TANK EMERGENCY, NEED ADVICE

EEE1986

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I was fortunate to be home today and noted that I kept on hearing my Tunze 3 nano ATO activate. I thought this was weird and went to check on the tank and saw that the sensor was completely submerged and the water in the tank very cloudy (I dose 2 tsp kalkwasser/gal in my ATO reservoir). I immediately unplugged the ATO and removed the cap of the sensor to reveal significant fouling of the device. I had just measured all my parameters this AM prior (or at the beginning) of when all of this was happening. Ca was 380 Mg Alk 9.4, Mg 1250 pH 7.7. After appreciating the ATO failure I checked the pH again and it increased to 8.1. All life in the tank other than my chronically dying torch seem to be doing okay. I am currently soaking my ATO sensor in citric acid and will be performing a water change shortly. Just not sure how much of a water change that should be and if there is anything else I should be doing. Your advice would be appreciated.
20250918_132810_A11A0254-89E4-4B4B-9FA9-A0F443728E2A.png
 
Last edited:
I was fortunate to be home today and noted that I kept on hearing my Tunze 3 nano ATO activate. I thought this was weird and went to check on the tank and saw that the sensor was completely submerged and the water in the tank very cloudy (I dose 2 tsp kalkwasser/gal in my ATO reservoir). I immediately unplugged the ATO and removed the cap of the sensor to reveal significant fouling of the device. I had just measured all my parameters this AM prior (or at the beginning) of when all of this was happening. Ca was 380 Mg Alk 9.4, Mg 1250 pH 7.7. After appreciating the ATO failure I checked the pH again and it increased to 8.1. All life in the tank other than my chronically dying torch seem to be doing okay. I am currently soaking my ATO sensor in citric acid and will be performing a water change shortly. Just not sure how much of a water change that should be and if there is anything else I should be doing. Your advice would be appreciated.
20250918_132810_A11A0254-89E4-4B4B-9FA9-A0F443728E2A.png
Water changes are your friend if you are worried. Don’t follow my advice , but this is definitely one of the reasons why I do not use any dosers / ATO
 
If that's just gunk, then wipe/scrape it off and you'll be good. If that's rust, then you might need a new ATO.
 
Im not sure I'm understanding the emergency. What exactly are you concerned about? Im not seeing the issue in your post other then a little gunk.
 

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