Just a word of advice!!!

[Craigar]

So you may be wondering why I haven't been around the past few days. Well I needed to step back and take a breath for a min.

So I woke up sat morning to the apex alarm going off so I go out to the tank and its cloudy....

Run down to the basement and my ph is 9.2 the kalk has been running since 1am. So I do a 100 gallon waterchange that barely changes it. So I decide to do the vinegar trick and low and behold it works I got the ph down by 3 pm.

So this is what happened. The first a snail hit my auto top off which turned that on which in turn turns my kalk on which is not a big deal right. Wrong my safety switch just above my ato was frozen by salt creep and didn't slow it to shut off!!! I lost a ton of corals some really high end stuff some lower end stuff. But a ton.


Check your tanks for salt creep its a killer

 

[Andrew_bram]

Sorry you lost a lot Craig.

 

[Cherub]

Wow I am sorry to hear that. If you still have that reef angel they make a snail proof sensor for the ATO. Might be worth switching to that sensor.

 

[Bajamike]

That sucks craig let me know if you need anything

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Munch]

I had a similar issues with my Tunze ATO, I'm putting in a second sensor for my APEX as a bu.

 

[yOdaddy]

After hearing this i might just do FOWLR..tired of all this mixing and dosing and checking and buying and selling, and most of all sleeping with 1 eye open every night

 

[Cherub]

After hearing this i might just do FOWLR..tired of all this mixing and dosing and checking and buying and selling, and most of all sleeping with 1 eye open every night

Oh stop it, you would be bored with out the hypnotic gaze of your sexy corals.

 

[Craigar]

I got a new sensor coming its snail proof lol and adding a second safety

 

[Highway66]

I think keeping everything in perfect balance with everything thriving is what attracts some to the hobby. Unfortunately with that, the slightest tip and you can have disaster.
I had my kalk stick, water changes, used vinegar, lost a lot. By comparison it was a small tank so a few losses didn't hurt as bad im sure.

I'm new don't have a lot but I would be glad to help with whatever I can.

 

[yOdaddy]

Oh stop it, you would be bored with out the hypnotic gaze of your sexy corals.

what was i saying again? sorry too busy looking at my corals

 

[mathewkofalk]

Damn .....sorry to hear about this man.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[FinsUp]

Oh MAN that sucks. Sorry to hear this. If we can help let us know.

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

Nice Catch with the vinegar, smart move. I hope stuff pulls through. I'm surprised what is popping back in my tank. Believe me, I feel for ya! Wrecked my whole sense if self for a bit. Mine was more stupidity on my part. I just cleaned my float valve this eve. Thanks for the reminder! Good luck and ask I ya need anything.

 

[amonchak]

Damn, Craig that sucks. Let me know if I can help with anything.

 

[Haulin Oates]

Dang bro! I don't even know what to say?! You know I got a lot of your stuff backed up so just let me know when you're ready...


"60% of the time; it works every time!"

 

[Haddonisreef]

Suck balls bro! Lmk if u need anything man!

 

[DyM]

Craig, The hobby community is behind you. Make a list of what you lost and I'm in to help you get back what you lost.

For everyone, fyi, I try and test float switches every 3 months to make sure they work and the Apex alarms work too. I've had them stick often, so as the title of advice, for those who have automation - think this through.

For me, I often try and think what could go wrong, then try to advert the scenario. For example. Since my skimmer pulls out wet skimate, and is never consistent based on a lot of variables, I run my ATO and KALK on different systems. So my KALK is on and OSC command that runs for like 22 seconds every hour. So no matter how much fresh water is being pumped into my sump, it will not spike ALK/PH.

Second, I have 3items that prevent ATO from pumping too much fresh water into my sump. (1) like most of us, two float switches in the sump, but the second switch isn't that much higher than the first, and should never get that high. If it does, the condition is to shut off the apex outlet on the ATO, and alarm out. (2) I know about how much evap and skimmate being pulled out every day so I know the ATO pump shouldn't be on for more than 3min. If my ATO pump is on more than 3min, something's not right, I get an email for that. (3) I have a reverse float switch in my RO/DI top off tank, if all else fails, that shuts fresh water and KALK off if triggered.

For KALK, I have PH thresholds for alarms and to shut of outlets if PH gets out of range. I personally find that the PH probes on the APEX really drift so recommend calibration every 8 weeks. I've seen PH at 7.8 before, and 8.3 after calibration. Both within range, but that's a lot only after 2 months....

 

[jda123]

I know that this doesn't help know, but if you are going to continue to run kalk and/or 2 part, then you might consider having a bottle of Muratic Acid lying around for emergencies. It is more potent than vinegar and won't feed your tank with carbon fuel like vinegar does. Pure carbonated water can do the same thing too.

Depending on how much vinegar you added, keep the tank well oxygenated or else the growing population of bacteria might consume it all over the next few days.

 

[High Plains Reefer]

Hang in there man I dont want to see that monster tank become a planter or worse were all here for you

 

[Craigar]

Thanks guys ill be all right I just needed to step away for a couple days I'm starting the aqua scaping int the monster