FAQs on Aquarium Repair

FAQs on Aquarium Repair

Back to Articles on: Aquarium Repair, Acrylic Aquarium Repair,

Tank Replacement and Plant Transplant Questions Hey guys, Thanks for providing such a great service. You guys are the greatest. I have a 55 gallon discus tank planted with Amazon sword plants. Everything seems to be in a great balance, which took an awful long time to achieve. Sword plants are multiplying and discus seem happy. The problem is the aquarium itself. The support at the top has broken and I am concerned about the stability of the tank. My question is will the sword plants survive a move to another tank? It has taken several years to achieve such a good balance and I hate to lose everything. How hard will it be to transplant the swords? Will it be like starting over? What is the least invasive way to take out and replace the sword plants? I am also concerned about the two discus. They are adult size and apparently are a pair, but are very sensitive and do not like to be fooled with. Anytime a change is made they get very upset. Thanks for the response. < These tanks with the plastic support in the top center get old and fragile and break. I took a piece of glass and cut it to fit from the front of the tank to the back of the tank and about 6 inches wide. Drop the water level about 6 inches from the top of the tank and silicon the new piece of glass in place under the old broken bracket. Hold it in place with some clamps or vice grips. Take a straight edge to the front of the tank. Your tank may be bowed so you should straighten it out before it is siliconed back in place. After a couple of days you can go ahead and fill the tank back up.-Chuck> Bart

Plastic molded tank trim?... Bob, I am setting up an old 30 Gal. tank that use to belong to my father like 30 years age. It looks Identical to the newer tanks with the plastic molded tank trim on the top. Before even considering using it I filled it up and left it for a few weeks and it seemed to be tight, but I did notice that the corners of the molded plastic tank trim on one side were cracked. It appeared to be cracked a long time ago and I was worried that maybe if they broke the tank would fall apart. <Might> Then I found this article on your site and it said the trim little or no structural support. So is this something I don't need to worry about? <Actually, yes... if the trim doesn't offer continuous support on the bottom... If the bottom is not "free-floating" (i.e. it rests on just a narrow, flat edge of the plastic bottom), you may be able to just go with it as is, or patch the cracked piece/s with silicone sealant...> And if that does not provide the support to the tank what does? <The silicone between the glass panels, at the edges where they are joined. In most cases, the plastic "framing" provides a simple frame to assemble the tank and "looks" only> Also I was going to use an Eclipse 3 System for my filtration. Is that good enough for a 30 Gal tank? <A very nice unit. Fine for most freshwater and with a skimmer added, marine set-ups. Bob Fenner> Thanks Eric (Your Article) Tank Trim Sorry I was not clear. What I am looking for is the plastic that covers the top edge of the tank. this provides the lip for the glass top, which I have. Dwight Triplett <ahhhh...yes. This is the molded tank trim. If your tank was commercially made (Perfecto, O'Dell, etc) look up some of the mail order companies on the net... many sell this tank trim. I know that Perfecto makes a lot of them... but they are expensive and offer little or no structural support. Many aquarists have nicely stained/painted crown molding mitered and polyurethane and silicone sealed in its stead rather than spend $30 for replacement trim on a tank that is only worth $65. Try some of the big dealers advertised on this site or That Fish Place if you are near Pennsylvania. Best regards, Anthony>

Re: Plastic molded tank trim?... cracks in the top tank trim corner. Now that I look at it harder I think they are from when someone pried it off to reseal the tank. <Ahh, not an uncommon occurrence. Should be no problems... Do read here re stands: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tksstds.htm Be chatting, Bob Fenner> Thanks again, Eric

