Raccoon PEED IN MY TANK

[Bob Weigant]

I don't think there will ever be another event like this. Horrible that this happened to you but I would have put the odds of this happening at 1%

 

[GARRIGA]

perhaps a sub-forum on bizarre things in reefing. This and that bat story would top that list

 

[aquaman67]

Of all the contingencies I’ve prepared for Raccoon attack is not one of them, oddly enough.

 

[filter]

I had my 90 gallon running for maybe three months?

and a few days ago a raccoon entered through our cat door, went DOWN into the basement, and destroyed my tank.

Got into the sub tank like it was taking a little bath, snacked on clams- hermit crabs, sponges, and anything exciting. Knocked my fuge light into the water which electrified the water and destroyed the light- and proceeded to urinate into the water. Probably got a jolt and peed, but anyway.

Miraculously so many things survived. Makes me nervous what the ammonia levels were previously.

Had a family come down and pick up all the livestock and decided it was a sign from God to tear down that tank.

I am in the process of losing the Yasha goby though. Continuous prolapsed since the event. Very sad.

I took the opportunity to tear my nano down too, I’ll look to upgrade that to a larger nano….

Check your liquor cabinet to make sure the raccoon didn’t get into it first.

 

[littlefoxx]

I had my 90 gallon running for maybe three months?

and a few days ago a raccoon entered through our cat door, went DOWN into the basement, and destroyed my tank.

Got into the sub tank like it was taking a little bath, snacked on clams- hermit crabs, sponges, and anything exciting. Knocked my fuge light into the water which electrified the water and destroyed the light- and proceeded to urinate into the water. Probably got a jolt and peed, but anyway.

Miraculously so many things survived. Makes me nervous what the ammonia levels were previously.

Had a family come down and pick up all the livestock and decided it was a sign from God to tear down that tank.

I am in the process of losing the Yasha goby though. Continuous prolapsed since the event. Very sad.

I took the opportunity to tear my nano down too, I’ll look to upgrade that to a larger nano….

Ugh those are such horrible creatures!!!

 

[littlefoxx]

Put a live trap where it was hiding. The only food it seemed to want was dry food, so I took all the cat food and hid it. Put some cat food in the live trap and about 10 mins later she walked in.

She has been going into our garage looking for cat food for a goods month now, once we discovered that and began seeing injuring and puncture wounds on our cats- we moved the cat kibble into the basement downstairs.

We had 4 dogs in our house the night she decided to waddle in via the cat door.

Her calm behavior worried me a Lot. I figured she’s ever very used to people and does this often, or contracted a neurological disease that was beginning to take hold.

Raccoon urine can actually be extremely dangerous due to the level of diseases they carry/ some can even be fatal.

It was a very stressful week.

Yes, dispatch at one of my old jobs got a raccoon family in the roof somehow and those things peed all the time and it would fall through the floor and on the dispatchers!!! The amusement park didnt have the money to fix it. God that was awful and horrible they still made them work in there!!

 

[Peter Houde]

There must be more to this story. You just stood by and watched while all this transpired? Why wouldn't the raccoon have been electrocuted through its "stream"?

 

[Jari]

Had a family come down and pick up all the livestock and decided it was a sign from God to tear down that tank.

Thats a sign to start to dose urea, not to tear the tank down!

 

[EmdeReef]

I’m not sure if this post is serious but based on a study of raccoon daily urine volume it’s extremely unlikely that raccoon pee would cause any damage to a 90g tank…physical damage is obviously possible as long as the tank allowed for a raccoon to climb in….

Yes raccoon urine like that or any other organism may contain contaminants but there’s little evidence to point to pathogenic survival in saltwater…

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core.ac.uk

 

[Chikpeas]

There must be more to this story. You just stood by and watched while all this transpired? Why wouldn't the raccoon have been electrocuted through its "stream"?

…. What?
I was gone. I left Friday night and came home Sunday night- the family was home, when I came home at 2 am Sunday is when I found the raccoon. Captured it the next night.

My parents aren’t observant so who knows if the raccoon moved in when I left or not, we have no idea if it’s been in and out the entire time.

I’m just guessing it came in Sunday night because that’s when I heard it tumbling through the cat door. It could’ve been screwing with my tank and stuff for DAYS

 

[Chikpeas]

I’m not sure if this post is serious but based on a study of raccoon daily urine volume it’s extremely unlikely that raccoon pee would cause any damage to a 90g tank…physical damage is obviously possible as long as the tank allowed for a raccoon to climb in….

Yes raccoon urine like that or any other organism may contain contaminants but there’s little evidence to point to pathogenic survival in saltwater…

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core.ac.uk

Wow- well thank you for doing that research That’s quite a bit.

The raccoon was the icing on the cake for me- my leg has torn tendons, I had no help, and my water comes from the Walmart Ro/DI system there. I’m going to get a 14 gallon nano and call it a day.

it could’ve been the light getting into the water, maybe contamination from the animal itself? Idk, it smelled like urine and I was getting tingling shock from the water. That’s what seemed logical to me. I got sick from the level of ammonia I had to clean that day. It was so strong it made my throat raw even through a mask. The next three days I felt flu-like and I’m finally better now. I just assumed the urine did a lot of my stuff in.

