Absolute stupid mistake.

Owensue · 09/16/2014, 09:37 PM

So yesterday at about this time I turned on a spigot for my rodi top off (straight into sump) manually due to a failed float swith a month back which also caused a slight sg fluctuation. I was heading out of my fish room to set a 15 minute timer when I noticed my wife nearby and started a conversation. Well, no timer was set

22 hours later I feel like the biggest idiot in reef keeping. Sg of 1.010. My fish are doing ok, still calm no heavy breathing. Many soft corals have formed a slime coat or closed but look to be ok (favia,acans, zoa's , ric's, shrooms and palays) My cleaner shrimp and most snails and many (not too many) mini brittle stars are gonners.

Slowly raising the sg, it's up to 1.018 now and things are moving about, my larger stars a Fromia and brittle are mobile (thank goodness), need to locate my serpent and sand sifter still. Surprisingly my anemone's look ok also (fingers crossed). As does my ellegance. My hammer and 'grapes' don't look so good though.

Sadly two ginormous aptasia seem to be breaking apart

(I hope this doesn't cause an outbreak)

I'll keep raising sg slowly and hope everything works out. I still see some copods scurrying about, so that has to be a sign I fought things just in time.

cherubfish pair · 09/16/2014, 10:08 PM

What you say are gonners aren't necessarily gonners. Good luck.

Owensue · 09/16/2014, 10:11 PM

I hear you. I left everything in the tank, to be evaluated.

Already I notice one of my shrimp is relocated, in an upright position and does not have the swelled look it did. Could be a molt due to stress. The snails seem to be perking up too, many already on the glass. I'm optimistic (and stupid according to my wife ) lol

Spyderturbo007 · 09/17/2014, 06:02 AM

After this ordeal, you might want to consider a controller with dual float switches. You'll never have this problem again.

I would use saltwater in your ATO until the SG hits your target. That's going to be the best way to slowly increase the salinity.

ktownhero · 09/17/2014, 07:57 AM

How did your sump not flood?

addictedreefer · 09/17/2014, 08:03 AM

I know its a pain, but my policy is to keep my ATO reservoir small (I use a 5 gallon bucket for a 93 gallon tank and a 15 gallon trash can for my 210 gallon). Need to fill them about once a week, but it is the ultimate fail safe - even if there is a total malfunction of the ATO, the effect upon salinity would be minimal.

Owensue · 09/17/2014, 06:15 PM

I was using a float switch (humidifier type) the tubing broke free a month ago and threw off the salinity a little. My wife noticed it and shut off the rodi supply quickly. So I put the tap on the tubing to get by, and then this mistake. So she suggested the whole bucket thing too so if anything I overflow just a bucket.

My sump did overflow, my sump is directly over a floor drain so no damage. The sump overflowing is likely why the salinity didn't drop too quickly, as it was the lower salinity water flowing out first.

In the end 20 lbs of salt was needed to get back to balance.

09/16/2014, 09:37 PM	#1
Owensue Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Barrie Ontario Posts: 82	Absolute stupid mistake. So yesterday at about this time I turned on a spigot for my rodi top off (straight into sump) manually due to a failed float swith a month back which also caused a slight sg fluctuation. I was heading out of my fish room to set a 15 minute timer when I noticed my wife nearby and started a conversation. Well, no timer was set 22 hours later I feel like the biggest idiot in reef keeping. Sg of 1.010. My fish are doing ok, still calm no heavy breathing. Many soft corals have formed a slime coat or closed but look to be ok (favia,acans, zoa's , ric's, shrooms and palays) My cleaner shrimp and most snails and many (not too many) mini brittle stars are gonners. Slowly raising the sg, it's up to 1.018 now and things are moving about, my larger stars a Fromia and brittle are mobile (thank goodness), need to locate my serpent and sand sifter still. Surprisingly my anemone's look ok also (fingers crossed). As does my ellegance. My hammer and 'grapes' don't look so good though. Sadly two ginormous aptasia seem to be breaking apart (I hope this doesn't cause an outbreak) I'll keep raising sg slowly and hope everything works out. I still see some copods scurrying about, so that has to be a sign I fought things just in time.

09/16/2014, 10:08 PM	#2
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	What you say are gonners aren't necessarily gonners. Good luck. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

09/16/2014, 10:11 PM	#3
Owensue Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Barrie Ontario Posts: 82	I hear you. I left everything in the tank, to be evaluated. Already I notice one of my shrimp is relocated, in an upright position and does not have the swelled look it did. Could be a molt due to stress. The snails seem to be perking up too, many already on the glass. I'm optimistic (and stupid according to my wife ) lol

09/17/2014, 06:02 AM	#4
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	After this ordeal, you might want to consider a controller with dual float switches. You'll never have this problem again. I would use saltwater in your ATO until the SG hits your target. That's going to be the best way to slowly increase the salinity.

09/17/2014, 07:57 AM	#5
ktownhero Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 1,426	How did your sump not flood?

09/17/2014, 08:03 AM	#6
addictedreefer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 965	I know its a pain, but my policy is to keep my ATO reservoir small (I use a 5 gallon bucket for a 93 gallon tank and a 15 gallon trash can for my 210 gallon). Need to fill them about once a week, but it is the ultimate fail safe - even if there is a total malfunction of the ATO, the effect upon salinity would be minimal.

09/17/2014, 06:15 PM	#7
Owensue Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Barrie Ontario Posts: 82	I was using a float switch (humidifier type) the tubing broke free a month ago and threw off the salinity a little. My wife noticed it and shut off the rodi supply quickly. So I put the tap on the tubing to get by, and then this mistake. So she suggested the whole bucket thing too so if anything I overflow just a bucket. My sump did overflow, my sump is directly over a floor drain so no damage. The sump overflowing is likely why the salinity didn't drop too quickly, as it was the lower salinity water flowing out first. In the end 20 lbs of salt was needed to get back to balance.