Cali Kid Corals

OMG! SO TERRIBLE! BLAHHH! :( :( :(

Euphyllia

Euphyllia

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I went on trip to Washington D.C. for just FOUR days (and I got back 10 minutes ago :tired: ). I had got somebody to take care of my aquariums which had done a wonderful job at taking care of them last time I went on a trip BUT they got TERRIBLY sick :Sp the day I was leaving and I had to get my neighbor to do it. I gave him instructions and a hands-on demo of exactly what to do while I was gone. I called half way through my trip and he said everything was doing great. I got home to find the heater on the 34g TURNED OFF and the water temperature was 70F. I looked around to make sure my fishies were there. The clowns were fine so I'm VERY glad about that. I found a dead jaw fish in the back corner of the tank. The tank is COVERED in brown glass algae and there is red and green cyano algae on the sand. MY TANK LOOKS LIKE THE ONES AT CAR DEALERSHIPS THAT ARE COMPLETELY UGLY AND DISGUSTING! I have A LOT of work to do tomorrow. I just wanted to tell you guys and I wanted to know if I should start treating for ich (even though they aren't showing any signs of it yet). :( :( :(
Also, my mom said she'd buy me another jaw fish and I'm wondering if I got another if it would get along with the one I have left. I've heard jawfish can be kept in small groups and not have problems.
 
Wow... sorry for the tank problems.

70 isn't too bad. Might even have helped things. The lower temp slows down the metabolism of your system.

Sounds like algae outbreak from the dead fish. Water changes and tank cleaning will bring things back in short order.

Is everything else ok?
 
I'll check the pH, salinity, and all the other major things in a few minutes. Tomorrow I'm going to do a 25% water change, siphon the cyano algae off the sand, clean the filter, and scrub hair algae with a toothbrush. I had the skimmer on the entire time I was gone. The 14g bio cube seems to be fine other than the sea hare didn't eat any hair algae. I'll let you guys know if anything else goes wrong. Other than the temperature and the dead jawfish everything seems to be fine. I just hope they don't develop ich since the major temperature change may have stressed them.
 
OMG! I just checked the pH and it is about 9.0-9.2 I'm guessing. My pH tester only reads up to 8.8 (I have a little crapish color chart test kit), but the color indicates it is a few readings higher than 8.8. What do I do to bring the pH down? I'm doing a water change with RO right now...
 
OK so I cleaned the filters and fired up the 2nd filter which my neighbor, also, had turned off. I emptied the skimmer's collection cup and the temperature is back up to 76-78 as of now.
 
FWIW, I lost power last week for 36 hours. By the time I got power again the temp was down to about 66 degrees (from 80). I turned pumps back on, lights back on, and the temps warmed up. Everything was very sluggish (cold blooded and whatnot), but all survived. So as far as temp goes, don't worry too much, I don't think. Maybe the jawfish died some other way? Being too close to the gross sand?
 
Heh... I shut down my 72g bowfront and left the water and rubble and junk in it.

The tank got all cold, stagnant, and stinky... anaerobic.

A few weeks later, I found a turbo snail that had been left behind. He was fine after I acclimated him and put him into the frag tank.

There are still a few random zoa polyps and mushrooms doing ok in that 72.
 
The other jaw fish is doing way better than when I left. It actually leaves it's holes to come out and swim around the tank and then he swims back to his hole when he feels scared/threatened. Maybe the other jawfish dieing help him get over his fears? :~
If I were to buy another jaw fish, would it fight with the one I currently have? Otherwise I might get two or three cardinals...
 
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