disaster!! (broken tank) Hi Bob, <Anthony Calfo in your service> Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to run yesterday's events past you. <no worries at all> I have had my reef tank up a year, and yesterday my beloved hubby called me at work to let me know it was leaking (gushing was the word he used) and that I needed to come home. <arghhhh!> He had caught my fish and put them in the 25, put the corals in buckets, and the live rock in a cooler. <smart man> However, by the time he got to the live rock the tank was empty, so he just put fresh water on top of it. Needless to say, I rushed home and we went shopping -- picked up a new 55 and stand (the original stand was pressboard and didn't hold up well!) Then rushed home and put in the sand from the original tank. I had 3 gallons of water sitting for my weekly water change, so I used that and about 20 gallons from my smaller tank, and the rest was mixed fresh -- didn't know what else to do. <actually doesn't sound all that bad/stressful to inhabitants compared to the rigors or import> By midnight all corals and fish were back in their home, and my 25 was empty. (Part of the deal I had to cut with the hubby to get a new tank -- he gets the 25 for fresh. I figured using that water was better than all newly mixed, and I didn't want to give all of my stock to the pet store so I was stuck anyway.) <we are quite in agreement> We seem to have been extremely lucky, so far all fish are present and accounted for (mark one up for survivability -- my tiny six line wrasse was not to be found in my 25 -- and couldn't be found in the 55 either. Hubby had forgotten about him and thought he had all of the fish. Amazingly, he appeared this morning for breakfast, so the best we can figure he was either buried in the damp sand we scooped back into the tank, or he was in a hole in the live rock and the freshwater "bath" didn't kill him?) <wrasses are notorious sand sleepers> The stars, conch, snails all appear to be OK. Even my crab (was a hitch-hiker on the live rock a year ago). The corals are a little shocked, I think, excluding the chili corals which were both open and extended both in the buckets and in the tank last night. The frogspawn and hammer coral are open (despite being damaged in the bucket, even the frags that got broken off have opened), <dose small amounts of iodine daily as a mild antiseptic agent, to increase redox, etc. Follow mfg dose and break down to daily. Also make sure that the skimmer produces very well daily now more than ever> the mushrooms are too but not fully, can't tell any difference in my cauliflower coral (still just looks like 2 clumps of 2 blue fingers sticking up with white fuzz on top), but the leather is open but doesn't have polyps extended and I have one coral that I don't know what it is (white lobes with polyps that come out and look like clove polyps or daisies, also white) hasn't even hinted at opening. <all fine... in days for most all will be fine. Weeks perhaps for a few> I usually only run the skimmer in the day <yikes!!! 24 hours always please!> but have had it running since last night and thought I should keep it going . . . <absolutely and indefinitely> Current levels are: Ammonia/Nitrate/Nitrite/Phosphates 0 pH 8.0 Alkalinity 7 meq/L Calcium 375 I think that I need to get the pH up and the Alk down a little, <correct> but I am not sure how to do this or if I should wait and see if it is stabilized? <water changes to even the skew, and then a two part liquid calcium supplement would be easiest (B-Ionic/Sea-Balance)> Baking soda in mornings and Kalkwasser in evenings was my first guess <indeed fine if not two-part liquid additives> but I thought that I would wait to hear from you . . . should I treat the tank with iron/iodine/? <iodine alone/at least> since it is mostly new water?? Also, I am looking at replacing the powerheads since these keep falling (stupid suction cups) I would like ones that hang on the side. What size/how many would you suggest for the tank? <somewhat personal preference... less expensive may not last as long, but you may not want to invest in a ten year quality pump either (like Tunze Turbelles or Geminis). Do look at harnessing the wonderful SeaSwirls if you can afford it> In addition to the skimmer I run a magnum 350 with 2 biowheels so there isn't much water movement, at least not compared to what there was with the 2 powerheads in the tank originally. <wow... get the flow going ASAP... a most critical time after such stress to prevent mucous from lingering on coral and bacteria from proliferating. Strong flow ASAP> Lastly, the tank is a foot longer and a couple inches less wide than my other. Do you think my lights (compact fluor. made for a 3 foot tank) will still work if I put the mushrooms/polyps/low light things on the sides, or do I need to get a longer light? The guy at the LFS could not understand why I wouldn't think I would need a new one . . . but I didn't want to get bullied into a new system if I didn't have to. <Hmmmm... a three foot fixture really doesn't usually cover the whole three feet very well as a rule. If you do not add another light, be sure to keep all coral under the footprint of the three foot canopy. Fluorescent lights have very poor penetration as it is. Coral will live best in the top 12" from the surface under such lights (Metal halides are a much better bang for the buck)> At this point I can't remember how many watts it is. I know, not enough detail for you to answer (-: Thanks for letting me bend your ear . . . my heart still hasn't stopped racing since yesterday . . . <indeed a lot of love and a lot of work/sweat. Kudos to you!> please let me know what I need to watch for and/or do to make sure that I don't loose anything I don't have too . . <yes... keep an eye out for excessive mucous or the beginnings of an infection (FW dip or Iodine baths for coral if necessary)>. Cari <best regards, Anthony>

