Leaking UV Sterilizer

[Vicki]

This morning I found one of the Poly-Filters which has turned orange. This indicates Iron. Guess my Iron test kit doesn't pick up whatever type of Iron this is. How bad is excessive iron in a system? Should I prepare for another massive water change?

Vicki

 

[Scooterman]

Strange huh, must be from the LR leaching back into the water, guess that is a good sign. I bet this is stressful but don't give in, we hope you can get the tank back in good health. I would think wc's at least won't hurt so It may be necessary to keep doing them evey couple days until you can rid your tank of all signs although it may not be as bad as it looks.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

How bad is excessive iron in a system? Should I prepare for another massive water change?

Vicki

Of the metals that get dissolved into the tank, Iron is the least of your problems. (typically as a plant food, an algae fertilizer)

It does change the ionic balance and needs to be removed. There are no real substitutes for Water changes. The resin media help, but never as good as simply rinsing it out of the system.

Assuming you got most of the copper and heavy metals out, many smaller changes are going to be better than a second massive one. The metals will leach back into the water column and can be removed over time.

 

[salmonslayer]

Vicki,Vicki,Vicki. So sorry to hear about your disaster. I know first hand how much time,pride and care you put towards your systems. Mike said it best you still have friends, health and good wine to hopfuly even it all out. Dig deep for hope that all will turn out well. Best wishes and talk to you soon. Chow the plumber man .

 

[krisfal]

So sorry to hear about this Vicki! Makes me glad I had removed my UV in the last couple of months, I had never replaced the bulbs so figured they were not doing me much good anyway. I am trying to learn more about ozone as I am planning to go in that direction, but when I looked at them the warnings about danger to people and livestock if used improperly stopped me from buying one until I can talk to someone and gain a better understanding of how it works and how to prevent problems.

Anyway let me know if you could use a hand with anything, you have been nothing but kind to me, making me feel comfortable at the PSAS meetings when I first started showing up and befriending me. I will PM you my phone number.

 

[Vicki]

Thanks so much to everyone for their input, offers of help and kind words. It's certainly helped to get me through this disaster.

I've done so many water changes, I'm hoping there isn't a drop of the toxic water left in this system. I'm so thankful that less than a month ago I'd added an RO booster pump. Don't know how I'd have managed all these water changes without it. The booster pump has (at least) doubled my production.

I haven't lost another fish since the day after I discovered the problem. I do still have several that are severely affected by this, but they've all started eating again, so that's giving me some hope. It's been really depressing watching some of them.

I have kicked myself so many times that I didn't catch this at least a month before I did. I could have saved so many....

Hope someone learns from my disaster and that from reading this thread, can save themselves from the heart break I've just been through.

Vicki

 

[jnarowe]

Wow...sorry I missed this Vicki. The lesson here for all to learn is that if you get shocked by your system, you must find the cause. It can be very difficult to trace electrical leaks down, but taking each item offline and testing with a continuity meter (or your hand) is about the best way I have found. I also run grounding probes in all my tanks.

 

[ziggy]

Wow...sorry I missed this Vicki. The lesson here for all to learn is that if you get shocked by your system, you must find the cause. It can be very difficult to trace electrical leaks down, but taking each item offline and testing with a continuity meter (or your hand) is about the best way I have found. I also run grounding probes in all my tanks.

She did exactly what you said by taking everything out and checking it. The only thing she didnt do was open the uv sterilizer. And she does run grounding probes. She takes meticulous care of the clowns,she even has a name for all 400of them.

It wasn't one of those things that you go "I had a friend this happened to, I better check this"

I guess what Im trying to say is it was not her Husbandry skills more along the lines of an unfortunate fluke.

 

[jnarowe]

Oh, and no doubt about that. I have spent some time with Vicki and did not mean to imply that she didn't do something right. I would never have thought to open up the UV myself. I guess what I meant to say is "now we know". Too bad it had catastrophic results for Vicki.

Getting shocked while using grounding probes is definitely a red flag. I would have been freaked out trying to figure out that one. I only use UV on my QT tank but do plan to install one on my display at some point in the future. I just don't know how to "prevent" what happened to hers. With my luck, an electrical spike would blow the bulb and break the sleeve.