One step away from disaster

[jtro]

I have been thinking about my setup for awhile and feel no mater what I do I cant control it. We are all one step away from disaster I think.Came home last night to kalk covered tank couldn't even see into the tank. Not sure what happened exactly but I think a wire got caught up in my float switch and kept it on. Averted disaster this time. Now what I would like to discuss is what everyone does to avert disaster.Heaters,overflow,ATO,dosers, and what ever else. I do run a apex controller on my system and have been learning to program it properly but even the controllers are not full proof.Also if you could tell me your setup and what you use for protecting your tank and any suggestions to protect mine.

 

Thanks

Jim

 

My system 240 mixed reef connected to 40 gallon frag tank 45 gallon sump and 20 gallon refugium.

Run Apex control system

For my ATO I have a kalk doser controlled by apex coming from 20 gallon water storage

I have 16 outlets controlled by 2 gfi circuit breakers.My lighting and my pumps are on separate breakers.

I run 2 stealth heaters but they are getting on two years old and am thinking on replacing they are controlled the the apex and their own internal control

2 mp40 both on separate plugs I should battery backup but haven't yet.

Haven't figured out the alarm and email for the controller but trying to.

[phisigs79]

I hook my float switch on a timer so no matter what it can run over a certain amount of time. Been there done that and this fixed it.

[jtro]

What if the timer breaks.

I have in my programming now for my ATO if ph greater then 8.3 then pump off. I don't know if I could set it to shut off if on to long.

Edited January 6, 2010 by jtro

[jtro]

I guess the idea is what we can do to minimize the damage.Yes I have had my overflows and all that but what else can we do to protect what we have invested in our systems.

 

Thanks Again

Jim

[jason the filter freak]

think about it like driving a car you do routien maint, you put gas in it, you fix it when it breakes, its got air bags and you wear seat belts when you drive but theres always that storm that could knock a tree down on your car or a drunk driver that could hit you while your driving. with a proper set up and maint your tank is sure to flourish but there is always something unforseen that can trip you up. keep up your maint, replace broken equipment, do inspections regularly and you tank should reward you if something goes wrong its not bad to have a bit of extra cash set aside to get you back on your feet and it aint bad to have yours friends at wamas either

[Origami]

I use a peristaltic pump for my top-off. It delivers 1 liter of RO/DI per hour maximum - that's six gallons per day max. I have it controlled, not by level switches, but turns on for 35 minutes per hour, every hour under AC-III control. This, by itself, avoids rapid changes in salinity. If my evaporation is high, I increase the amount of time the pump is on; if low, the time is decreased. This level of control seems adequate for a system with around 350 gallons in it. Consequently, I've not seen a need for using level switches.

 

The pump draws from a 10-gallon reservoir and pushes water into my sump through my kalk stirrer. I never put more than a week or two's worth of kalk in the stirrer. This protects me from two things: 1) I can never deliver more than 10 gallons of topoff per day to my system (even though the pump limits me to 6 gallons per day) which would, if it were delivered all at once would only result in a salinity shift of less than 0.001 ppt. And, 2) by limiting the kalk in the stirrer, I limit how much could be delivered in the worst case (should it tumble over and into the sump, for example.

 

My top-off reservoir is actually automatically topped-off, too. Once a day, between 6 PM and 7:30 PM, an aqualifter comes on and tops off the last 24 hours worth of water consumed. This part of the system is under timer and float switch control, and draws water from my 44 gallon Brute RO/DI storage reservoir.

 

I also have set points in my AC-III programming for temperature and pH. If the pH gets too high, I shut off my top-off and kalk. If it gets too low, I shut of my Ca reactor. It's possible to also manipulate lighting to control temperature and pH, too.

[reefhunter]

on my old tank and my new tank I am doing what tom does but I dose top off over the course of the day constantly. I have a reservoir with a float switch or llc. I pump top off on a TIMED aquamedic pump (max .8gph) which I adjust to how much I evaporate. If the float switch or llc fails, my reservior overflows instead of overdosing kalk to the tank.

 

I have not had a kalk disaster and dont ever expect one!

Edited January 6, 2010 by reefhunter

[jtro]

Tom

 

Those are great ideas keep them coming. What about everyones pumps or heaters what do you use for protection their. What about lighting I do remember once my lighting was stuck on don't remember why.This last week I lost power and my breaker tripped because the metal halides tries to lite up.Have since put them on 30 min delay hope this solves the problem.

 

Thanks everyone

Jim

[Origami]

I'm less concerned with lighting - except the possible impact to temperature - since it's generally not involved in a disaster scenario.

 

Here's an overview of my current ATO / kalk system.

 

 

(note: I've recenly cut the timer on the aqualifter back from 2 to 1.5 hours.)

[Jon Lazar]

What if the timer breaks.