Tank Trim Sorry I was not clear. What I am looking for is the plastic that covers the top edge of the tank. this provides the lip for the glass top, which I have. Dwight Triplett <ahhhh...yes. This is the molded tank trim. If your tank was commercially made (Perfecto, O'Dell, etc) look up some of the mail order companies on the net... many sell this tank trim. I know that Perfecto makes a lot of them... but they are expensive and offer little or no structural support. Many aquarists have nicely stained/painted crown molding mitered and polyurethane and silicone sealed in its stead rather than spend $30 for replacement trim on a tank that is only worth $65. Try some of the big dealers advertised on this site or That Fish Place if you are near Pennsylvania. Best regards, Anthony>

Aquarium Repair - 55 gallon Hi Bob, <Steven Pro this evening.> I have a 55 gal aquarium which I am ready to setup. I noticed a small chip on the INSIDE of the long front glass. It is about 1/2 way down and front and center. I am VERY concerned about putting water in it (55 gallons would be a lot of water on my carpet)! Isn't there a lot of pressure on the glass with the water inside and might it cause the chip to crack? If it is suspicious should I not fill it or should it be fixed (and if so, how)? Thanks in advance for your advice. Linda Ascencio P.S. I read the article about the tank with the chip on the outside but mine is on the INSIDE. Thanks again. <I would give this tank a test fill somewhere easy to clean up, like say outside on the porch or in the garage. If you are really concerned about it, I would not repair it. I would just get a new one. 55's are so common that their pricing is very competitive and the warranty and the time to repair would be worth the extra bucks to me. -Steven Pro>

Repairing Glass Scratches - Lighting a Reef Tank Hello Jason, is Bob still away? <<Hello, he is... he should be back Friday 12/7 although I doubt he'll be back in gear that day.>> I was the one who emailed you about my Lubbock's fairy wrasse. <<ok>> Anyways, I have a few questions. Here is a short history of my tank -its been up for 4 years -38 gallon (36" by 12" 20") with 60 watts of light -Inhabitants include Lubbock's fairy wrasse and a Centropyge argi angelfish, (nice to have a group of fish without compatibility issues) <<not too many arguments to get into in a 40 with two fish - a very good choice in my opinion, and aren't those argi's funny...>> Question 1: The tank is four years old and has quite a few scratches on the inside glass, is there any product that can help remove the scratches? <<on glass, erk... I don't think so. If it were acrylic, that would be a different story. I don't think there's anything that polishes glass that you want to put in your tank.>> Question 2: Since I am only 14, I don't have that much money, but I want to upgrade lighting, and I am trying to find a cheaper way of going (but enough to keep my corals thriving). I am interested in keeping shrooms, zoanthids, leathers and colts, and possibly a few hardy hard corals like bubble coral. I believe power compacts and VHOs both have 96 watts per for a 36" long tank. How many watts would you recommend for the inverts I am interested in keeping? Two power compact bulbs or one? Any other good ways to light my tank, (not metal halide, too expensive). <<ah sure. I'm a big fan of the "get as much as you can afford" philosophy when it comes to lighting so... power compacts, whatever you can afford.>> Also, my dad is worried about upgrading lights because I told him that my Atlantic pygmy angel comes from relatively deep water in the wild (even the fish is tank-raised). Will the increase in lighting harm him? <<Tell Dad it will be fine, the argi will do just fine.>> Sorry to bother you, and good luck keeping up with all the questions! Thanks <<Thanks, need some luck there, I'll tell ya'. Cheers, J -- >>

