Memorial Day Disaster

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Well I got back from my Memorial Day holiday, and smelled the sort of
sweet-putrid smell of decaying marine life. My five-year old 150
gallon reef tank showed no fish life. The pump was off. I was able to
look at the graphs recording on my aquacontroller showing the rising
heat, and dropping pH which had started within hours after I left home,
and continued for nearly 3 days until I got home. For some reason, the
X-10 controller for my main pump had apparently malfunctioned and
switched off. This did appear to be the problem since it is indeed
broken, and will not switch on or off, while all other X-10 switches
work appropriately.

My beloved clown-fish was gone which had been with me the nealy entire
life of the tank. A beautiful deep blue Acropora Tortusa was gone as
well as multiple other beautiful colorful Acropora, montipora, favia,
two bubble corals along with most of the LPS in the tank. All the
crabs were gone. Forty eight hours post-disaster, and after multiple
water changes, it appears a couple of open brains have survived, about
50 percent of my snails and hermits, torch corals, and candy canes have
survived, as well as most mushrooms. I guess I should be thankful that
it was not a complete melt down, but still it is very saddening to see
the organisms I have nurtured over the past 5 years decaying and
lifeless.

[CheezWiz]

I am really sorry to hear about your loss.
That is the primary reason I do not use X-10 stuff on my tank.

I have X-10 modules all around the house and the things crap out pretty
regularly.
I think of it like this; would they use X-10 stuff to control life support
equipment in a hospital?

I hope that your posting this will make others consider how risky it can be
to use that stuff on a tank.

Your story has also inspired me to design a backup pump for my system that
will kick in anytime it detects no flow from the main pump.

CW

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Well I got back from my Memorial Day holiday, and smelled the sort of
> sweet-putrid smell of decaying marine life. My five-year old 150
> gallon reef tank showed no fish life. The pump was off. I was able to
> look at the graphs recording on my aquacontroller showing the rising
> heat, and dropping pH which had started within hours after I left home,
> and continued for nearly 3 days until I got home. For some reason, the
> X-10 controller for my main pump had apparently malfunctioned and
> switched off. This did appear to be the problem since it is indeed
> broken, and will not switch on or off, while all other X-10 switches
> work appropriately.
>
> My beloved clown-fish was gone which had been with me the nealy entire
> life of the tank. A beautiful deep blue Acropora Tortusa was gone as
> well as multiple other beautiful colorful Acropora, montipora, favia,
> two bubble corals along with most of the LPS in the tank. All the
> crabs were gone. Forty eight hours post-disaster, and after multiple
> water changes, it appears a couple of open brains have survived, about
> 50 percent of my snails and hermits, torch corals, and candy canes have
> survived, as well as most mushrooms. I guess I should be thankful that
> it was not a complete melt down, but still it is very saddening to see
> the organisms I have nurtured over the past 5 years decaying and
> lifeless.
>

[Kelsey Cummings]

CheezWiz wrote:
> Your story has also inspired me to design a backup pump for my system that
> will kick in anytime it detects no flow from the main pump.

In my line of work I always deploy with nothing less than N+1 although I
strive for 2N if possible. Don't use one pump, use two or three, on
seperate power feeds.

-K

[kim gross]

The biggest suggestion I can give from this is to have multiple water
movement devices on multiple circuits so you can not lose all water
movement (oxygenation) with one failure.

Now my question for you is why would you have the main pump on x10. Why
would need to ever turn the main pump off via automation?

Kim


> Well I got back from my Memorial Day holiday, and smelled the sort of
> sweet-putrid smell of decaying marine life. My five-year old 150
> gallon reef tank showed no fish life. The pump was off. I was able to
> look at the graphs recording on my aquacontroller showing the rising
> heat, and dropping pH which had started within hours after I left home,
> and continued for nearly 3 days until I got home. For some reason, the
> X-10 controller for my main pump had apparently malfunctioned and
> switched off. This did appear to be the problem since it is indeed
> broken, and will not switch on or off, while all other X-10 switches
> work appropriately.
>
> My beloved clown-fish was gone which had been with me the nealy entire
> life of the tank. A beautiful deep blue Acropora Tortusa was gone as
> well as multiple other beautiful colorful Acropora, montipora, favia,
> two bubble corals along with most of the LPS in the tank. All the
> crabs were gone. Forty eight hours post-disaster, and after multiple
> water changes, it appears a couple of open brains have survived, about
> 50 percent of my snails and hermits, torch corals, and candy canes have
> survived, as well as most mushrooms. I guess I should be thankful that
> it was not a complete melt down, but still it is very saddening to see
> the organisms I have nurtured over the past 5 years decaying and
> lifeless.
>

[CheezWiz]

Automatic feeding Kim.....
Otherwise most of the food ends up in the sump..

