Regular Member orandas*r*my*heart Posted July 6, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 6, 2005 I don't know what to do. I'm in a panic. I just got home from a week long vacation, and was met with this disaster; My little sister who was up for a visit with the rest of the family decided they looked hungry, and fed them about half a bag of Progold and Spirulina flakes. This being on top of the daily rations I pre-made for their caretaker! My tank has almost two inches of rotting food sitting on the bottom, covering the plants, and has become so heavy that 2 of the wheels on my dual Bio Wheel 350's cannot move!! I can't find Einstein anywhere and I have a felling that the extremely pungent smell maybe be attributed to his death combined with the rotting food. It's so green and yellow that it's thick, and I have no idea where to start. I've been up for 34 hours, and it's 1:30 in the morning.....I don't even know where to begin. They look healthy, infact Blinky my fry has tripled in size (not an exageration) in the 8 days I've been gone. I will be fasting them for about a week, but as for the disaster in my tank....HELP! OMG I'm totally freaking out! What do I do?!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member JenW Posted July 6, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 6, 2005 Oh geez - you poor thing :crp I hope you've found Einstein? There's really only 1 way i'd go here and thats: 1) remove the fish to a tub 2) clean out filter sponge 3) vacuum the tank completely 4) 60% water change 5) run the filter for a few hours 6) re-clean sponge (and gently rinse any carbon) 7) re-run filter for a coupla hours 8) If it's looking better - perhaps add salt to 0.1% incase there's a bacterial build-up 9) Then chase your sister and give her a wedgie It's all fixable but a bit of work..... sounds like there's a lot of rotting food in there? I feel for you... I really do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Fishmerised Posted July 6, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 6, 2005 You poor luv, you must be so tired too. Jen has it all the right ideas. If your too tired to do it now maybe just remove the fish for the time being using 50% tank water and 50% fresh water. Hope you have a tub or some suitable container handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Wynkin Posted July 6, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 6, 2005 What a disaster to come home to! Great advice Jen! I would follow it to the letter (even the suggested wedgie for your sister). And please make sure that she realizes that she could have killed your fish with her "generosity". Not too mention wasting a ton of expensive fish food! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member daryl Posted July 6, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 6, 2005 I am so sorry - others have given great advice. When I go on vacation I not only do the premeasured doses for the "fish sitter", but I hide all the fish food. It actually gets locked up - with a key in a cupboard that is not available to the house sitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member tinkerbell Posted July 6, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 6, 2005 thats exactly what i do too. im so sorry. i think the others have given some great advice and have got it covered. hope einstien is ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member orandas*r*my*heart Posted July 6, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 6, 2005 Thanks you guys...this sucks! :angry: And you know what I actually did hide the food in a place I thought she wouldn't look....so she must have searched it out! Thanks for all the great advice, I'll be starting the deep clean in a little while, it's just that my body won't let me get out of bed just yet. I haven't seen Einstein yet, but I'll let you all know if he turns up. Ohhhhhh, I could give her an atomic wedgie I'm so mad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member JenW Posted July 7, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 7, 2005 Atomic? Oooh ouch! I hope it all goes well - keep us posted And I hope you find Einstein - I really do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member orandas*r*my*heart Posted July 7, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 7, 2005 Update: I've found Einstein! Bad side he's the sickest of all them. He has really bloody fins, and even some of his scales are a little bloody...Not sure but I think that has something to do with stress due to a week in really bad water quality. After checking all my levels and surveying the damage, I decided it would be best to start from scrstch. My nitrate cycle was almost finished, and everything was starting to even out, and now the entire cycle is destroyed. And as sick as they are I doubt they would live through me trying to get all the levels back. SO, I overnighted some Bio Spira, and I've been gutting and scrubbing my tank for the ast 6 hours. AHHHH, I want to die! They are in a hospital tank right now that is way to small for them but the water quality is pristine, and I think they will have a better chance to survive. Hopefully that Bio Spira is as amazing as you all said it was because I think after 3 days or so, they will be ready to move back into their regular tank. This has been a not so fun lesson for me, but I think I may be getting control of this. If anyone has any advice on how to help Einstien I would love to hear it. He's not doing good. They eaten more than enough, so I will be fasting them for about a week, Thanks for all your supporrt guys, I really appreciate this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted July 9, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 9, 2005 How are your fish doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member orandas*r*my*heart Posted July 10, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 10, 2005 My fish are doing a hundred and fifty percent better! Einstein's fins look back to normal, and I have them back in their 60 gallon now. I'm so happy, I thought for awhile there I was going to lose him. Thanks for you concern Kissy, I appreciate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Marco Posted July 10, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 10, 2005 well just as long as they are o.k its all good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member JenW Posted July 10, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 10, 2005 Wow - that's great news. Hopefully they'll continue to improve. Did you give your sister that wedgie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted July 10, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 10, 2005 Oh yay! I'm so happy for you and your fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member kortniee Posted July 10, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 10, 2005 Yay! I'm so glad they're better... I got a funny feeling in my stomach when I read your first post on the topic. Give your sister an extra wedgie for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member lcwinne Posted July 10, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted July 10, 2005 OMG..what a mess to come back to. You have my sympathies. Vacations are suppose to bring you home rejunvinated not horrified. Glad that everything seems to be turning out ok. Keep us up on how your fish are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member orandas*r*my*heart Posted July 10, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 10, 2005 Thank You ALL for your concern. It's funny how attached we get to our little buddies isn't it? And JenW; My sis lives in Portland and I north of Seattle, but you can bet the next time I see her....Woooooo Boy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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