MKCindy
Thu, 22nd Jan 2009, 01:07 PM
Yesterday I woke up at 5 am to a flipped breaker and fish pivoting upside down. Tank was at 72 degrees/dark, no pump, so low oxygen. Discovered my heater in the refuge return chamber had over heated/cracked and flip the breaker during the night. 1 Chrom dead, Rabbit Fish pirouetting on head, flipping and all cut up from hitting corals, 2 Clowns in corner leaning side ways. Molly Miller gasping, 2 Pajamas slightly tipsy, and 3 MIA's.
1 power head would not come back on, so I hooked up an air stone behind the other power head, got pump back up and switched out other power head and heater, but things were not looking good.
Rabbit was upside down by now and Clowns were getting there. I used long handled tweezers to remove Rabbit (he is venomous and believe me, he was black splotched with his fin in defense mod). When I grabbed his tail, he started jerking, but current sucked him into power heads and he was too weak to get out and 1 fin was not moving. He could not make it unless he was up right, so I flipped him over and kinda wedged his tail in the Neon Candy Cane (it was handy), used 2 wood dowel rods to wedge him up. One on each side (only touched him when he started leaning over) with ends embedded in the sand bed. Added air stone in the corner closest to my Clown Fish who are now laying down too. PJ's went MIA and Molly Miller is giving me sad eyes.
If it had not worked, I probably would not have told a soul. The baby clown swam away first, but was very lethargic and went MIA for a few hours. The larger Clown was slower to recover, but returned to her anemone about an hour later.
The Rabbit stayed put for over an hour, but his color turned back to yellow and both fins were moving slowly. Around noon, he swam to a quiet place under the over-flow and rested. By afternoon, he would eat if it was dropped in front of him.
By two all my MIA's started showing up. PJ fish have some fin damage and Rabbit has a lot of scratches and nibbles from the overzealous clean-up crew. Everyone is eating and active again. Unbelievable, the only one I lost was the Chrom. Last night, I treated the tank with Sano (organic treatment I have used on fish w/ulcers or stressed issues... a little expensive, but very good results and coral safe)
Everything is looking great and I am feeling sooo lucky.
1 power head would not come back on, so I hooked up an air stone behind the other power head, got pump back up and switched out other power head and heater, but things were not looking good.
Rabbit was upside down by now and Clowns were getting there. I used long handled tweezers to remove Rabbit (he is venomous and believe me, he was black splotched with his fin in defense mod). When I grabbed his tail, he started jerking, but current sucked him into power heads and he was too weak to get out and 1 fin was not moving. He could not make it unless he was up right, so I flipped him over and kinda wedged his tail in the Neon Candy Cane (it was handy), used 2 wood dowel rods to wedge him up. One on each side (only touched him when he started leaning over) with ends embedded in the sand bed. Added air stone in the corner closest to my Clown Fish who are now laying down too. PJ's went MIA and Molly Miller is giving me sad eyes.
If it had not worked, I probably would not have told a soul. The baby clown swam away first, but was very lethargic and went MIA for a few hours. The larger Clown was slower to recover, but returned to her anemone about an hour later.
The Rabbit stayed put for over an hour, but his color turned back to yellow and both fins were moving slowly. Around noon, he swam to a quiet place under the over-flow and rested. By afternoon, he would eat if it was dropped in front of him.
By two all my MIA's started showing up. PJ fish have some fin damage and Rabbit has a lot of scratches and nibbles from the overzealous clean-up crew. Everyone is eating and active again. Unbelievable, the only one I lost was the Chrom. Last night, I treated the tank with Sano (organic treatment I have used on fish w/ulcers or stressed issues... a little expensive, but very good results and coral safe)
Everything is looking great and I am feeling sooo lucky.