Transferring Part 2 (chipped, cracked glass tank) Hey Bob, <Anthony Calfo sharing e-mail duty, in your service> Thanks for getting back to me so quickly....gotta like that. <indeed... Bob runs a tight ship here <wink>> Since the last email I sent you, we have decided to keep the iron stand that the 125g came with (dh thought it might have been too low, but alas he changed his mind). <perhaps you folks aren't as short as I am...hehe. I'm sure I wouldn't have hesitated to keep it <G>> So we don't need to worry about trying to switch the tanks using the same stand. The 125g is on the stand and about 1/2 full of water (checking the seams for leaks seeing it is used). But we found a boo-boo (hopefully it won't cause any problems another reason we are testing), there is a slight crack on the corner about mid way up .......HELP! <ughhh> What kind of problems might this cause? We have resealed it with silicone on the inside (didn't go through that far but better safe then sorry), <agreed...although old silicone never truly makes a water tight bond with old silicone... only used for small details such as this> and epoxy on the outside. The crack is more like a chip. Just a surface chip for the most of it. Can you offer me any suggestions? <ahhh...very good to hear it. For the purpose of this discussion, may we call a chip a planar section or shard taken out, and let us call a crack a concise line or fissure? By that definition, I can say with experience and confidence that a chip the size of a small coin is little matter at all beyond aesthetics. A dab of silicone on the outside to protect fingers is more than enough. A crack of any size however will inevitably run and is a serious risk that I wouldn't take. It sounds like you have a chip and that it is no matter. No worries my friend, you've done a good job with it> We live in Nova Scotia, Canada (right next to the ocean actually...what a beautiful sound at night), <almost makes you not want to bother with even a tropical aquarium...beautiful!> and only have one really half decent LFS here. We have gotten most of our goodies from JL in British Columbia <my goodness! And I am actually familiar with them... they are just one of two dealers for my Book of Coral Propagation in Canada so far> (would you believe cheaper for us to get it from the other side of the country then right here in town, even with shipping). <gee... that doesn't say much for the LFS! With regards for the dear cost of freight> So back to the original question....(can you tell I'm a woman...like to babble...hehe) how serious would you think that chip may be? <no worries... and by the way, I'm a bloke and just as chatty!> Thanks for all your help and answers. Keep up the good work. <with kind regards, Anthony> Hannah in Nova Scotia

Chipped Tank Hey Anthony, <hello, dear> Thanks for a very quick response....I won't tell anyone you're a bloke...hehehe <no, no... please do tell all the attractive, intelligent single ladies you know that like talkative gentlemen <wink>> Okay dh feels a bit better now knowing that the chip should be ok. <good, as it should be> His only (and mine too) other concern is will that chip weaken the tank once the sand, LR, and water are in? Personally I think he is being overly concerned about this, but see his reasoning too....all that money and hard work for it to crack later on us would not be pretty. <there is indeed some concern about a stress point, although a small superficial chip really is of little matter> I might add here too that if it was not for Bob and the rest of you lovely people (the web page too), we would have been out of the hobby long ago. We have gotten many answers and a lot of help with out tank from you. <your kind words are overpayment for the work done> The latest was a calcium level of .......are you ready for this........50. Yes 50! <aiiieeee!> We lost only a small (smaller then my baby finger round) bunch of pumping xenias. Everything else is still alive and doing so much better now (go figure eh) that the calcium level is about 450. <excellent... indeed on the higher end. I don't complain if it is over 375ppm> I am anxiously awaiting the transfer to the 125g and will send before and after pics to you (I mean you helped get us this far.....why not share in the glory). Thanks a million guys!! <looking forward to it! Anthony> Hannah :) Bluenose

