Lack of failsafe's is causing my tank crash

[Herefishyfishy]

Duane, my condolences on your recent pain in the patootie. I have owned 4 different Kalk stirrers on many tanks and though have had many mistakes, never nuked corals with it. Have lowered salinity as you mentioned. Most of my errors were from bad plumbing and most errors I read about can be attributed to same. I am using JBJ ATOs due to the limited time function built into them. Sometimes failsafes are what takes a tank out. Like with anything else, shrimp happens.

p.s. when you get the sump set up, have your collector within it...

 

[trido]

Ya, this was definately a human error. I never should have left the overflow hose into an open gallon jug below the tank. In the mean time, I have added a short hose from the skimmer that lead back to the tank. Seems silly to me that Eshopps makes a four inch tall collection cup with the drain only one and a half inches or a third of the way up it. Two thirds up the cup seems more like common sence to me.

Anyway, I'll just leave my kalk hooked up to my ATO as I have done for five years now. The two times having it this way caused me problems was my own lack of though or being in a hurry to put a system back on line. IMO if its done right, it can be pretty fool proof. A double ATO switch will definately be part of the plan.

And hopefully, I can stop being the fool. :drum:

 

[reedman]

there is no bullet proof way of setting up a tank. Kalk overdose, CO2 regulator failure, float switch failure, skimmer goes bonkers, electrical into the tank, and on and on. I have electrocuted my tank with a seaswirl, overdosed kalk and many other stupid things. Point is, Duane, you know these things and I don't think you were here looking for people to solve a perceived problem, but rather to share your trouble so others can learn about it.

I know it's tempting for people to try to solve the problem every time, but sometimes the "problem" really isn't a problem at all. Just something that we need to pay attention to. No different from checking your RO filters, changing lights and the like. Many ways to kill a tank, but careful observation will trump "fail-safing" every time. Good luck on the comeback Duane! I look forward to the progress.

 

[trido]

Well said Reed.

There are too many ways unfortunately to kill a tank. I do spend alot of time trying to create redundancy and fail safes in all the tanks I'm involved with and have ever created. In this case, I messed up and will pay the ultimate price of losing fish and corals. I shared this experience as a reminder to everyone to think hard about even the small things you do to your tank. Hopefully this thread might help prevent someone else's tank from crashing.

 

[dnjan]

When dealing with a touchy skimmer on my son's tank years ago, I ran the air intake hose into the top of the collection cup (hose extended into the cup about a half inch).

If the skimmer goes crazy and tries to overflow, it loses its air source and just sucks the diluted skimmer water. If sucking a bit of diluted skimmer water bothers you, loop the air intake hose up a ways. The skimmer would then have to pull water uphill in the air hose, and there generally isn't that much suction.

 

[Maxx]

Good info Dnjan!

 

[trido]

When dealing with a touchy skimmer on my son's tank years ago, I ran the air intake hose into the top of the collection cup (hose extended into the cup about a half inch).

If the skimmer goes crazy and tries to overflow, it loses its air source and just sucks the diluted skimmer water. If sucking a bit of diluted skimmer water bothers you, loop the air intake hose up a ways. The skimmer would then have to pull water uphill in the air hose, and there generally isn't that much suction.

Good idea! Typically the worst thing that happens when skimmer waste water goes back into the system is a cyano outbreak.

 

[dnjan]

Which is not nearly as bad as the flood that caused me to put in the air-intake modification described above!