Pump failure

CallSign · 04/15/2016, 09:17 PM

Ok it has been a sad day for me. I woke up to pump failure in my 55g tank and lost my bt trigger,sailfin tang, and my clown fish, the female. I still have the male and 2 cardinals. The little clown isn't doing very well. Did a 50% water change and the pH is at 8.1. My wife was trying to be nice and bought me a fluval aquaclear 70. Will this work in the interim till I can get my refugium online.

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CarrieB · 04/15/2016, 09:25 PM

You can use it to help add oxygen for the water. A powerhead placed to cause surface agitation will help too.

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CallSign · 04/15/2016, 09:29 PM

Thanks. I placed a medium-sized powered to help.

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CarrieB · 04/15/2016, 09:43 PM

I'm very sorry for your losses. I feel compelled to suggest that you do some reading on minimum tank sizes for triggers and tangs before you start thinking about replacing your fish.

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CarrieB · 04/15/2016, 09:46 PM

Have you tested the tank for ammonia? You can treat the water with Amquel Prime as an emergency measure.

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CallSign · 04/15/2016, 09:47 PM

Thank you. I am doing a 210g build right now. The 55g was an interim. I hope to have it finished in about 4 weeks. I was going to move everything into it but now I don't know. I'm lost.

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CallSign · 04/15/2016, 09:53 PM

Yup, I tested the water first thing. PH dropped to below 7.6 that is the lowest I can test for. It didn't register so it was below that. Ammonia was 0. Nitrites were 0 and nitrates were at 2ppm. Salinity was at 1.024

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WWIII · 04/15/2016, 10:55 PM

Sorry to hear about your losses. Was the pump the only thing providing flow in the tank? I'm just kinda surprised they died so quickly if it was overnight. Reminds me I need to get my backup flow and thermoter setup on my new tank in case I'm away and the power goes out. Hope the new build goes smooth for ya!

Sk8r · 04/16/2016, 08:41 AM

Having more than one circulation/oxygenation device going is a good idea: a failure of the main pump means the tank is left to what it can provide, because even if the skimmer is running, the tank is getting no good of it. Air exchange is one good use of powerheads, on a different circuit, ideally. Powerheads agitating the surface can give you a bit more time to realize the problem. Being sure you have one of the most reliable pumps is also key. Some brands are tougher than others.

CallSign · 04/16/2016, 09:19 AM

I have 2 wave makers and 2 power heads on separate timers. For some reason, I am suspecting power failure the timers were all off their cycle. I have added an aps backup a really big one. It should last 8 hours. I also added a solar recharger for the aps unit.

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04/15/2016, 09:17 PM	#1
CallSign Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Kennewick Washington Posts: 37	Pump failure Ok it has been a sad day for me. I woke up to pump failure in my 55g tank and lost my bt trigger,sailfin tang, and my clown fish, the female. I still have the male and 2 cardinals. The little clown isn't doing very well. Did a 50% water change and the pH is at 8.1. My wife was trying to be nice and bought me a fluval aquaclear 70. Will this work in the interim till I can get my refugium online. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

04/16/2016, 08:41 AM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Having more than one circulation/oxygenation device going is a good idea: a failure of the main pump means the tank is left to what it can provide, because even if the skimmer is running, the tank is getting no good of it. Air exchange is one good use of powerheads, on a different circuit, ideally. Powerheads agitating the surface can give you a bit more time to realize the problem. Being sure you have one of the most reliable pumps is also key. Some brands are tougher than others. __________________ 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%.

04/15/2016, 09:25 PM	#2
CarrieB Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 526	You can use it to help add oxygen for the water. A powerhead placed to cause surface agitation will help too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

04/15/2016, 09:29 PM	#3
CallSign Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Kennewick Washington Posts: 37	Thanks. I placed a medium-sized powered to help. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

04/15/2016, 09:43 PM	#4
CarrieB Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 526	I'm very sorry for your losses. I feel compelled to suggest that you do some reading on minimum tank sizes for triggers and tangs before you start thinking about replacing your fish. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

04/15/2016, 09:46 PM	#5
CarrieB Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 526	Have you tested the tank for ammonia? You can treat the water with Amquel Prime as an emergency measure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

04/15/2016, 09:47 PM	#6
CallSign Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Kennewick Washington Posts: 37	Thank you. I am doing a 210g build right now. The 55g was an interim. I hope to have it finished in about 4 weeks. I was going to move everything into it but now I don't know. I'm lost. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

04/15/2016, 09:53 PM	#7
CallSign Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Kennewick Washington Posts: 37	Yup, I tested the water first thing. PH dropped to below 7.6 that is the lowest I can test for. It didn't register so it was below that. Ammonia was 0. Nitrites were 0 and nitrates were at 2ppm. Salinity was at 1.024 Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

04/15/2016, 10:55 PM	#8
WWIII Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 158	Sorry to hear about your losses. Was the pump the only thing providing flow in the tank? I'm just kinda surprised they died so quickly if it was overnight. Reminds me I need to get my backup flow and thermoter setup on my new tank in case I'm away and the power goes out. Hope the new build goes smooth for ya!

04/16/2016, 09:19 AM	#10
CallSign Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Kennewick Washington Posts: 37	I have 2 wave makers and 2 power heads on separate timers. For some reason, I am suspecting power failure the timers were all off their cycle. I have added an aps backup a really big one. It should last 8 hours. I also added a solar recharger for the aps unit. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk