Tragedy --- tank emptied need help

That really really sucks! Hoping everything can make it. Corals are suprisingly hardy, even if left out of water for a few hours. So cross your fingers and don't toss anything yet. There is a chance some corals just receeded so far back they look dead.

Had my share of those floods as well.. definately not a fun experience at all, but it always taught me important lessons the hard way. Most insurance companies will not cover aquariums or damage caused by them because they are considered "water furniture". (I only know Allstate has the option for coverage).

So, trying to be helpful as much as I can so far away... lets try and figure out the lessons.

1. Obviously secure the return line from your chiller better.
2. RAISE your chiller pump, using a string or something to tie it, as high in your sump area as possible in case something like this ever happens again, it will only drain as far as the pump, which hopefully is in the top 10% of your water.
3. Always have containers of SW mixed and ready to go for emergencies such as this.
4. Water leak detector/alarm - $7 @ Harbor Freight. Continuously alarms at 80 dcb when water makes contact. Unit is about the size of a pack of cigs. Not very loud, but enough to wake someone up during the night. Battery operated. I placed it on the floor of my stand.

I am sure there are more things to point out but I think those are the majors right now. Again, hoping for the best! I know you are very passionate about the hobby and hope this major set back doesn't sour you on it.
 
The anemone may be ok as well. I've heard that some are shipped without water and just kept damp.
 
I cannot offer you anything more than my condolences over your loss. I am very sorry to hear of this. It truly is heart-breaking.
 
I've read that many corals can survive a few hours out of water, as long as they are not in direct sunlight. If you've ever removed a coral from water for a period of time, some shrivel up to almost nothing.

Unfortunate that this happened to you, but it's a learning experience for sure. I have a hose in my tank right now that is not that secure and I will be sure to solve this issue as soon as I get home now.

I would avoid trying to run this through insurance. I would assume you have coverage for leaks/water damage, but it's likely cheaper to replace everything yourself than to pay the deductable, then run the risk of your rates increasing, or even being dropped if your insurance co thinks you are playing games and they could be on the hook for a major claim in the future.
 
Thanks all. I hope that something survives. The clam is closed up tight so there is a chance for him (i hope). I will put the rest of the stuff in the tank when I get some water at lunch. I really hope something lives.

The darned thing is that I was very worried about the return line when I first got it. So I had it secured, not good enough however. I had always figured that if anything went south the most that would drain out would be the amount in the back portion of the tank (since it is an overflow). However, this apparantly was not the case. I thought that once it got to a certain level it would just stop. There must be some water going back into the filter area even when it is low.

my wife was in the lliving room at around 1Am. I discovered it around 2:30. So they were only in teh air for a short period of time in the grand scheme of things. The clown fish actually lived... but died later as there was nothing to keep him from gettin caught in the pump as I tried to get up as much water as possible.

The nem was dead for sure...even if I wasn't 100% certain I was not going to chance it in a 5 gallon bucket with stuff that might be alive.

So, tonight I will refill the tank, move the pump higher (that is a killer idea). I also ordered some new hoses that acutally have attachments that will work better ( j shaped and s shaped... my JBJ for nano chillers).

On the upside, this does give me the chance to remove the algea and get the rock better situated.
 
Man that bites. That's everyone's worst nightmare. Hopefully some of the generous folks on this forum will send you some free frags or something. I hope it all works out for you.
 
I'm beginning to think that everything should have check valves so in the event something goes wrong, the water stops flowing or siphoning out. The ones I've seen at Home Depot and Lowe's seem to have a very strong spring and may restrict water flow in the direction you want it to go from the pump. So far, though, all my plumbing is very high in the water table so very little should back flow in the event of a problem. Also, stainless steel hose clamps in places where soft tubing connects.
 
I have the clamps in place. Can you get a check valve for 1/2" hose? I honestly don't see how the darn hose fell out. It was secured deep in the filter area, with the power cord looped over to keep it in place. The only thing I can think of is that when i added the phosphate remover I must have jarred something loose (i did take out the heater as well). Now I wish I hadn't been so concerned about phosphate levels and algae.

regardless, ordered the parts needed for the hose. They will get here sometime next week. In the meantime I will use zip ties and suction cups to hold everything in place. Will get the sand situated and add new water tonight (wish I could do it at lunch, but I am going to pushing it to just get water for the coral).

Once all that is done then I can evaluate what needs to be replaced. We will get it back up and running, just might take a while longer this time.
 
GregAW said:
I'm beginning to think that everything should have check valves so in the event something goes wrong, the water stops flowing or siphoning out.
Click to expand...

If you can point me to a check valve that actually works then I will be eternally greatful. I have tried dozens of them, ALL failed, even the $50 ones. I gave up on check valves and using them to rely on because they are anything but reliable. Plus, in this case, a check valve wouldn't solve the problem, it wasn't a back syphoning problem, it was a pump that was pumping water right out of the tank onto the floor (through the chiller).

Also, DO NOT get check valves with the springs in them. Metal (type they use for springs on those check valves) in SW is BAD, plus the springs severely restrict flow.
 
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