ci11337
Active Member
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...totm/index.php Here's a big private reef. Of course, someday i'll have a bigger one.... :thinking:
500 gal reef converted to 850gal reef
- Thread starter steveweast
- Start date
fedukeford
Active Member
His tank crashed, i think something happend like he was draining his sump to do a water change, and drained to much or something, so he had to mix up a lot of water really quick, and didnt have much RO water stored, so he used tap water with a old dechlroifier (which i guess was too old and was one of the main reasons for the crash) and he lost almost all of his SPS and a bunch of other stuff.
Feduke
Feduke
autofreak44
Active Member
whats the D L on the crash? steve could you give us some details?
rebelprettyboy
Active Member
steveweast
Member
Originally Posted by maxalmon
Steve, any chance of getting an update on the progress of the tank since the crash? Did you have any sps to survive?
There were no sps or softy survivers. All lps and fish were unaffected though. For those unfamiliar...in a nut shell....
1) I cleaned my skimmer pumps and was called away for about 12 hrs.
2) came home to an empty sump (about 150 gals.)
3) decided to use tap water to get the system back online since our water here is some of the best in the country.
4) naturally, I used a dechlorinator.....but, the only dechlorinator I had on hand was over five years old and it was midnight.
5) next day....all sps and softies were dead.....I'm blaming the dechlorinator.
6) should have just left the tank sit while I took the 48hrs to make up another 150 gals.
7) lesson learned...but I now have a low water float switch in the sump to shut the skimmer off if the sump gets too low.
I finally finished installing the float switch today. The float switch is an inexpensive float switch from Macmaster. I extended the wires from the float switch through a clear acrylic tubing and filled the tubing with a black pourable epoxy. The switch was then plugged into the interface box from Neptune which allows the float switch to talk to my controller. I have the controller programmed (when a low water level is detected) to turn off the skimmer as well as all halides and UV. So far it works great....and since that I completely drain my sump once a month during water changes, I can test the float switch monthly. Here's a pic of the finished float switch which just hangs down into the sump. Total cost was $40.
As for the tank....it will be a long and slow rebuilding process. I've been able to take advantage of the generosity of a few local reefers as well as take advantage of a former reefer's tank tear down that yielded a few larger (although brownish) colonies. After this and a few purchases....the tank looks like this today.....still under-whelming.....but a start.
Steve, any chance of getting an update on the progress of the tank since the crash? Did you have any sps to survive?
There were no sps or softy survivers. All lps and fish were unaffected though. For those unfamiliar...in a nut shell....
1) I cleaned my skimmer pumps and was called away for about 12 hrs.
2) came home to an empty sump (about 150 gals.)
3) decided to use tap water to get the system back online since our water here is some of the best in the country.
4) naturally, I used a dechlorinator.....but, the only dechlorinator I had on hand was over five years old and it was midnight.
5) next day....all sps and softies were dead.....I'm blaming the dechlorinator.
6) should have just left the tank sit while I took the 48hrs to make up another 150 gals.
7) lesson learned...but I now have a low water float switch in the sump to shut the skimmer off if the sump gets too low.
I finally finished installing the float switch today. The float switch is an inexpensive float switch from Macmaster. I extended the wires from the float switch through a clear acrylic tubing and filled the tubing with a black pourable epoxy. The switch was then plugged into the interface box from Neptune which allows the float switch to talk to my controller. I have the controller programmed (when a low water level is detected) to turn off the skimmer as well as all halides and UV. So far it works great....and since that I completely drain my sump once a month during water changes, I can test the float switch monthly. Here's a pic of the finished float switch which just hangs down into the sump. Total cost was $40.
As for the tank....it will be a long and slow rebuilding process. I've been able to take advantage of the generosity of a few local reefers as well as take advantage of a former reefer's tank tear down that yielded a few larger (although brownish) colonies. After this and a few purchases....the tank looks like this today.....still under-whelming.....but a start.