Tank Repair Hi. I have a 45 gallon tank and the center brace is pulling away from the sides. It is cracked, but not all the way through. Is there any way that I can repair it? <Yes, please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/aqrepairfaqs.htm A ready repair can likely be effected by simply siliconing a glass or acrylic panel over/under what you currently have. Bob Fenner> thanks for your help. Lynne

Concerned about refugium repair Hi Mr. Fenner, 2 questions. First what is your opinion on this. I placed on Friday, Dec. 28, a piece of live rock with a bunch of 3 types of button polyps, yellow, and orange sponges underneath, and a section about 4" sq. of an encrusting type of coral that looks like a Favia fagrum from picture on your website in my tank, and it is about a foot to 15" upstream from my nice toadstool. Since Saturday my toadstool has not been opening up. It is still standing nice, and tall, and full. Everything looks great except it hasn't opened. I've read that buttons cannot be put near leather corals, but even at this distance it still matters? <Yes... chemically> Mind you the toadstool was put in the tank only 2 weeks prior, so is it maybe just finally acclimating to my tank, and the timing is just a coincidence, or would you go with a warfare going on between it, and the polyps? <Some period of adjustment, detente at least> I have since rearranged the flow in the opposite direction, and now the toadstool is upstream from the polyps. Would this make a difference,( how much time should I wait to see if it helps?) <Days, a couple of weeks> or maybe I should move one, or the other further away( I do have the space, my tank is 5' long). Second, I want to repair my refugium, which is built from a store bought glass tank. It has Miracle Mud, Caulerpa, and LR in it, and lit 24/7. The problem is when I built it I used acrylic that was too thin for the separations, and now the water flow has made them bend, and the silicone is starting to let go on them. I would like to redo the separations with thicker pieces, and silicone it better. The refugium could be shut-off from the main sump system (bypasses it through a tee with shutoff valves) with no problem to empty out. My concern, and worry is will this do any damage to all the critters, Caulerpa, and the mud bed which is pretty live if I take every thing out for about 2 days ( the time to fix, and let the silicone dry)? <Mmm, you need to make provision (another going system) to keep all the live parts live...> My sump would still be running, and circulating the water in the main tank, and I do have a Red Sea Berlin XL skimmer running from the sump, so there will still be oxygen, and filtration from the skimmer happening. Main concern would be the water parameters, and would they change suddenly? <Hopefully not> I have fish, and corals in the tank. The main tank is 120 G. with a 50G. sump ( not including the refugium which is separate). So there is a decent total volume of water to not let it change that quickly. <Agreed. You should be fine> If I put the mud, and Caulerpa in a tub with a powerhead to circulate, and aerate, would this be safe for the life in there? <Plus a heater, and if you can something in the way of a mechanical filter... like a "cycled" canister or hang on power type> Is this a bad idea to disconnect it from the main system for a couple of days? Concerned, and worried about how to fix it!! Greg N. <Needs to be disconnected to fix. Or another sump made to swap out in real time. Bob Fenner>

new old fishtank (aquarium repair) I live in a house close to a college campus and came upon a large fish tank with a stand, that was going to be thrown away. <Wow!> I carried it in my house, but on further inspection I found that it was cracked through the back glass. Can I buy a new piece of glass for the tank or use a glue and repair the glass. Or should I just put it back where I found it, in the trash. Thank You Paul <Actually, not all that hard to effect a repair here if this is a simple "crack along one panel"... You can silicone (with 100% silicone from a hardware store) a relatively thin panel of glass or acrylic on the inside (some folks put on the outside, I don't) fit to fill about the same surface area... with the tank empty, cut away the overlapping area where the silicone is now (with single edge razor blades, watch your fingers)... lay a bead of silicone over these cut away areas and along the crack... place the new pane of glass/acrylic over this, lay a heavy book onto this... and place a bead of silicone along the repair edges... either smooth with your finger, a Popsicle stick, tongue depressor... Let cure a day or so... Bob Fenner>

