Man did I screw up this week

[Jay]

Hello everyone. I am hanging my head low this week as I did something really stupid. I painted my livingroom and dinningroom and the fumes poisened my tank. I did not think about the skimmer mixing the air with the water:eek: . My skimmer started going nutts and I still did not put 2 and 2 togather. I woke up the next morning to bleaching sps corals and all my big lps colonys with white necrosis all over the heads. Thats my big frogspawn of 30 or more heads. Another with about 15 heads and mu hammer and big green welsophelia brain.(sad)

 

My fish are all of as well as my big crispa anemone. Some reason only my big green capricornis and small red cap and the LPS were effected. I have done 1 50% water change and added tons of carbon twice. Today I bought 30 bucks worth of Biosorb media that is supposed to remove contaminants and I am making another 55 gallon drum and a 35 gallon can of RO water as I type thhis. I should be doing that water change tommorow night sometime. Man what a hard lesson(sad) . I had grown those LPS from just babies DOH!

 

Does anyone know af anything else that I can buy here in Vancouver or Portland that would help remove that toxic stuff from my tank? Pollyfilters? Where can I find some locally?

 

Jay

 

4 years in the hobby and never had a tank crash or even a big problem....I guess my time was here. Could be worse I guess all my corals and fish/inverts could have been killed. Surprised my shrimp and starfish are ok

[JeffP]

Wow sorry to hear about that. But if it's any consolation, I now know to turn off the skimmer for a while if/when I decide to paint! You saved other people's tanks ;-)

[kriswaters]

So true JeffP....it seems that we all learn from the mistakes of others...

 

Jay I am sorry for your loss, and I can't offer solutions. I do thank you for bringing this to the attention of others.

 

Kris

[oldbrownies]

I've painted a few rooms with tanks in them, but I made sure I had ALOT of fans and open windows when I painted. Didn't know my fears where valid, Sorry you had to experience that.

[Jay]

Thanks everyone. All my water changes and the biosorb and carbon has paid off I think. This am the lps that survived do not have the white infections like they were in the morning before the lights come on. I have another water change to do today and that should finish up the problem. This will be a 80 gallon water change. Thats pretty big for a 160 gallon system.

 

Jay

[impur]

Well thats good news Jay. I've had some lps come back from just tiny pieces of flesh the size of pencil led. I've always been leary when my wife is cleaning and stuff, spraying cleaners here and there, but never saw anything bad happen. So i've learned from you on this too! Good luck with the WCs and hope you come back with more good news.

 

Miles

[dsoz]

I am so sorry about the loss of your corals. I feel your pain.

 

Thanks for the warning. A paint job is in the future where my tank is at. I will be sure to have a lot of ventilation, and turn off the skimmer, and all the pumps for a while just to play it safe.

 

dsoz

[chewie]

Clean your skimmer well, including the pump. Do at least a 50% W/C. I have got away with doing 75% or more a few times. It's cheap insurance as it will get the majority of the contaminates out quickly.

 

Was the paint used Latex or Enamel?

 

BTW, sorry about your loss.

[Lowman]

That REALLY sucks. I had a similar experience. But it was flea bombs. The LFS told me to cover the tank, put blankets and stuff all over the tank to keep the stuff out. Needless to say, Murphy was out in full force that day!! Killed everything in my tank. So I really feel your pain man.