B
brstwv
Guest
That's a nice tank, like you said a lesson learned
T
tiberius
Guest
Originally Posted by steveweast
There were no sps or softy survivers. All lps and fish were unaffected though. For those unfamiliar...in a nut shell....
1) I cleaned my skimmer pumps and was called away for about 12 hrs.
2) came home to an empty sump (about 150 gals.)
3) decided to use tap water to get the system back online since our water here is some of the best in the country.
4) naturally, I used a dechlorinator.....but, the only dechlorinator I had on hand was over five years old and it was midnight.
5) next day....all sps and softies were dead.....I'm blaming the dechlorinator.
6) should have just left the tank sit while I took the 48hrs to make up another 150 gals.
7) lesson learned...but I now have a low water float switch in the sump to shut the skimmer off if the sump gets too low.
I finally finished installing the float switch today. The float switch is an inexpensive float switch from Macmaster. I extended the wires from the float switch through a clear acrylic tubing and filled the tubing with a black pourable epoxy. The switch was then plugged into the interface box from Neptune which allows the float switch to talk to my controller. I have the controller programmed (when a low water level is detected) to turn off the skimmer as well as all halides and UV. So far it works great....and since that I completely drain my sump once a month during water changes, I can test the float switch monthly. Here's a pic of the finished float switch which just hangs down into the sump. Total cost was $40.
As for the tank....it will be a long and slow rebuilding process. I've been able to take advantage of the generosity of a few local reefers as well as take advantage of a former reefer's tank tear down that yielded a few larger (although brownish) colonies. After this and a few purchases....the tank looks like this today.....still under-whelming.....but a start.
[
Those are calender pics there! I think it looks great.
There were no sps or softy survivers. All lps and fish were unaffected though. For those unfamiliar...in a nut shell....
1) I cleaned my skimmer pumps and was called away for about 12 hrs.
2) came home to an empty sump (about 150 gals.)
3) decided to use tap water to get the system back online since our water here is some of the best in the country.
4) naturally, I used a dechlorinator.....but, the only dechlorinator I had on hand was over five years old and it was midnight.
5) next day....all sps and softies were dead.....I'm blaming the dechlorinator.
6) should have just left the tank sit while I took the 48hrs to make up another 150 gals.
7) lesson learned...but I now have a low water float switch in the sump to shut the skimmer off if the sump gets too low.
I finally finished installing the float switch today. The float switch is an inexpensive float switch from Macmaster. I extended the wires from the float switch through a clear acrylic tubing and filled the tubing with a black pourable epoxy. The switch was then plugged into the interface box from Neptune which allows the float switch to talk to my controller. I have the controller programmed (when a low water level is detected) to turn off the skimmer as well as all halides and UV. So far it works great....and since that I completely drain my sump once a month during water changes, I can test the float switch monthly. Here's a pic of the finished float switch which just hangs down into the sump. Total cost was $40.
As for the tank....it will be a long and slow rebuilding process. I've been able to take advantage of the generosity of a few local reefers as well as take advantage of a former reefer's tank tear down that yielded a few larger (although brownish) colonies. After this and a few purchases....the tank looks like this today.....still under-whelming.....but a start.
[
Those are calender pics there! I think it looks great.
steveweast
Member
Originally Posted by TriGa22
Steve did you update/are you going to update your site?
I will add a cold water section featuring my cold water reef this summer....but, the main tank pages will not see an update for many months.
Steve did you update/are you going to update your site?
I will add a cold water section featuring my cold water reef this summer....but, the main tank pages will not see an update for many months.
rebelprettyboy
Active Member
whats steve website?
wangotango
Active Member
it still looks very nice steve, keep at it. something very similar happened to me a few months ago. at the time my ATO was hooked up to an endless supply, and needless to say my sg went down to 1.010 before the unit burnt out. now i run the skimmer lower for a day after i clean it. keep us updated.
-Justin
-Justin
steveweast
Member
I will make mention of the incident....probably in the "redundancy" section detailing the float switch/skimmer hook-ups.