Whats wrong?

zach202 · 10/22/2006, 05:09 AM

Sorry for the double post but the other area wasnt getting any feedback.

I came home today to see my tank was a mess. Luckily its out in the garage (I know, Im about to bring it in but im still working on the built in stand) but the overflow failed and ended up overflowing the sump which went into the main pump and blew the circuit breaker, and well you can go from there... (at least I think thats what happened)

Needless to say it was without power for about 5 hours (based on the light cycle), now everything is up and running again minus the calcium reactor. The water got cooled off a fair bit, its normally in the mid 80s and now its showing 77.

My issue is the salinity. Its showing 1.13, any ideas on this? Im just using a cheap instant ocean gauge, but still. Its been on the low side 1.21 for a few weeks now. Would the temperature cause this low reading or is it really that low? Nothing in the tank looks so hot right now but polyps are slowly trying to open, the zenia is closed and not moving. A few snails are out, a brittle star looks hurt, etc.

Ideas? Im hesitant to go add more salt right now, also if i need to how slowly should I bring it up?

Would anything cause the salt level to drop other than adding more fresh water? I cant see how that would have happened.

smcnally · 10/22/2006, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by zach202
Sorry for the double post but the other area wasnt getting any feedback.

I came home today to see my tank was a mess. Luckily its out in the garage (I know, Im about to bring it in but im still working on the built in stand) but the overflow failed and ended up overflowing the sump which went into the main pump and blew the circuit breaker, and well you can go from there... (at least I think thats what happened)

Your power probably went out first. It sounds as if you don't have an antisyphon hole drillied in your return plumbing. It should be drilled just at the water surface so when a pump fails (or power goes out), the water doesn't syphon to the sump from the pump's return plumbing. I would guess that your power went out, the water syphoned through the return (overflowing your sump) then it got the electrical components wet, and then when the power came back on it popped the breaker.

Quote:

Originally posted by zach202
Needless to say it was without power for about 5 hours (based on the light cycle), now everything is up and running again minus the calcium reactor. The water got cooled off a fair bit, its normally in the mid 80s and now its showing 77.

I wouldn't worry about a 3 degree drop in 5 hours

Quote:

Originally posted by zach202
issue is the salinity. Its showing 1.13, any ideas on this? Im just using a cheap instant ocean gauge, but still. Its been on the low side 1.21 for a few weeks now. Would the temperature cause this low reading or is it really that low? Nothing in the tank looks so hot right now but polyps are slowly trying to open, the zenia is closed and not moving. A few snails are out, a brittle star looks hurt, etc.

Ideas? Im hesitant to go add more salt right now, also if i need to how slowly should I bring it up?

Would anything cause the salt level to drop other than adding more fresh water? I cant see how that would have happened.

Have you been topping off the evaporated water? If so with fresh water or salt water? You should be topping off daily with fresh water. RODI preferably.

zach202 · 10/22/2006, 05:32 AM

Thanks for the quick (and early) reply. Ive been topping off with fresh water (not ro right now because the system had really old filters and the new ones are being shipped). The sump was the part that overflowed so I dont think the auto topoff would have added fresh water, and I turned it off before I got everything back up and running. I orginaly thought the autotopoff may have failed causing the entire issue.

Of course this all happens when I have no salt and 400 gallons on order... I guess Ill go buy a bag this morning, Im just worried about adding it to quickly.

Could something other than adding fresh water have caused it to drop? Ive been having to add salt for the past few weeks which ive never done before.

Update: this morning with the lights out the brittle is out moving around, the polyps are in as normal, but the xenia is shrinking and looking pretty bad.

smcnally · 10/22/2006, 05:45 AM

Oh...I just realized your salinity dropped. For some reason I was thinking it raised. The overflow is what caused the salinity to lower. If your sump overflows, the auto top off you have will replenish that with fresh water. Is your auto topoff not connected to your sump? It should be. If it is connected to your main tank, it will overflow every time your power goes out.

zach202 · 10/22/2006, 06:22 AM

the topoff is connected to the sump, the sump is what overflowed. As you said, the plumbing in the main tank drained the main tank into the sump.

smcnally · 10/22/2006, 06:31 AM

Yes, but what happens when the sump overflows is that when the power comes back on, the pumps start up and fill the main tank (which now leaves the sump with less water than normal. This causes the auto top off to replenish the sump which lowers your salinity. The only other thing, IMO, that could have caused this is a faulty auto top off. If your auto top off was stuck, it could have overflowed your sump with fresh water throughout the day. IMO, though, your salinity would be MUCH lower if that was the case.

zach202 · 10/22/2006, 07:23 AM

That makes sense. How quickly would you get the sainity up? Its at 1.14 right now. I know thats not good but Im worried if I raise it too much it will have just as much of a bad effect. Also, would you wait until the salt comes on Tuesday or go buy a bag this morning? Im planning on buying it this morning, 2 days is a long time I think.

smcnally · 10/22/2006, 07:24 AM

I would get a small bag of it and top it off with salt water instead of fresh until it gets back to normal.

rdmpe · 10/22/2006, 07:31 AM

Sounds like smcnally has it figured out. I just want to pipe in that a salinity meter and'or refractometer is a very worthwhile investment that you will never regret.

