A water leak scare, and too many fish for Spock!

Today, I was in the garage and found water where it should not be. I thought maybe it was from the window a/c unit, but that wasn't it. So I kind of hoped my water heater needed replacing (rusted out), but that wasn't it. Next I went in the fishroom and saw a decent puddle in the very spot where I put the new waterproofed wiring conduit. 

Since I couldn't deal with it at that very moment as someone was coming over, my mind started churning in the background. Is the sump leaking? Is the tank leaking? Where it the source? How will I fix it? Was it even freshwater or was it saltwater? Did I want to taste the water on the fishroom floor? If it is the tank, what would I do? Would I sell everything off, as there was no way I could afford a new tank currently... My mind was reeling from the possibilities.

Of course, if I had another 280g reef tank as a backup, I wouldn't have worried as much. I've been toying with the thought of getting one just in case, as I would think it would cost less ordering it now vs ordering it in a panic. But when have I let my OCD get so bad that I back up my entire house with a second house?

So while Victor was here we talked about the leak and he asked if he could take a peek and see if he could figure out the source. Sure, go for it. I did taste it at that point, and it was slightly salty, but that could be RO/DI water on a slightly salty floor. The trim at the base of the tank looked dry. The platform wood was dry. The sump seemed fine. If anything, it looked like the water was coming out of the CO2 tank! Nuts.

Fortunately, he solved the problem. He figured it was my Aqualifter pump, and he was right. I took it apart and it was full of water. I don't know why it leaked internally yet, but I've got it on the counter now to see if I can fix it or I'll just replace it. I do have another one as a back up. ;)

Thank goodness it wasn't the tank.

In other news...

Two days ago, I noticed that Spock was not eating at all, and that she was hiding in the soft coral section of the tank. I didn't know why and her belly was slightly sunken in which is highly unusual. I put some nori in the tank, and she swam away instead of taking it from my fingers like she always does. I even rubbed it apart in the water to let it drift around and she didn't eat.

I tried Formula 2 pellet food, which she showed some interest in, but those are tiny and she'd need to eat a couple of spoonfuls to get a decent meal imho. That night I tried my frozen mixture, and she again seemed indifferent. Uh-oh.

Yesterday, same thing. No interest, hiding a lot, not swimming out in the open as she always does.

Today, she was out a bit more, and thankfully she ate the nori I put on the clip. I really believe she doesn't like all the Chromis in the tank. How strange is that?! Those tiny little blueish fish aren't chasing her or pestering her, they are just in the tank with her and seem to swim toward the food first. I won't add any more Chromis at this point, and hope that she'll adapt to the current situation.

Last Saturday I got another Copperband Butterfly fish. She's in quarantine, mainly to observe her health and get her trained to eat mysis. Yesterday I turned the light on over that tank for the first time (as there is plenty of light from the reef in the fishroom), and she was covered with ich spots. A serious dusting, but not a massive infestation as we've seen before. Today I checked on her and she's much better, with it at least 70% better than what I saw 24 hours ago. She'll stay there for now.