2yr old emptied a tub of flakes into reef tank

[Scousereefer]

So my 2 yr old son managed to climb and reach my formula 2 flake food and emptied most of it into my tank which I seen just after he did it,
I got my regal tang and 2 clowns out but could get cleaner shrimp, blenny and goby.
I got most of the flakes out pretty quickly using my nets and powerhead to blow the flakes out from behind the rocks.
I then did a 50% water change as the water had turned green and added the fish back.

2 hours later the tank is cloudy like it's a newly cycled tank and readings are showing 1ppm ammonia and 0.25ppm nitrite .1 nitrate

Have I done enough to save it!?

 

[MnFish1]

I would suggest an ammonia de-toxifier (Prime?) as well as bottled bacteria. Be prepared to do a couple more water changes over the next couple days. In this situation - the most important thing besides ammonia - is oxygen. A temporary ayirstone may help. It would be helpful to know how much food got in - as compared to the size of the tank

 

[brandon429]

Must lower light intensity and sustain

follow all common reef insults with a light intensity drop/ bleach prevent

 

[MnFish1]

I would suggest an ammonia de-toxifier (Prime?) as well as bottled bacteria. Be prepared to do a couple more water changes over the next couple days. In this situation - the most important thing besides ammonia - is oxygen. A temporary ayirstone may help. It would be helpful to know how much food got in - as compared to the size of the tank

PS also remember that if you use an ammonia detoxifier - the future ammonia measurements will be invalid.
(i.e. will remain high)

 

[Scousereefer]

I would suggest an ammonia de-toxifier (Prime?) as well as bottled bacteria. Be prepared to do a couple more water changes over the next couple days. In this situation - the most important thing besides ammonia - is oxygen. A temporary ayirstone may help. It would be helpful to know how much food got in - as compared to the size of the tank

Thanks for the advice I will try and get this tomorrow, and was about 25g of flake in a 55gallon

 

[Scousereefer]

Must lower light intensity and sustain

follow all common reef insults with a light intensity drop/ bleach prevent

Ok thankyou i will keep the lights off tomorrow

 

[brandon429]

I rate this as low on the scale of overall loss concern and risk. In fact given any thing else in a household where all contents of a box get input, solubles am not talking pencils lol, I’d choose fish food in bulk. Can be cleaned, run carbon to pull out bac aggregates.

 

[Just John]

I rate this as low on the scale of overall loss concern and risk. In fact given any thing else in a household where all contents of a box get input, solubles am not talking pencils lol, I’d choose fish food in bulk. Can be cleaned, run carbon to pull out bac aggregates.

Remember the guy not long ago whose child poured an entire bottle of bubble stuff into his tank? I think everything survived. Everything will be OK.

 

[backinthereef]

Yes, I would run some carbon, try to manually remove as much food as you can, shut off lights, and perhaps keep doing water changes (20%) or so every couple days. I agree with brandon in that you should be ok. Those little 2 year olds, always getting into something lol

 

[Scousereefer]

I rate this as low on the scale of overall loss concern and risk. In fact given any thing else in a household where all contents of a box get input, solubles am not talking pencils lol, I’d choose fish food in bulk. Can be cleaned, run carbon to pull out bac aggregates.

Thanks mate haha I was worried for a minute

 

[Scousereefer]

Remember the guy not long ago whose child poured an entire bottle of bubble stuff into his tank? I think everything survived. Everything will be OK.

Bloody hell that's incredible

 

[Scousereefer]

Yes, I would run some carbon, try to manually remove as much food as you can, shut off lights, and perhaps keep doing water changes (20%) or so every couple days. I agree with brandon in that you should be ok. Those little 2 year olds, always getting into something lol

Thanks man il have to move my tank away from the arm of the couch now lol I like sitting there watching the tank but he getting up and looking down at them lol

 

[Billldg]

I agree with @MnFish1, look forward to water changes in the future. I accidentally dumped a ton of pellets in my tank when I was checking the level of pellets in my Neptune AFS and their was nothing but pellets in the tank. I quickly scooped up as much as I could and siphoned the rest as I did the water change. Then I did a 30 percent water change to fill the tank back up and had no issues. You will get thru this, accidents happen.

You will need to do test for No3 and P04 and ammonia for the next few days though.

 

[Scousereefer]

I agree with @MnFish1, look forward to water changes in the future. I accidentally dumped a ton of pellets in my tank when I was checking the level of pellets in my Neptune AFS and their was nothing but pellets in the tank. I quickly scooped up as much as I could and siphoned the rest as I did the water change. Then I did a 30 percent water change to fill the tank back up and had no issues. You will get thru this, accidents happen.

You will need to do test for No3 and P04 and ammonia for the next few days though.

Nightmare isn't it an hour of stressfull running round with nets, buckets and a Syphon lol, i did a 50percent how much would you suggest I change tomorrow

 

[Billldg]

Nightmare isn't it an hour of stressfull running round with nets, buckets and a Syphon lol, i did a 50percent how much would you suggest I change tomorrow

I scooped up as much as I could and did roughly, I said 30 percent, but I think I did a 40 percent water change shortly afterward and never had an issue afterward. It really depends on how quick you caught it. If it's within a few hours then I fell you will be fine, but you will still need to do N03 and P04 and ammonia test to make sure.

Just check your N03 and P04 every few days for the next week to see what is going on. If you don't see much of a change then you are in the clear.

Because of MY mistake, I now put a towel over the tank before I check the Neptune AFS, LOL!!!!

 

[JCTReefer]

I’ll throw this in there. On top of everything you’ve done, if you have any bottled bacteria like Biospira laying around, I’d dump that in there. I had the same thing happen to me. Only difference is, it was a grown adult that dumped a whole years worth of New Life spectrum pellets in the tank. My ammonia was through the roof. I vacuumed out as much as could and did a 100% water change. Added prime and a full bottle of Biospira. I lost a Royal Gramma to this mishap. My living room stunk of ammonia. The tank looked like this. Serious bacterial bloom. You could barely make out the rock work.

 

[Scousereefer]

I’ll throw this in there. On top of everything you’ve done, if you have any bottled bacteria like Biospira laying around, I’d dump that in there. I had the same thing happen to me. Only difference is, it was a grown adult that dumped a whole years worth of New Life spectrum pellets in the tank. My ammonia was through the roof. I vacuumed out as much as could and did a 100% water change. Added prime and a full bottle of Biospira. I lost a Royal Gramma to this mishap. My living room stunk of ammonia. The tank looked like this. Serious bacterial bloom. You could barely make out the rock work.
View attachment 2123982

How did they manage to do that mate haha and there was an odd smell near the tank lastnight that just have been ammonia, I will try and get some biospira thankyou

 

[Scousereefer]

UPDATE: morning come and I have lost my baby blue tang

 

[HomebroodExotics]

UPDATE: morning come and I have lost my baby blue tang

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Scousereefer]

Sorry for your loss.

Cleaner shrimp gone too, did a 15% water change but had to leave for work... Expecting a full tank loss when I get home