How to Change the Color of a Kenya Tree - Don't try this at Home

Well a few weeks back I was fiddling with the light on my nano and accidentally dropped it in the water. It's a 15 watt fluorescent light....I got shocked as did the entire tank. I acted fast grabbed it out and turned the light off at the switch.

I thought I lost all my corals but they made it through (even the waving hands which admittedly looked pretty dead for a while). My blue leg hermits fan worms, baby fish,little tube worms, little starfish, & brittle stars..everything made it. Big relief for a stupid mistake...

The Kenya tree is darker though...a bit singed if you will, LOL, and has dropped a piece of itself off (which is alive and well). The pulsing Xenia lost some of the larger stalks but 2 are left + 2 small ones. The Waving Hands has a lot of small ones growing.

Lesson learned next time I cut the power b4 adjusting stuff like that ( you know stuff that isn't meant to be in water). Oh and the light still works..I acted quickly.

Here are some before and after pics






The Pulsing Xenia is in the background

 

oh wow that is a big difference

 

It's funny how we think we'd react and how we actually react to any given emergency. I'm glad you weren't electrocuted but know exactly how you felt at the moment. I was in the same room as my tank when a ballast burst into flames. It shorted which tripped the GFI but caught the plastic insulation on the ballast's wiring harness on fire. There were flames and smoke from the fan vents and I was only thinking of my tank and the stuff falling into it and not my house when I slapped it off the tank and onto the floor.
Glad your fixture still works and there was no loss to your livestock. Looks like you found a way to insta frag Kenya's. lol

 

Actually I did get shocked a bit and the self fragging of the Kenya happened just 1 or 2 days ago...probably in response to the electrocution.

 

That's why I say glad you weren't electrocuted, I'd probably reacted the same way.

 

Yeah was glad it was a mild shock....and I usually keep a cool head in an emergency... no sense getting all scared or something... keeps you from thinking and acting intelligently.

 

Kudos for having a level head in a nasty situation like that! Definitely a big reminder that as hypnotic and calming as our tanks can be, danger still lurks.

So glad you were not harmed. I am rooting for your corals - may they get well soon!

whew!

 

Thanks...seems like they will be fine...only one I'm not sure about is the Pulsing Xenia....I do hope that makes a full recovery.

 

Man, I'm prone to being shocked. Nothing ever too serious. Just a jerk that surely wakes me up

Not sure why the Kenya and Xenia reacted that way. Maybe the Kenya was about to frag itself anyways and that could be why it looks a bit discolored. I'm sure it would pull through.

By the way, my latest shock was this week by me trying to put a light on the algae scrubber. That one had me jolted for a while

 

Ok you win....I dunno what but you win for having the most shocking experiences...LOL.
The color changed immediately and the Kenya & Xenia took over a week to decide to split. So am not sure it it's even related, but the color change definitely is!