CW
"kim gross" > wrote in message
...
> The biggest suggestion I can give from this is to have multiple water
> movement devices on multiple circuits so you can not lose all water
> movement (oxygenation) with one failure.
>
> Now my question for you is why would you have the main pump on x10. Why
> would need to ever turn the main pump off via automation?
>
> Kim
>
>
>> Well I got back from my Memorial Day holiday, and smelled the sort of
>> sweet-putrid smell of decaying marine life. My five-year old 150
>> gallon reef tank showed no fish life. The pump was off. I was able to
>> look at the graphs recording on my aquacontroller showing the rising
>> heat, and dropping pH which had started within hours after I left home,
>> and continued for nearly 3 days until I got home. For some reason, the
>> X-10 controller for my main pump had apparently malfunctioned and
>> switched off. This did appear to be the problem since it is indeed
>> broken, and will not switch on or off, while all other X-10 switches
>> work appropriately.
>>
>> My beloved clown-fish was gone which had been with me the nealy entire
>> life of the tank. A beautiful deep blue Acropora Tortusa was gone as
>> well as multiple other beautiful colorful Acropora, montipora, favia,
>> two bubble corals along with most of the LPS in the tank. All the
>> crabs were gone. Forty eight hours post-disaster, and after multiple
>> water changes, it appears a couple of open brains have survived, about
>> 50 percent of my snails and hermits, torch corals, and candy canes have
>> survived, as well as most mushrooms. I guess I should be thankful that
>> it was not a complete melt down, but still it is very saddening to see
>> the organisms I have nurtured over the past 5 years decaying and
>> lifeless.
>>

[Dsybok]

You can easily lose power to the whole house if your main breaker went.
Besides, not everyone has multiple circuits in their living room or wherever
the tank is situated and I sure wouldnt want ugly extension cords all over
my house for the "what if" scenario.

Don't overcomplicate your life either folks, moral of the story should be
don't leave home without a tank sitter for more than 1-2 days, either in
summer , or winter. I dont.

But don't accuse me of having no sympathy, I lost an entire tank cept live
rock and mushrooms and a few other hardy items once when on an extended 2
week business trip, just from lack of care and a hot spell, and no AC.
Sucks.

D

"kim gross" > wrote in message
...
> The biggest suggestion I can give from this is to have multiple water
> movement devices on multiple circuits so you can not lose all water
> movement (oxygenation) with one failure.
>
> Now my question for you is why would you have the main pump on x10. Why
> would need to ever turn the main pump off via automation?
>
> Kim
>
>
> > Well I got back from my Memorial Day holiday, and smelled the sort of
> > sweet-putrid smell of decaying marine life. My five-year old 150
> > gallon reef tank showed no fish life. The pump was off. I was able to
> > look at the graphs recording on my aquacontroller showing the rising
> > heat, and dropping pH which had started within hours after I left home,
> > and continued for nearly 3 days until I got home. For some reason, the
> > X-10 controller for my main pump had apparently malfunctioned and
> > switched off. This did appear to be the problem since it is indeed
> > broken, and will not switch on or off, while all other X-10 switches
> > work appropriately.
> >
> > My beloved clown-fish was gone which had been with me the nealy entire
> > life of the tank. A beautiful deep blue Acropora Tortusa was gone as
> > well as multiple other beautiful colorful Acropora, montipora, favia,
> > two bubble corals along with most of the LPS in the tank. All the
> > crabs were gone. Forty eight hours post-disaster, and after multiple
> > water changes, it appears a couple of open brains have survived, about
> > 50 percent of my snails and hermits, torch corals, and candy canes have
> > survived, as well as most mushrooms. I guess I should be thankful that
> > it was not a complete melt down, but still it is very saddening to see
> > the organisms I have nurtured over the past 5 years decaying and
> > lifeless.
> >

[kim gross]

Not for me. When I feed is it mostly food for the corals so I leave all
of my pumps on. The skimmer does not remove to much on the first
pass.... and everything the skimmer misses goes back through the pump
and into the tank for a second chance by all of the critters.


