anenome sump overflow disaster

epares · 02/25/2007, 01:37 PM

I wanted to share this unfortunate experience so that hopefully it can prevent another in the future. I have an oceanic tech tank with starfire glass 90 gallon, dual durso overflows. It has 1.25" bulkheads under the dursos with about 15' of 1.25" pipe that goes to a sump in another part of my basement. It is an inwall tank. I have had the tank up and running for about 8 months. The water parameters have been stable since the initial cycling. A friend voluntered to give me an RTBA about a month ago. He had this beautiful creature for a year. I did alot of reading and decided that the environment was correct for him and that I could provide him with a wonderful home.

I brought the Nem home last sunday and acclimated him . ( he came on a rock so his home was never really different) My tank parameters mimicked my buddies. He sat on his rock towards the top of the tank all week long, happily eating Krill and soaking in the metal halide light. He moved a little at night to tuck under the rock a little , then during the day would move back towards the front nearer to the light.

I came home last nite at about midnite to the sound of dripping water in the basement ( never a good sign ) I look at my tank and see water cascading over the front of the tank ,, I see no anenome in the tank.. I run into the sump room and kill the return pump. I look in the sump and see that it is 5 gallons down from its level and also that the expansion tank for the auto top off is empty. So that means I have about 7 gallons of water on the floor. First thing I check is the dursos, thinking that somehow the nem got through the over flow and stuck in the durso. I pull both of them out and they are clear!!

I then make my way to the sump and I have a gravity fed deltec skimmer with a ball valve and my other overflow feeds my fuge with a fliter bag on it. I take the filter bag off and dont find anything unusual. I then make my way to the ball valve end of the skimmer. Luckily it is all barbed fittings with clear tubing because it is all in the sump. I seperate the the clear tubing from the ball valve and sure enough there is what is left of the anenome jammed in and around the ball valve. I am devestated. Somehow the nem made his way through the overflow ( the slots arent more than a 1/4") through the durso overflow ( has a protection grid around it) down 15' of pipe ( that has 2- 90 degree elbows) and into the ball valve inside my sump. I did alot of research into the proper care and I never came across this particular issue. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? Please if anyone has a nem and can prevent this type of situation by reading this --I can feel that I at least helped a little!

DMK · 02/25/2007, 01:45 PM

sorry to hear. that really sucks.

epares · 02/25/2007, 02:32 PM

Thanks for the kind words DMK-- I think I am going to wait a while until trying again....

scunan · 02/25/2007, 06:46 PM

That is very common with anenomes. I have had one sucked into a powerhead before. Sometimes they just like to wander

reefer4sho · 02/25/2007, 07:39 PM

thats terrible, i knew they liked to wander but go all that way... damn.... sorry to hear about your luck.

02/25/2007, 01:37 PM	#1
epares Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 30	anenome sump overflow disaster I wanted to share this unfortunate experience so that hopefully it can prevent another in the future. I have an oceanic tech tank with starfire glass 90 gallon, dual durso overflows. It has 1.25" bulkheads under the dursos with about 15' of 1.25" pipe that goes to a sump in another part of my basement. It is an inwall tank. I have had the tank up and running for about 8 months. The water parameters have been stable since the initial cycling. A friend voluntered to give me an RTBA about a month ago. He had this beautiful creature for a year. I did alot of reading and decided that the environment was correct for him and that I could provide him with a wonderful home. I brought the Nem home last sunday and acclimated him . ( he came on a rock so his home was never really different) My tank parameters mimicked my buddies. He sat on his rock towards the top of the tank all week long, happily eating Krill and soaking in the metal halide light. He moved a little at night to tuck under the rock a little , then during the day would move back towards the front nearer to the light. I came home last nite at about midnite to the sound of dripping water in the basement ( never a good sign ) I look at my tank and see water cascading over the front of the tank ,, I see no anenome in the tank.. I run into the sump room and kill the return pump. I look in the sump and see that it is 5 gallons down from its level and also that the expansion tank for the auto top off is empty. So that means I have about 7 gallons of water on the floor. First thing I check is the dursos, thinking that somehow the nem got through the over flow and stuck in the durso. I pull both of them out and they are clear!! I then make my way to the sump and I have a gravity fed deltec skimmer with a ball valve and my other overflow feeds my fuge with a fliter bag on it. I take the filter bag off and dont find anything unusual. I then make my way to the ball valve end of the skimmer. Luckily it is all barbed fittings with clear tubing because it is all in the sump. I seperate the the clear tubing from the ball valve and sure enough there is what is left of the anenome jammed in and around the ball valve. I am devestated. Somehow the nem made his way through the overflow ( the slots arent more than a 1/4") through the durso overflow ( has a protection grid around it) down 15' of pipe ( that has 2- 90 degree elbows) and into the ball valve inside my sump. I did alot of research into the proper care and I never came across this particular issue. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? Please if anyone has a nem and can prevent this type of situation by reading this --I can feel that I at least helped a little!

02/25/2007, 01:45 PM	#2
DMK Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: central NJ Posts: 2,494	sorry to hear. that really sucks.

02/25/2007, 02:32 PM	#3
epares Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 30	Thanks for the kind words DMK-- I think I am going to wait a while until trying again....

02/25/2007, 06:46 PM	#4
scunan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 298	That is very common with anenomes. I have had one sucked into a powerhead before. Sometimes they just like to wander

02/25/2007, 07:39 PM	#5
reefer4sho Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: socal Posts: 707	thats terrible, i knew they liked to wander but go all that way... damn.... sorry to hear about your luck.