 

Add a line that activates an audible alarm in the house and sends a emails and texts to you and your significant other if:

 

-the pH goes too low or high in the DT

-the pH goes too low or high in the CaRx

-the temp goes too high or low in the DT

-the water level is too high or low (DT, sump, or reservoir)

-one of your many water detectors sense a leak or drip

[jtro]

Ok you have to laugh about this. Just went down stairs to look at the tank. Step in water Kalk Stirrer blocked up and overflowing on floor now thats funny stuff.

Thanks for all the ideas please keep them coming what you do for double protection and anything else you can think of

Thanks

Jim

[davelin315]

I have a 35 gallon reservoir that runs through 2 Toms Aqualifter pumps on timers. They only turn on 2x per day for a little while and so even if it gets stuck on all day it won't overflow my system as it could handle about 80 gallons before overflowing. Sizing the top off reservoir correctly helps a great deal, although that sometimes results in more overall checking and maintenance.

[Der ABT]

heaters you have a few options,

buy a heater that has its own probe and use it in succession with your apex

and to further that, use an external temp controller , i just sold mine for too cheap to a fellow member and now that i have thought about it probably should have used it for my heater (used to have it for the chiller on the old tank)

 

and the best way, keep your house hot enough to not need a heater hehe.

[bankyf]

I think there is a max change statement you can do in the APEX that will limit the time a pump is on. I could be wrong about the term, but it can be done. You might check out the Neptune forum over on RC. Ask there and I am sure you will get an answer.

[Sikryd]

My JBJ will only fill for 10min or something like that before it shuts off. I have a small pump with 1/4 tubing to limit the amount of flow.

[bluefunelement]

my JBJ is 3min before it shuts off but it won't turn back on till reset - with only an aqualifter pushing 1cup/3min I'd come home to find it off and have to manually top off - now I have the JBJ on a timer so it resets itself several times a day and won't pump more then a 1/2 gallon all day.

[George]

I think it was mentioned here, but my old tank was run on a fixed dosing of kalk very late at night followed about an hour or so later by a top-off cycle so that a fixed time of kalk was done each day to dose calcium and, if needed, the ATO filled in any gap.

 

The system does have the drawback of possibly dosing too much water with the kalk if evaporation is low. However even when I got my LED fixture, I still got enough evaporation to cover the kalk's calcium maintenance.

[zygote2k]

I do it the old fashioned way- I pour the water and the 3part solution in myself. It's way less headache and it doesn't get done, I can only blame myself.

[jtro]

Zygote2k

I hear what your saying and their is no one else to blame but the keeper of the tank. But the easier it is to take care of the tank the better chance you do it. On the other hand I suppose you could say if you don't have the time to maintain it you shouldn't have it. I guess we all want a little of both worlds easy to maintain and bulletproof.Is their a happy medium?? I did use a JBJ at onetime it stuck on a few time but was finally destroyed in a lighting strike with ACIII controller,2TVs,3Direct TV units and a telephone.Lighting who would of put that in the picture for tank disasters.

Edited January 6, 2010 by jtro

[jtro]

Just lost power generator keeps shutting down like I said one step away. Going to be a long night.

[zygote2k]

Zygote2k

I hear what your saying and their is no one else to blame but the keeper of the tank. But the easier it is to take care of the tank the better chance you do it. On the other hand I suppose you could say if you don't have the time to maintain it you shouldn't have it. I guess we all want a little of both worlds easy to maintain and bulletproof.Is their a happy medium?? I did use a JBJ at onetime it stuck on a few time but was finally destroyed in a lighting strike with ACIII controller,2TVs,3Direct TV units and a telephone.Lighting who would of put that in the picture for tank disasters.

 

If you want your system to be bulletproof, you'll need to have at least double redundancy. 2 back up power systems, 2 high level switches, etc. With all of the additional mechanical things people put on their tanks, the more likeliness of a failure. There comes a point when you gotta weigh the inconveniences of the failing systems vs. just doing it by hand. I'm all for dosing pumps and automated water systems but they just don't make bombproof equipment yet.

[ctenophore]

I think it was mentioned here, but my old tank was run on a fixed dosing of kalk very late at night followed about an hour or so later by a top-off cycle so that a fixed time of kalk was done each day to dose calcium and, if needed, the ATO filled in any gap.

 

The system does have the drawback of possibly dosing too much water with the kalk if evaporation is low. However even when I got my LED fixture, I still got enough evaporation to cover the kalk's calcium maintenance.

 

This is how my system is set up as well. 40mL/min of kalk, except that runs 24/7. Then, a Tunze osmolator fills whatever is left. I've found the osmolator to be extremely reliable in terms of not sticking on; I have had the pump fail a few times but that just meant manual topoff until the pump was replaced. The kalk pump is one of the digital masterflex peri pumps, highly reliable piece of equipment.

[Coral Hind]

Just lost power generator keeps shutting down like I said one step away. Going to be a long night.

 

Is the power back on? How is the tank?

[jtro]

Still no power Generator was a little low on oil working fine now so Tank is safe.Thats what I am trying to do now being double redundent but even that isnt bulletproof.