Make sure your powerhead stays put

ARGH!!!!! I walked into the living room and saw the 55g was a little too white, like it snowed in there. The actinic lights were the only ones turned on, so it took a second for me to figure out what had happened. A powerhead came loose from the glass wall, and blew a good chunk of sand out of the corner and across the entire tank. Basically, suction cups suck!

Actually, I'm amazed how far it got. All the corals in the immediate vicinity were covered in sand, the blanket gradually lessened as the distance from the blast increased. I just took about 15 minutes to get everything back to normal. The corals didn't even seem to mind the sand bath, but once I started handling things they retracted quickly. Odds are, the corals got a nice snack from whatever was blown out of the sandy substrate.

Using a turkey baster, I blew off as much sand as I could find to clear off the rockwork. Whenever you find yourself in one of these situations, the rockwork shifts somewhat and the corals need repositioning. I really try to avoid handling them because they grow nicely when left alone.

Hopefully by the end of the day, everything will be back to normal.