Is acrylic scratch remover safe for fish? Hello Mr. Fenner, I just got finished putting my new tank together. I have the powerheads, the heater, and the aragonite sand and water in. I have not yet put it the salt. I'm just testing the components and letting the sand dust settle. While inspecting my tank, I noticed in the light that there seems to be a very slight haze in a couple upper corners of the tank. I believe it might be from the TruVu SRK (scratch remover kit). <This may be so... or typical "stress fracturing" marks from heat-bending in those areas> I might of accidentally not rubbed off all of the scratch remover paste thingy. The water has a oil spill type look when viewed at a lower angle. Is this bad? Shall I take out the water and wash the tank again? Please help. Thank You. <Ahh, our businesses (retail and service) used to sell many TruVu/Aquaplex tanks... and I've spent many hours with the green and tan pastes you mention in their scratch removal kit. This material is not toxic. I would not take the tank down, or worry. Bob Fenner> Stan

Taking out scratches from the inside Bob, do you know of any acrylic scratch removal kit that works underwater? <No... all require draining the system at least down to the level of the work. Bob Fenner> Thanks, Lee

RE: Is acrylic scratch remover safe for fish? Thank you very much. That is what some people suggested on ReefCentral, but to hear it from an expert like you makes me feel so much better. Thank you again and have a Happy New Year. Stan <You as well my friend. Be chatting. Bob Fenner>

Silicone sealant... Bob- Do you know of a specific brand of sealant in cartridges that is safe for use in a tank. I bought one at Home Depot that is made by GE and is 100% silicone. Since it did NOT say mildew resistant on the tube (where others do specify it) I thought it might be ok. Once I got home and put my glasses on to read the fine print on the back, it says not for use in aquariums. Thanks. Happy Holidays! Andy <Mmm, my long standing point on such matters... 100% is 100%... though the label may state something like "not for aquarium use"... have used the HD re-labeled products, RTV, other 100% silicones for aquariums for decades... One hundred percent... no mildewcides, other additives... Please take a stroll over the WetWebMedia.com site using the Search Tool and the word: silicone. Bob Fenner>

What eats acrylic? Dear Bob, A quick thank you for all you've done for us 'salts' out there. I reference WWM frequently and often and thank you and Lorenzo for all the time, effort, and sage advice you've devoted to people's better understanding of the life forms and biotopes they keep. <A pleasure and honor my friend> I have a question regarding what I believe to be radula marks etched into the surface of an acrylic tank. I recently helped a friend break down his 40 gal. tank (SeaClear or Truvu, I'm not sure which). He had (sadly) neglected any maintenance on the system since his last specimen died some two years ago, only adding top off water. Needless to say it was a huge mess, but somewhat of an interesting study from a scientific perspective. As I began to scrape of the thick filamentous algae covering all sides of the tank, I noticed a haze on the front panel. Upon closer inspection, this haze was a pattern of etchings in the acrylic surface! The pattern matches that which I have seen snails (esp. turbo) leave as they graze through a patch of cyano. Is it possible for snail's radulas to be so hard as to etch into the acrylic? <Yes... for browsers, many gastropod mollusks have a rasping mechanism... a "tongue" called a radula (important in its characteristic make up for species identifications at times) that is constantly being regenerated in the back of the mouth, worked by a muscular device, the odontophore... that these various "snails" use to scrape away micro/macro algae et al. from hard surfaces as food... Some have modifications, additions of specialized salivas, bore into shells, melt rock...> I am wondering if you have ever encountered this, and if so, what species of snails you have associated it with. I am sure this info would be quite interesting to everyone out there with an acrylic reef tank. Sincere Thanks, Karl