Kim


:
> Automatic feeding Kim.....
> Otherwise most of the food ends up in the sump..
>
> CW
> "kim gross" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>The biggest suggestion I can give from this is to have multiple water
>>movement devices on multiple circuits so you can not lose all water
>>movement (oxygenation) with one failure.
>>
>>Now my question for you is why would you have the main pump on x10. Why
>>would need to ever turn the main pump off via automation?
>>
>>Kim
>>
>>
>>
>>>Well I got back from my Memorial Day holiday, and smelled the sort of
>>>sweet-putrid smell of decaying marine life. My five-year old 150
>>>gallon reef tank showed no fish life. The pump was off. I was able to
>>>look at the graphs recording on my aquacontroller showing the rising
>>>heat, and dropping pH which had started within hours after I left home,
>>>and continued for nearly 3 days until I got home. For some reason, the
>>>X-10 controller for my main pump had apparently malfunctioned and
>>>switched off. This did appear to be the problem since it is indeed
>>>broken, and will not switch on or off, while all other X-10 switches
>>>work appropriately.
>>>
>>>My beloved clown-fish was gone which had been with me the nealy entire
>>>life of the tank. A beautiful deep blue Acropora Tortusa was gone as
>>>well as multiple other beautiful colorful Acropora, montipora, favia,
>>>two bubble corals along with most of the LPS in the tank. All the
>>>crabs were gone. Forty eight hours post-disaster, and after multiple
>>>water changes, it appears a couple of open brains have survived, about
>>>50 percent of my snails and hermits, torch corals, and candy canes have
>>>survived, as well as most mushrooms. I guess I should be thankful that
>>>it was not a complete melt down, but still it is very saddening to see
>>>the organisms I have nurtured over the past 5 years decaying and
>>>lifeless.
>>>
>
>
>

[CheezWiz]

Nothing makes it past my refugium..
I am feeding fish, not corals..

I target feed them.

CW
"kim gross" > wrote in message
...
> Not for me. When I feed is it mostly food for the corals so I leave all
> of my pumps on. The skimmer does not remove to much on the first pass....
> and everything the skimmer misses goes back through the pump and into the
> tank for a second chance by all of the critters.
>
>
> Kim
>
>
> :
>> Automatic feeding Kim.....
>> Otherwise most of the food ends up in the sump..
>>
>> CW
>> "kim gross" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>>The biggest suggestion I can give from this is to have multiple water
>>>movement devices on multiple circuits so you can not lose all water
>>>movement (oxygenation) with one failure.
>>>
>>>Now my question for you is why would you have the main pump on x10. Why
>>>would need to ever turn the main pump off via automation?
>>>
>>>Kim
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Well I got back from my Memorial Day holiday, and smelled the sort of
>>>>sweet-putrid smell of decaying marine life. My five-year old 150
>>>>gallon reef tank showed no fish life. The pump was off. I was able to
>>>>look at the graphs recording on my aquacontroller showing the rising
>>>>heat, and dropping pH which had started within hours after I left home,
>>>>and continued for nearly 3 days until I got home. For some reason, the
>>>>X-10 controller for my main pump had apparently malfunctioned and
>>>>switched off. This did appear to be the problem since it is indeed
>>>>broken, and will not switch on or off, while all other X-10 switches
>>>>work appropriately.
>>>>
>>>>My beloved clown-fish was gone which had been with me the nealy entire
>>>>life of the tank. A beautiful deep blue Acropora Tortusa was gone as
>>>>well as multiple other beautiful colorful Acropora, montipora, favia,
>>>>two bubble corals along with most of the LPS in the tank. All the
>>>>crabs were gone. Forty eight hours post-disaster, and after multiple
>>>>water changes, it appears a couple of open brains have survived, about
>>>>50 percent of my snails and hermits, torch corals, and candy canes have
>>>>survived, as well as most mushrooms. I guess I should be thankful that
>>>>it was not a complete melt down, but still it is very saddening to see
>>>>the organisms I have nurtured over the past 5 years decaying and
>>>>lifeless.
>>>>
>>
>>