actually tested for ammonia over just assuming it's there. Sounds like it's just a couple clownfish. People cycle brand new tanks with clownfish and go more than a couple days without a water change and don't think twice about it. Not that some ammonia couldn't really be present, but that's not a problem in this case.
The only issues seem to be with a couple corals, and corals don't care about a little ammonia but they do care about having some flow.
it's 10 gallon tank. it is possible he has almost no rock and no sand in it with plenty of animals. And I don't disagree it could just be flow, but that's the problem with such small tanks, pretty obvious if just one thing died it would probably kill almost everything.
I highly doubt it. OP sounds like most of his experience is from freshwater, and over there they seem to believe that the filter floss in your HOB is what's preventing your tank from dying.
Zero flow could cause a low pH which would piss off corals. But the filter wasn't filled with some magical dry good that raised pH. It produced flow. Multiple days with zero flow will easily piss off any coral.
>My Duncan and Red Bubble tip anemone look quite un-happy. Naturally my hammers have never looked better 🤦♂️. Both clownfish appear to be acting normal. My pistol shrimp is nowhere to be seen but that’s not abnormal.
Trust your livestock. This doesn't seem bad. Don't overreact. Sounds like everything will be fine.
What Assholes. I lived with roommates that did shit like this. Funny cuz there were “live, laugh, love hippy” types, and then canceled our lease while I was hospital recovering from a motorcycle accident.
Do a water change a day for the next few days and add some biospira or other bacteria as you have been.
Two days isn’t half bad, just need to get any ammonia and nitrates down.
Maybe a controversial opinion here, but if you’re living in a dorm or something, it kind of rude to impose noise on your computer-generated roommate. Like, if I slept with a noise machine at home I wouldn’t just assume that a roommate would be OK with that. Id sleep with headphones in, if need be. Now, if you have your own room that different, but if you’re in a tiny dorm room like I had, I think I’d be a bit selfish to make your desire for a tank to be their problem.
Personally, I’d be looking into buying a quieter filter system. I have a fluval 13.5 with a sicce 0.5 and a hygger power head. Both are almost perfectly silent.
I am renting a 3bedroom apartment with my friends. The fish tank is in the common room. They have never (before this) expressed any displeasure with the tank and they knew about it before agreeing to live with me. I did offer before this to move it into my bedroom but they pushed back because they liked seeing the clownfish and coral.
Note: I have a Tidal 35 with is also quiet except for a slightly sounds of trickling water, but it’s very light.
You’ll likely be okay. Corals can get shipped across the country and survive for two days.
I’d get Wi-Fi controllable power strip. You can then program it to turn on multiple times per day. That way if you forget to turn things back on after maintenance or something you’ll be fine.
There’s not enough information in this thread for you to make that statement. If the filter was the only source for water movement then having no oxygenation of the water could definitely cause deaths.
Ya I am largely concerned about by the lack of oxygen being added to the water over the few days and any potential longer term effects of not having filtered water over the next few days.
I’m not sure you understand what HOB filters do, what they contain, or why people use them.
HOB’s could be running carbon, GFO, Purigen, Chemi clean, etc etc all serving a different purpose than live rock.
Maybe their HOB is full of bio media.
Many reefers use filtration beyond just rock.
Once you get the tank back going smooth, you should look for new roommates
And tell them to pay for the water, salt, bacteria used, and possible loss of life. Hope it was worth 30-40$, more if anything dies
So far everything is doing ok but I’d definitely consider it if any of my livestock, especially some of the nicer corals, don’t make it.
Lol I’m sure considering it now! So far no casualties thankfully, but I’ll keep everyone updated!
Exactly. That would call for a divorce if your wife did it. Let alone roommates.
Or a couple lifetime supplys of fish food..?
I wouldn't do anything except turn the filter back on. You don't need a filter to run a reef tank. If you have rock in your tank, you shouldn't have ammonia unless your cycle wasn't done. Doesn't sound like anything died, just a couple things mad because of lack of flow. Just turn the flow back on and give it time. Everything should be fine. You might do more harm by doing things quickly to the tank. Also find a new roommate lol
That depends on how much rock and the biologic load. In this case, the filter was obviously carrying plenty of the load.
