Disaster on Flippers reef

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Flippers4pups

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So glad it wasn't worse. There's nothing more frightening to an aquarist than an unfamiliar sound coming from your tank, or a puddle of water on the floor. I think we've all been there a time or two. I once pulled into my garage, which is in my basement under the room where my tank is, to see water dripping down from the ceiling! Ran up to find that my macaw had gotten out of his cage and went behind the tank and chewed off the return hose!! Bless his heart, he now resides in the Knoxville Zoo. Kudos to you LFS for knowing how to treat a valued customer in need.

That would have been a doozy to see! I've had large water flood events In the long ago past. Just goes to show it could happen to anyone.

I love a happy ending!

Me too. Just going to be up for awhile making saltwater. I'm shy ten gallons as of right now. RO/DI is slower this time of year due to the extreme coldness of the incoming water.

I was able to clean and inspect the magnetic float in the electronic ATO switch. It was just fine. Went into a vinegar bath. My ATO pump was pretty crusty, so it got the same bath. Hooked all of it up out of water and applied electric to it and it works just fine! Go figure! All I can think of is the float had gotten a asterina stuck up in it and it wouldn't drop. (Got a butt load of those in my system)

Well see.
 

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Disaster on Flippers reef this morning!

I wake up at 7:00am this morning and go into the living room to get to the kitchen for some coffee and I hear a rattle. At that hour in the morning my lights on the tank aren't on. I walk over to the tank and open the canopy doors. No water is coming from the basement sump!

Go down stairs and there's water on the basement floor! Not a huge amount, but the return section of the sump is almost dry! I turn off the return pump and start evaluating what happened. Nothing has leaked, no sump tank failure and everything is dry. On to the ATO reservoir, it's wet underneath and it's full of water!

Bingo, the ATO discharge tube has slipped and is under water in the skimmer section of the sump. It back siphoned the system water into it, filled the reservoir with saltwater and over flowed on to the floor. Why didn't the electronic float switch kick on and refill the system is at this point a mystery.

Now the wife had started a new job recently and just got paid and paid a chunk of bills. They hold back a pay check and for almost a month Ive been covering all the bills. It's been tight lately. I'm broke at the moment and get paid next Friday, that's when I was to pick up some salt.

In a pinch I called up my friends at seascape studio and told them what happened and said I have some coral to trade for some salt. They graciously accepted the trade for a box of salt.

Kudos and a Big shout out to Seascape Studio for helping Flipper out!

img_20190302_121524-jpg.996381


Rushed home and made 20 gallons as fast as my flippers could mix it and in it went. Mixed water temp was 65 and went added to the system it dropped the tank temp to 76. Everything in the DT looks beautiful and fish are happy! Thank you God and once again Seascape Studio!

Man, what a morning!!!
Love it! I am also big fan of Seascape, that is where I buy all of my Wrasses from! They are the best....they will never let you down that's for sure! Glad your tank and livestock are ok! [emoji16]
 

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Thank you for this thread! Your misfortune wasn't in vain. I just added these suggestions to my new build. I wouldn't have thought of it otherwise.
 
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Flippers4pups

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Thank you all.

Went to bed last night letting the RO/DI unit run. Got 30 gallons in that time. I need 20 to be back at full. It's cold here and the incoming water is:

IMG_20190303_105655.jpg


RO/DI holding tank is:

IMG_20190303_104819.jpg


Salt mixing tank is at:

IMG_20190303_104832.jpg


Tank is at:

IMG_20190303_104735.jpg



Air temp in the basement is 69.

150w heater in the mixing tank, covered takes 45mins to heat 20 gallons to 77. Hopefully by lunch it will be ready.
 
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How do you have your rodi hooked up? Is it a permanent thing? I haven’t put mine in yet and I was wondering what our cold temps would do to it. It just runs slower?

It's a 5 stage from BRS. It's a permanent mounted unit. Very cold water makes the membrane have a hard time getting water through it.

IMG_20190303_112009.jpg
 
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Wow!! Disaster averted!! So glad it came out well!! LFS are so underrated! Just goes to prove that Amazon isn’t going to help anyone in a pinch!

Yes, support your LFS!
 

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Online shopping is great and definitely makes variety and diversity available to us that we would never otherwise have had. But nothing, and I do mean NOTHING can replace a good relationship with a great LFS. Big thumbs up to Seascape Studio!!!
 
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Online shopping is great and definitely makes variety and diversity available to us that we would never otherwise have had. But nothing, and I do mean NOTHING can replace a good relationship with a great LFS. Big thumbs up to Seascape Studio!!!

Yes!
 

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Disaster on Flippers reef this morning!

I wake up at 7:00am this morning and go into the living room to get to the kitchen for some coffee and I hear a rattle. At that hour in the morning my lights on the tank aren't on. I walk over to the tank and open the canopy doors. No water is coming from the basement sump!

Go down stairs and there's water on the basement floor! Not a huge amount, but the return section of the sump is almost dry! I turn off the return pump and start evaluating what happened. Nothing has leaked, no sump tank failure and everything is dry. On to the ATO reservoir, it's wet underneath and it's full of water!

Bingo, the ATO discharge tube has slipped and is under water in the skimmer section of the sump. It back siphoned the system water into it, filled the reservoir with saltwater and over flowed on to the floor. Why didn't the electronic float switch kick on and refill the system is at this point a mystery.

Now the wife had started a new job recently and just got paid and paid a chunk of bills. They hold back a pay check and for almost a month Ive been covering all the bills. It's been tight lately. I'm broke at the moment and get paid next Friday, that's when I was to pick up some salt.

In a pinch I called up my friends at seascape studio and told them what happened and said I have some coral to trade for some salt. They graciously accepted the trade for a box of salt.

Kudos and a Big shout out to Seascape Studio for helping Flipper out!

img_20190302_121524-jpg.996381


Rushed home and made 20 gallons as fast as my flippers could mix it and in it went. Mixed water temp was 65 and went added to the system it dropped the tank temp to 76. Everything in the DT looks beautiful and fish are happy! Thank you God and once again Seascape Studio!

Man, what a morning!!!
Awesome! Thank God! Nothing beats quick thinking. I think you might want to consider making a couple of good reefing buddies that will have your back in an emergency ;)
 
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