Sk8r · 10/22/2006, 07:44 AM

To raise your salinity safely, top off with saltwater. WHat is alive has survived the change and adapted by now: you don't want to put them through catastrophe twice. Topping off with 1.026 saltwater will bring it up gently. Stop using saltwater when it reaches 1.025, or whatever is your regular salinity levels---1.025 is for corals and anemones.

10/22/2006, 05:09 AM	#1
zach202 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA (Douglasville) Posts: 125	Whats wrong? Sorry for the double post but the other area wasnt getting any feedback. I came home today to see my tank was a mess. Luckily its out in the garage (I know, Im about to bring it in but im still working on the built in stand) but the overflow failed and ended up overflowing the sump which went into the main pump and blew the circuit breaker, and well you can go from there... (at least I think thats what happened) Needless to say it was without power for about 5 hours (based on the light cycle), now everything is up and running again minus the calcium reactor. The water got cooled off a fair bit, its normally in the mid 80s and now its showing 77. My issue is the salinity. Its showing 1.13, any ideas on this? Im just using a cheap instant ocean gauge, but still. Its been on the low side 1.21 for a few weeks now. Would the temperature cause this low reading or is it really that low? Nothing in the tank looks so hot right now but polyps are slowly trying to open, the zenia is closed and not moving. A few snails are out, a brittle star looks hurt, etc. Ideas? Im hesitant to go add more salt right now, also if i need to how slowly should I bring it up? Would anything cause the salt level to drop other than adding more fresh water? I cant see how that would have happened.

10/22/2006, 07:44 AM	#10
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	To raise your salinity safely, top off with saltwater. WHat is alive has survived the change and adapted by now: you don't want to put them through catastrophe twice. Topping off with 1.026 saltwater will bring it up gently. Stop using saltwater when it reaches 1.025, or whatever is your regular salinity levels---1.025 is for corals and anemones. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

10/22/2006, 05:32 AM	#3
zach202 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA (Douglasville) Posts: 125	Thanks for the quick (and early) reply. Ive been topping off with fresh water (not ro right now because the system had really old filters and the new ones are being shipped). The sump was the part that overflowed so I dont think the auto topoff would have added fresh water, and I turned it off before I got everything back up and running. I orginaly thought the autotopoff may have failed causing the entire issue. Of course this all happens when I have no salt and 400 gallons on order... I guess Ill go buy a bag this morning, Im just worried about adding it to quickly. Could something other than adding fresh water have caused it to drop? Ive been having to add salt for the past few weeks which ive never done before. Update: this morning with the lights out the brittle is out moving around, the polyps are in as normal, but the xenia is shrinking and looking pretty bad.

10/22/2006, 05:45 AM	#4
smcnally Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Shore, MA Posts: 1,181	Oh...I just realized your salinity dropped. For some reason I was thinking it raised. The overflow is what caused the salinity to lower. If your sump overflows, the auto top off you have will replenish that with fresh water. Is your auto topoff not connected to your sump? It should be. If it is connected to your main tank, it will overflow every time your power goes out.

10/22/2006, 06:22 AM	#5
zach202 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA (Douglasville) Posts: 125	the topoff is connected to the sump, the sump is what overflowed. As you said, the plumbing in the main tank drained the main tank into the sump.

10/22/2006, 06:31 AM	#6
smcnally Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Shore, MA Posts: 1,181	Yes, but what happens when the sump overflows is that when the power comes back on, the pumps start up and fill the main tank (which now leaves the sump with less water than normal. This causes the auto top off to replenish the sump which lowers your salinity. The only other thing, IMO, that could have caused this is a faulty auto top off. If your auto top off was stuck, it could have overflowed your sump with fresh water throughout the day. IMO, though, your salinity would be MUCH lower if that was the case.

10/22/2006, 07:23 AM	#7
zach202 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA (Douglasville) Posts: 125	That makes sense. How quickly would you get the sainity up? Its at 1.14 right now. I know thats not good but Im worried if I raise it too much it will have just as much of a bad effect. Also, would you wait until the salt comes on Tuesday or go buy a bag this morning? Im planning on buying it this morning, 2 days is a long time I think.

10/22/2006, 07:24 AM	#8
smcnally Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Shore, MA Posts: 1,181	I would get a small bag of it and top it off with salt water instead of fresh until it gets back to normal.

10/22/2006, 07:31 AM	#9
rdmpe Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Central Florida Posts: 3,737	Sounds like smcnally has it figured out. I just want to pipe in that a salinity meter and'or refractometer is a very worthwhile investment that you will never regret.