My APEX just dumped 200ml of alkalinity instead of 2ml

[Joe Batt]

Help....any ideas what to do? My APEX just dumped 200ml of alk into my 350 instead of 2ml. It shows 2ml as the dose but it has put 200ml into the tank when I look at the input. I just tested with Salifert and the dKh is off the scale low.

How can I save my tank?

 

[Guttersnipe]

Large
Water change

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yup^

Test the ph too.

 

[Joe Batt]

 

[Joe Batt]

Yup^

Test the ph too.

Ph has gone crazy

 

[KrisReef]

Move any frags you can into normal dKh water.

 

[Joe Batt]

I have moved as much as I can out to the quarantine tank and Im draining as much as possible from the main tank. I didn't ask my apex it to put 200 ml into the tank! I just hope I am fast enough

 

[TangoTang]

hope everything than was taken out in time is safe and hopefully with the water change things will look up.
good luck! and please let us know how its going

 

[sabor]

Where is terrance?!

 

[Joe Batt]

Right whilst the RODI unit is making water I will break down what happened.

I woke up and checked my Alkatronic and saw the dKh was increasing slightly so I wanted to drop the dosage back from 2.2ml to 2 ml, 12 times a day. It was around 07:55 with the next alkalinity dosage due at 08:00.

The iPhone has a small screen and the 'setting' icon is within mm of the 'ON' icon (not a great system layout if you ask me!) As I selected the 'setting' icon I inadvertently clicked the 'ON' icon. I realised it immediately and set it back to 'auto'. I then set the dosage to the 2ml that I wanted and uploaded the data

The next thing I know is my ph has skyrocketed and the DOS has dumped 200ml into the tank.

I at no stage selected 200ml.

 

[wesman42]

I know why, but it would start a flame war so I'll abstain. I'm sorry you're having to go through this. It's never fun when something bad happens in this hobby. Keep everyone posted. I'd like to find out if you were able to get it in time!

 

[Joe Batt]

Could you PM me the answer then please?

 

[Joe Batt]

I removed as many of the corals and cheato etc and put it in the quarantine tank. The remainder I covered in wet kitchen roll as the tank drained. I left just enough water for the fish to move around in.

Added 50 litres of fresh mixed water, and started to make more. I will drain the 50 litres I added again to further dilute what is left of the excessive kH. Now just feverishly making RODI to fill the tank again.....fingers crossed.....

 

[ReeferReefer]

I know why, but it would start a flame war so I'll abstain. I'm sorry you're having to go through this. It's never fun when something bad happens in this hobby. Keep everyone posted. I'd like to find out if you were able to get it in time!

I would like to know as I'm considering this system for myself and would like to avoid such problems.

 

[Water Dog]

I’d like to know too. Is it an issue inherent with the DOS?

 

[Joe Batt]

The tank is back up and running with the kh back at 8dkh. I guess only time will tell if there is any long term damage to the tank.

With regard to the APEX DOS, I have been running two of the units for several years and this is the first instance of a problem. Apex help desk say that the logs show I left the DOS in the on position for 10 minutes. Unfortunately this isn't correct, I accidentally selected it on as I said earlier in the thread, and I immediately realised what had happened I put it back to 'auto'. It was under 10 seconds I would guess.

 

[Wrasse-cal]

Really sorry this happened to you.

 

[Wrasse-cal]

I’d like to know too. Is it an issue inherent with the DOS?

Same.

 

[CMO]

Man this is terrifying. There really needs to be a fail safe built in that stops the unit if the maximum scheduled dose is reached (or something similar). I heave nightmares of this happening.

Sorry to hear it.

 

[CMO]

The tank is back up and running with the kh back at 8dkh. I guess only time will tell if there is any long term damage to the tank.

With regard to the APEX DOS, I have been running two of the units for several years and this is the first instance of a problem. Apex help desk say that the logs show I left the DOS in the on position for 10 minutes. Unfortunately this isn't correct, I accidentally selected it on as I said earlier in the thread, and I immediately realised what had happened I put it back to 'auto'. It was under 10 seconds I would guess.

May have been a wifi signal loss or delay in triggering it back to auto. I've seen some delays like this when working on my system.