The simplest thing, and all hell breaks lose!

[Twoddler]

I thought I would just share this experience
So, I have Ich in my 220, too many fish to QT, I,ve had success in the past using Polyp lab medic, so I medicate before lights on ( Just before I leave for work ) UV turned off. I turn UV back on when I get home from work, then off again for second dose after lights out, wait 2hrs UV back on and repeat.

This is were it goes south
This morning my brother in law turns up for breakfast, asked what I was doing, I explained, dosing the tank because I have a parasite in the water column and I need to turn the UV off for a couple of hrs, but I,ve to go work so I cant switch back on until I finish ( 8hr shift ).

Brother in law - " I,ll come back in a few hrs and turn it on for you ! Which plug is it ".

I don,t know about all you other reefers but I'm pretty much OCD about plugs and labelling them what there for.

Now you,ve probably already guessed what's happend, .......... But just a bit more background, I,m carbon dosing to lower No3, have also got 2 Skimmers running and I run a fuge.

I had fitted a new RFG to my return pipe to improve flow, the effect of this was increasing the volume of water back syphon to the sump, ok no problem I thought, I,ll drill a small hole in the return pipe to stop the syphon when I get home from work.

You,ve probably guessed.............. He hit the switch for the return pump !!!! Not the UV

All hell brakes lose, I'm at work, phone call " @×+"$ ×=#@$ =÷/$%" can,t really type the conversation I was a bit angry, communication had broke to the extent I could nt get him to undo what he had done by flicking the switch back on.

I left work, immediately, 15 mile drive home,

Water everywhere, wavemakers splashing, Sump overflowed and looking like a jacuzzi, bubble bath, skimmers going crazy, Wife 100 billion decibels shouting at me, some ot the words she used, well I new I was in trouble!!! It was a mess.

Now I don,t blame my brother in law, he had all good intentions, it's my fault, just the simplest flick of a switch, compounded with new RFG and not drilling a 1/16 hole.

Sorry for the post, but I'm sat here after the big clean up, dealing with the silent treatment and tail between my legs. I love this hobby and hope the wife let's me carry on

Rant over

 

[Twoddler]

BTW all animals ok

 

[blaxsun]

Neptune Apex is your in-laws best friend.

 

[beehive124]

I've had some problems with my tank, but nothing on this level! Glad to hear all the animals are ok! Hopefully that doesn't ever happen again

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I thought I would just share this experience
So, I have Ich in my 220, too many fish to QT, I,ve had success in the past using Polyp lab medic, so I medicate before lights on ( Just before I leave for work ) UV turned off. I turn UV back on when I get home from work, then off again for second dose after lights out, wait 2hrs UV back on and repeat.

This is were it goes south
This morning my brother in law turns up for breakfast, asked what I was doing, I explained, dosing the tank because I have a parasite in the water column and I need to turn the UV off for a couple of hrs, but I,ve to go work so I cant switch back on until I finish ( 8hr shift ).

Brother in law - " I,ll come back in a few hrs and turn it on for you ! Which plug is it ".

I don,t know about all you other reefers but I'm pretty much OCD about plugs and labelling them what there for.

Now you,ve probably already guessed what's happend, .......... But just a bit more background, I,m carbon dosing to lower No3, have also got 2 Skimmers running and I run a fuge.

I had fitted a new RFG to my return pipe to improve flow, the effect of this was increasing the volume of water back syphon to the sump, ok no problem I thought, I,ll drill a small hole in the return pipe to stop the syphon when I get home from work.

You,ve probably guessed.............. He hit the switch for the return pump !!!! Not the UV

All hell brakes lose, I'm at work, phone call " @×+"$ ×=#@$ =÷/$%" can,t really type the conversation I was a bit angry, communication had broke to the extent I could nt get him to undo what he had done by flicking the switch back on.

I left work, immediately, 15 mile drive home,

Water everywhere, wavemakers splashing, Sump overflowed and looking like a jacuzzi, bubble bath, skimmers going crazy, Wife 100 billion decibels shouting at me, some ot the words she used, well I new I was in trouble!!! It was a mess.

Now I don,t blame my brother in law, he had all good intentions, it's my fault, just the simplest flick of a switch, compounded with new RFG and not drilling a 1/16 hole.

Sorry for the post, but I'm sat here after the big clean up, dealing with the silent treatment and tail between my legs. I love this hobby and hope the wife let's me carry on

Rant over

I don’t know weather to leave a laughing emoji or a sad one, oh the horror dude. My wife would rip me a new one too

 

[Cell]

I don’t know weather to leave a laughing emoji or a sad one, oh the horror dude. My wife would rip me a new one too

I think the appropriate response would be something like: I assumed YOUR brother could handle flipping a single light switch.

 

[Twoddler]

I don’t know weather to leave a laughing emoji or a sad one, oh the horror dude. My wife would rip me a new one too

Nah all good now, and yes I have a new one lol

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

Definitely need to work on your system more if just turning a return pump off causes a major flood incident.

 

[workhz]

Stuff happens. Tell your wife to chill. Sheesh.

 

[Gtinnel]

It seems like a controller or at least smart power strips are in order so that you can control on/off of every component of your tank remotely.

 

[FishTruck]

LOL... reminds me of when I went off to college and figured my Mom could take care of my Saltwater Tank while I was gone for two months at a time. It was simple and easy for me... so I figured... what could go wrong??

 

[G Santana]

I guess the brother in law eats at the kids table this Thanksgiving!!!

 

[Dukereefnz]

Great story... I had a good laugh!!!
Sorry but that was funny.

More funny when it's not happening to me.

 

[Rollman]

Turning off return pump should not do that, glad it worked out

 

[Koh23]

Sorry to hear that,but great that you have no loss in fish,corals....

Regarding the wife, not sure what to say, mine,by now, have phd in reef tank equipment.... Hours and hours of training, explaining, so i can leave my tank without worries, if anything unexpected happens, she knows what to do....

 

[Cell]

If I was your brother in law, I would have been flipping every switch in sight in sheer panic after watching the water start overflowing.

 

[Twoddler]

Definitely need to work on your system more if just turning a return pump off causes a major flood incident.

Your right and the dumb thing was, by fitting the new RFG on the return in the display it increased the volume of water being back syphon. I new this, and was going to drill a small hole in the return pipe when I got home from work. I should of waited

 

[Twoddler]

If I was your brother in law, I would have been flipping every switch in sight in sheer panic after watching the water start overflowing.

Me too, but you know everyone reacts differently to a crisis, funny enough were sat here talking, me, the brother inlaw and the wife about yesterday's events.

He just went into meltdown and ran for towels. Apart from water overflowing the sump and because the display level had dropped so much the gyre was throwing water over the top of the display.

Any how I,ve been given permission to invest in more equipment to prevent this happening again