I have physical evidence it was All over my tank via coon prints on the glass and all over the hardwood floor surrounding, Eugh.

But if it ever happens again, now we know it Might not be the pee!!!! As long as they don’t poo in it you’re fine! (Which raccoons LOVE to dedicate in water.)

 

[Chikpeas]

Yes, dispatch at one of my old jobs got a raccoon family in the roof somehow and those things peed all the time and it would fall through the floor and on the dispatchers!!! The amusement park didnt have the money to fix it. God that was awful and horrible they still made them work in there!!

Idk how they could stand that!!!!!

Ugh! I was wearing a mask and cleaned up 6 piddle piles by this thing and it made my throat road and so sore, I was sick for three days after. It felt like the flu !!! Those poor people.

 

[Chikpeas]

Sorry you went through this. I was more so commenting on how chill it looked. I should have given more thought to your troubles and expressed my condolences before I commented on the raccoon.

I have a little background in the rehab/relocation of wild animals also. I have to say that is a very relaxed body language.

Thank you ! It’s not uncommon for bear, raccoon, and opossums to bust in for a snack in this area!!! I’ve heard deer flying through the window before. Knocked over a 10 gallon tank! Animals are crazy.

Thank you!!! I’d like to believe I’m a smidge Disney princess. I’d share photos of some insane wild animals I’ve been able to get close to and actually pet… but I don’t want the general public to get ideas… (,:

 

[Chikpeas]

I want a pet racoon!!

HAHA noooooo you don’t I’ll have a pet skunk before a raccoon.
They’re EVIL and such brats!!!!

 

[Rock N Roll Reefs]

Oh my gosh sorry to be laughing as it’s really not funny but this is the craziest reefing story I’ve heard In a long time

 

[Peter Houde]

…. What?
I was gone. I left Friday night and came home Sunday night- the family was home, when I came home at 2 am Sunday is when I found the raccoon. Captured it the next night.

My parents aren’t observant so who knows if the raccoon moved in when I left or not, we have no idea if it’s been in and out the entire time.

I’m just guessing it came in Sunday night because that’s when I heard it tumbling through the cat door. It could’ve been screwing with my tank and stuff for DAYS

Then how do you know it peed the tank if you weren't there to see it?

 

[Chikpeas]

Also I forgot to share some photos.., oops.

Here’s the floor in-front of my tank.
This was a pile of pee it was walking in and out of with the paws going right up to my tank. You can see the little paw prints

Here’s my sump tank after I removed the light and replaced the chaeto I found all over the couch.

The tape hanging down was my divider it tore off, raccoon fur all over the tops with prints, I’ll get a picture of the prints tomorrow actually on the glass- this photo is bad quality. My sump was Full of snails, elephant snails. Hermits. Only two hermits and an elephant snail survived. All my sponges and nems from my rock I got were gone. Tube worms- feather dusters, all gone. Broke my little clams. ):

My filter sock and tube are fully submerged. Dried pee along the bottom.


Here’s the display tank! We were JUST overcoming the ugly stages, so it don’t look nice. I also just got home so I didn’t have time to scrape
The glads yet..,. But all the snails on the bottom you see are all dead. Idk that Urchin just built different.



Three shrimp survived too! Emerald crab died. I thought it lived guess not. Two fish- I had a third. Dead too I guess? Found no remains. Not a happy time.

 

[Chikpeas]

Then how do you know it peed the tank if you weren't there to see it?

If you read my post you’d see where I said it smelled very strong in the sump like urine, and that I had cleaned urine up from the animal outside of the tank in 6 separate places.when I lifted my light out it was covered in that dark, horrible smell and sticky like urine. So yes, I know it peed. It might’ve gotten scared- but raccoons generally like to pee/poo in water.

Opossums are just as notorious for using the bathroom in water dishes!

Raccoon pee has a Very strong, rancid, distinct smell. Especially if they are dehydrated which judging by its water choice being my saltwater tank, she clearly was. It is so strong it actually burns your throat.

 

[ClownSchool]

I had my 90 gallon running for maybe three months?

and a few days ago a raccoon entered through our cat door, went DOWN into the basement, and destroyed my tank.

Got into the sub tank like it was taking a little bath, snacked on clams- hermit crabs, sponges, and anything exciting. Knocked my fuge light into the water which electrified the water and destroyed the light- and proceeded to urinate into the water. Probably got a jolt and peed, but anyway.

Miraculously so many things survived. Makes me nervous what the ammonia levels were previously.

Had a family come down and pick up all the livestock and decided it was a sign from God to tear down that tank.

I am in the process of losing the Yasha goby though. Continuous prolapsed since the event. Very sad.

I took the opportunity to tear my nano down too, I’ll look to upgrade that to a larger nano….

…trash pandas

 

[Tamberav]

Maybe it went swimming and ate the fish in there? Or worms/cuc ate them.

Next you will have the baby coons coming in *eek*