disaster recovery

[Ginger]

I went on vacation - 5 days. Before leaving, I set up an auto-topoff, testing to make sure it would work. I turned off the lights, too.

I returned to find that the auto topoff had failed, miserably, and my 55 gallon tank was about 5 gallons low. The intake of one powerhead was out of the water, and making an awful racket.

I gradually added the water back, over a period of 3 days. The fish, shrimps, crabs, and snails seem fine, but the mushrooms, zoas, and xenia appeared stressed, as did the candy cane coral, but as far as I can tell, there were no casualties. The guy at the LFS assured me that if the crustaceans made it okay, everything else would be fine. I haven't seen any 'pods since returning, so now I'm wondering if the increased salinity wiped them out.

Two days after returning, the vho ballast is kaput and for the moment there are only the blue actinic pcs for light.

Does anyone out there have any tips for disaster recovery?

 

[Anonymous]

Have your ballast tested at your LFS. It might not be your ballast. It could be your bulbs.

I think everything else will be fine but you'll have to wait it out and see. Xenia, mushroom & zoos are tough and more than likely will make it through.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree get the ballast tested. If the shrimp made it you should be OK. Just make the changes slowly and keep an eye on things. Don't get in a big rush on the light, the corals can go for a few days with no light.

 

[Ginger]

great idea! It didn't occur to me to take the ballast to the LFS for testing.