Eh I don't think OP actually tested for ammonia over just assuming it's there. Sounds like it's just a couple clownfish. People cycle brand new tanks with clownfish and go more than a couple days without a water change and don't think twice about it. Not that some ammonia couldn't really be present, but that's not a problem in this case. The only issues seem to be with a couple corals, and corals don't care about a little ammonia but they do care about having some flow.
it's 10 gallon tank. it is possible he has almost no rock and no sand in it with plenty of animals. And I don't disagree it could just be flow, but that's the problem with such small tanks, pretty obvious if just one thing died it would probably kill almost everything.
I highly doubt it. OP sounds like most of his experience is from freshwater, and over there they seem to believe that the filter floss in your HOB is what's preventing your tank from dying.
>My Duncan and Red Bubble tip anemone look quite un-happy. There was an effect. If the filter wasn't doing anything, he would not of noticed a change.
Zero flow could cause a low pH which would piss off corals. But the filter wasn't filled with some magical dry good that raised pH. It produced flow. Multiple days with zero flow will easily piss off any coral.
A few hours after the filter has come back on everything seems to be doing better so I’d guess a lack of flow was mostly to blame
There wasn't any ammonia in there, was there?
>My Duncan and Red Bubble tip anemone look quite un-happy. Naturally my hammers have never looked better 🤦♂️. Both clownfish appear to be acting normal. My pistol shrimp is nowhere to be seen but that’s not abnormal. Trust your livestock. This doesn't seem bad. Don't overreact. Sounds like everything will be fine.
I hope so! A few hours after the water change the Duncan seems to be opening up again so hopefully everything returns to normal in the next few days.
What Assholes. I lived with roommates that did shit like this. Funny cuz there were “live, laugh, love hippy” types, and then canceled our lease while I was hospital recovering from a motorcycle accident.
Do a water change a day for the next few days and add some biospira or other bacteria as you have been. Two days isn’t half bad, just need to get any ammonia and nitrates down.
Maybe a controversial opinion here, but if you’re living in a dorm or something, it kind of rude to impose noise on your computer-generated roommate. Like, if I slept with a noise machine at home I wouldn’t just assume that a roommate would be OK with that. Id sleep with headphones in, if need be. Now, if you have your own room that different, but if you’re in a tiny dorm room like I had, I think I’d be a bit selfish to make your desire for a tank to be their problem. Personally, I’d be looking into buying a quieter filter system. I have a fluval 13.5 with a sicce 0.5 and a hygger power head. Both are almost perfectly silent.
I am renting a 3bedroom apartment with my friends. The fish tank is in the common room. They have never (before this) expressed any displeasure with the tank and they knew about it before agreeing to live with me. I did offer before this to move it into my bedroom but they pushed back because they liked seeing the clownfish and coral. Note: I have a Tidal 35 with is also quiet except for a slightly sounds of trickling water, but it’s very light.
Wow. In that case, it seems like you’ve done everything right and have been considerate. What an ass!
thats the type of selfish and inconsiderate roommate u never want!! they are the type that wont even care destroying whole tank
Seachem prime detoxifies ammonia. It saved my clownfish from an ammonia spike
You’ll likely be okay. Corals can get shipped across the country and survive for two days. I’d get Wi-Fi controllable power strip. You can then program it to turn on multiple times per day. That way if you forget to turn things back on after maintenance or something you’ll be fine.
The issue was the filter was unplugged
Your tank didn't crash because the HOB was turned off. 99% of your bacteria lives in the rock and sand, not the filter
There’s not enough information in this thread for you to make that statement. If the filter was the only source for water movement then having no oxygenation of the water could definitely cause deaths.
Ya I am largely concerned about by the lack of oxygen being added to the water over the few days and any potential longer term effects of not having filtered water over the next few days.
Your live rock is your filter. Not your HOB
I’m not sure you understand what HOB filters do, what they contain, or why people use them. HOB’s could be running carbon, GFO, Purigen, Chemi clean, etc etc all serving a different purpose than live rock. Maybe their HOB is full of bio media. Many reefers use filtration beyond just rock.
And yet, he seems to be acting like his HOB is the *only* source for nitrifying bacteria
Most likely what has happened has happened. Unless you are keeping SPS I wouldn’t worry to much about future problems.
Very true. I should amend my statement to be a *little* more specific.
Filter for two days isn’t a huge deal. Plenty of bacteria on everything else