HELP!! Woke up to a Silent System

[PhilipOSU]

I woke up this morning and walked downstairs and my 220G aquarium wasn't running I am using an AC3 and 2 DC8s to automate the tank. Everything on both DC8s is dead. Each DC8 is running off seperate circuits and the circuits are from seperate 200amp electrical panels to hedge issues.

DC8 #A - Runs the following equipment in my sump area
- ATO
- LED Frag Light
- Refugium Light
- Calcium Reactor Soleniod
- 2 300W Heaters
- Reeflo Return Pump


DC8 #B - Runs everything at my tank
- 2 Vortech MP40s
- 3 250W Icecap MH Ballasts
- 2 Tunze 6055s

Currently to get my life support up and running I bypassed the DC8s to run my return pump, heaters, and Vortechs as I trouble shoot.

I have checked the power to the DC8s and each have power from the outlets. When I plug the DC8s back in the vortechs started blinking like they were going to start up then dead... When I plug the other DC8 in I hear the soliniod on the calcium rector click a few times and then dead...

Please help I already seem to be losing a clam and my coral is very stressed.

Thanks,
Phil

 

[Deleted member 143833]

Main thing; get water moving; pumps on manual is MOST important, temp comes next. I'm sure yourclam is OK I suspect; likely just beacuse of lights out, same for corals; it would take more than a blip like this to kill them.

Now, onto the controller; if the DC8s are both dead I suspect the controller; is it working, is it lit up, etc? If is appears all working then check/replace the control wire; be sure something didn't come undone.

Report back.

 

[PhilipOSU]

Ken,

The first thing I did was get the pumps fired and the heaters on by bypassing the DC8s. The temp only dipped to 76.5 so I think I should be good.

I previously tried diconnecting the control wire and reconnecting from the AC3 it to no avail. the controller is lit up and is in communication back and forth with my Iphone app like is should be.

I just went down and disconnected both control wires and used each one and connected them to each DC8 independently of the other DC8. Neither one appeared to work. I am not sure how to test the AC3 to determine whether it is sending out any control signals.

I guess I am not sure what to do at this point to toubleshoot this thing. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Phil

 

[Deleted member 143833]

Test manual control; if I remember DC8s correctly they have LEDs on them; the LEDs flash when the DC8 decodes a command correctly; note it may not be a command for the DC8 itself, but it would give you an indication that the AC3 is sending commands.

Check your program; if you had a brown out I've seen cases where the AC3 memory could be corrupted. Since you have connectivity you can save off the program and timers to a text file and try initializing memory; it will reset your calibrations but it would re-initialize everything so if there was any corruption it would clear it and then you could add back your program and timers.

 

[PhilipOSU]

Update: So both of the DC8s green LED light is on however when I swith any of the timer on manual I am getting no blinking on the DC8s. It is sure acting like the AC3's output isn't communicating with the DC8s. What I don't understand is I would think that all outputs would be stuck in the position they were in prior to the AC3 not providing an output signal.

Ken when you mention to check my program to see if I had a "brown out"... was that a typo? My only issue with copying the program and then blanking the AC3 is I seemed to have misplaced my IP that I need to log in to it. I ended up needing to have my company computer consultant point it to an external IP address. Or at least I think that is what they did it has been nearly 2 years ago they set it up. I have just used the iphone app the entire time, and the app doesn't let me go back in and look at the IP address that it is using.

 

[RussM]

You can find the IP address and other network settings through the AC3 menus.

 

[PhilipOSU]

Thanks Russ I pulled all of my existing settings out of the AC3. I logged in copied my program/timers and then re-initialized the AC3 entire unit. I was able to log back into it and the re-initialization of the entire unit seemed to work as the standard AC3 program had replaced my program. I copied my program back to the AC3 which worked fine and then tried to manually turn on a couple of the timers and again the LED on the DC8 is not blinking and the outlets are not turning on.

 

[RussM]

Sounds like it's time to contact Neptune directly. Via email, support@neptunesys.com generally gets the quickest response.

 

[PhilipOSU]

That's what I figured as this is sounding like a hardware issue... Thanks for your help guys.