Lesson learned - snail clogging overflow

ser_renely · 04/23/2009, 08:43 PM

So as many times I have read not do allow snails in your over flow, what have I been doing? Letting snails in my over flow. They were cleaning it up nice and we were both happy....for a while.

I come home in a hurry to take off to a game when I look at my tank...

...

hmmm, the water level looks really high. I start inspecting. Everything looks fine, what the hell is going on? Crap, my ATO is on and has a way to go to get to the correct level.

After about 15 minutes and a lot of water on the floor, I find a dead snail wedged in my piping from the overflow to the sump.

Dumped a half gallon of full strength kalk in the tank...hope the damage is minimal

Lesson learned.

On a side note does a dead snail raise nitrates? or too small to do damage?

Thanks,
Ser

ludnix · 04/23/2009, 08:55 PM

Can you take a picture of your drains? I'm curious as to how he got in it.

ser_renely · 04/23/2009, 09:03 PM

I can tomorrow.

Essentially it was in my overflow box, moved through the u-tube to the back of the overflow.... and went back and forth for months, eating and cleaning.

He then went down the PVC pipe and perished at some point. I remember my overflow making strange noises but couldn't figure it out. He got lodged in a 90 degree turn.

drummereef · 04/23/2009, 09:47 PM

Oh man, sorry to hear that. Hopefully everything survives alright.

davewbush · 04/23/2009, 10:03 PM

You should be fine on the nitrates.

TellyFish · 04/23/2009, 10:07 PM

I had a 20oz bottle cap provide a similar scare about a year ago.

Lesson learned, do not set objects on the tank trim. I was using it to melt frozen food and never realized it was knocked into the overflow.

Mr. Brooks · 04/23/2009, 11:42 PM

I'd be more cocerned about the kalk then the nitrates from the dead snail. This is the reason I installed a 2" back up drain pipe.

Tswifty · 04/24/2009, 04:03 AM

Gutter guard... egg crate... bird netting... etc... all your friends.

jtc3 · 04/24/2009, 04:57 AM

snails can be a pain !

PAZE · 04/24/2009, 05:36 AM

Why dont you put screens over the overflow holes, nothing goes through and you'll never have a problem with things getting stuck. thats a mexican turbo in my coast to coast and he can get through.

L98-Z · 04/24/2009, 06:29 AM

Wow that sucks. That could easily happen to me. I have two drains, but I have the pump and the standpipes setup to leave the water level very high. If one drain were to clog, I'd have some overflowing.

billdogg · 04/24/2009, 08:25 AM

just another fine example of why you should have a minimum of 2 drains - and oversized as well! glad it worked out ok

MrPike · 04/24/2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Why dont you put screens over the overflow holes, nothing goes through and you'll never have a problem with things getting stuck. thats a mexican turbo in my coast to coast and he can get through.

That idea works ok unless you have a lot of algae that can become free floating, like hair, bubble, or anything else really. That screen can actually create a problem while fixing another.

ser_renely · 04/24/2009, 10:33 AM

yeah, I had that happen before too :-\

kb27973 · 04/24/2009, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tswifty
Gutter guard... egg crate... bird netting... etc... all your friends.

Agreed. Solved my problem. I had to laugh the first time it happened to me because it was so ridiculous. Many $$$ spent on failsafes for my tank and a 99 cent snail mucked up the works.

Ken

PAZE · 04/24/2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrPike
That idea works ok unless you have a lot of algae that can become free floating, like hair, bubble, or anything else really. That screen can actually create a problem while fixing another.

Thats why I have two drains this size on my system, never worrie about an overflow.

04/23/2009, 08:43 PM	#1
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	Lesson learned - snail clogging overflow So as many times I have read not do allow snails in your over flow, what have I been doing? Letting snails in my over flow. They were cleaning it up nice and we were both happy....for a while. I come home in a hurry to take off to a game when I look at my tank... ... hmmm, the water level looks really high. I start inspecting. Everything looks fine, what the hell is going on? Crap, my ATO is on and has a way to go to get to the correct level. After about 15 minutes and a lot of water on the floor, I find a dead snail wedged in my piping from the overflow to the sump. Dumped a half gallon of full strength kalk in the tank...hope the damage is minimal Lesson learned. On a side note does a dead snail raise nitrates? or too small to do damage? Thanks, Ser __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

04/23/2009, 08:55 PM	#2
ludnix Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,031	Can you take a picture of your drains? I'm curious as to how he got in it. __________________ -Eric Sutter Current Tank Info: 14g Biocube

04/23/2009, 09:03 PM	#3
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	I can tomorrow. Essentially it was in my overflow box, moved through the u-tube to the back of the overflow.... and went back and forth for months, eating and cleaning. He then went down the PVC pipe and perished at some point. I remember my overflow making strange noises but couldn't figure it out. He got lodged in a 90 degree turn. __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

04/23/2009, 09:47 PM	#4
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Oh man, sorry to hear that. Hopefully everything survives alright. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

04/23/2009, 10:07 PM	#6
TellyFish Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chicago 60607 Posts: 1,130	I had a 20oz bottle cap provide a similar scare about a year ago. Lesson learned, do not set objects on the tank trim. I was using it to melt frozen food and never realized it was knocked into the overflow. __________________ ...and life spirals into astonishing diversity. Current Tank Info: Hawaiian inspired 109g Miracles Rimless - 100g Prop Tank - 300g total system volume

04/23/2009, 10:03 PM	#5
davewbush ... Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: California Posts: 739	You should be fine on the nitrates.

04/23/2009, 11:42 PM	#7
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	I'd be more cocerned about the kalk then the nitrates from the dead snail. This is the reason I installed a 2" back up drain pipe.

04/24/2009, 04:03 AM	#8
Tswifty Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 14,022	Gutter guard... egg crate... bird netting... etc... all your friends. __________________ "Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover

04/24/2009, 04:57 AM	#9
jtc3 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 35	snails can be a pain !

04/24/2009, 05:36 AM	#10
PAZE Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 224	Why dont you put screens over the overflow holes, nothing goes through and you'll never have a problem with things getting stuck. thats a mexican turbo in my coast to coast and he can get through. __________________ Paul

04/24/2009, 06:29 AM	#11
L98-Z Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Warner Robins, Georgia Posts: 1,230	Wow that sucks. That could easily happen to me. I have two drains, but I have the pump and the standpipes setup to leave the water level very high. If one drain were to clog, I'd have some overflowing.

04/24/2009, 08:25 AM	#12
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	just another fine example of why you should have a minimum of 2 drains - and oversized as well! glad it worked out ok __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

04/24/2009, 10:33 AM	#14
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	yeah, I had that happen before too :-\ __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!