Gluing the tank brace Mr. Bob Fenner About the tank brace that I must glue, could you tell me how much time needs the silicone to cure in this particular case. I am thinking of: 1) emptying half tank as you recommended; 2) submerge three small powerheads in order to maintain good water motion because all the water movement by the sump, refugium and skimmers will stop during the curing time; 3) glue the brace, and wait 24 hours? <Better to wait two, three times as long> Could I try to gently remove some of the Valonia on the dried rocks ? <Yes, a good plan, time to do so. Bob Fenner> Thank you very much <Por nada my friend. Nos vemos> FlÃ¡vio Ribeiro

Tank problem Mr. Fenner Thanking for your continuous dedication in sharing your knowledge with all of us, and hoping that everything is ok with you, this time I need advice about what to do or not do with a tank structure problem. Just in the center and between the back and the front glass there, use to be glued, at the top of those, and above the water level, a rectangular piece of glass glued with silicone on the inside of the mentioned rear and front glasses. <Yes, an important element of the tank's integrity. We call this a brace> This piece is a reinforcement with the intention of maintain permanently stable/fixed the distance between those main panels. The tank is a full open top 100 gallons, 1.5 m length, 0.55 m height, and 0.5 m width. For some reason the piece is not glued in one of the extremities, the front one, and as a consequence the main glasses are a litle bowed at the central and up area. <Yikes, cuidado my friend. I would add a piece of glass over or under the present one (cleaned up thoroughly of course) with new, 100% silicone and anneal/silicone the two together and onto the front panels of your tank> The width at the middle point, where the bow is maximized is in now 0.51 ( more 0.5 in the back and more 0.5 in the front). Considering that litle difference and the necessity of drain all the water to reglue the reinforcement, I am considering the possibility of doing nothing, but..... your experience, practice, opinion, are very important for helping me to decide what to do. Best regards and thanks Flavio Ribeiro <Nos vemos, Bob Fenner>

Broken tank re-set-up Hi Bob, How are you today? <Fine my friend. I trust this note finds you well> I have the pictures of the new 135 gal tank at http://www.cia.com.au/winone and simply click on the 'The third Tank' link. <Yikes... the broken brace tank...> On Monday 30 October (1 week after the new tank was setup), I lost the orange-spotted goby. I do not understand what went wrong? <Stress, strain...> Everything else is doing great, even the corals that looked like they needed a holiday are looking great today. I do have a SeaChem ammonia alert and it indicated that there was nothing to be alarmed about. <Don't rely on this device alone...> The 7 other fish are also doing great. Could stress cause this? When I had him in the 2 foot tank, I put no sand in the 2 foot tank. When I put him back into the main tank he was hiding for a few days and then started peering out from under the rocks at the front of the tank and a day later he was dead. I noticed that he was not eating for about 5 or 6 days. It's very distressing when thing like this happens. Warmest regards Lucien Cinc <Is the Eheim pump attached to a line/through put in the bottom of the tank? I would "hard plumb" this, or at least place two secure plastic zip ties/panduits on each connection... If possible/practical, it's better (more disaster-proof) to just run such lines of the top of tanks... Bob Fenner>

Guess what? Hi Bob, You will never guess what happened? The center brace let go on my fish tank on Thursday morning! <Yikes!> I have taking this as an opportunity to upgrade the fish tank again :) I now have a 72" x 24" x 18" tank, which I am going to pick up in about an hour. Everything is in buckets and waiting for the new fish tank to come. I am getting very good at moving fish tanks now. This is the second time I have had to do this and this will be my 3rd tank now. <Good to be in practice> I will put pictures up on my web site in a few day time and let you know. Warmest regards Lucien Cinc <Be chatting my friend. Bob Fenner>

Re: Guess what? (tank repair, RO run-in period) Hi Bob, So far, so good. All the fish are fine and the soft corals made it okay. I did loose the feather duster starfish and a hard coral. They sat in buckets for 2 days. I guess that was to long for them? <Yes> I received my RO unit yesterday. I have started it off and will let it run for a few days, before I start using it for the fish. <A few hours is long enough> As soon as I get a chance to prepare the pictures I will let you know. Again, many thanks for your help. It is much appreciated :) Warmest regards <Be chatting. Bob Fenner>

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