List EVERYTHING that could go wrong.

[oneradtek202]

so i think this would be an interesting idea. but lets make a general list of everything we can possibly think of (by personal experience or not) that could go wrong in a reef system. ill start with a few.

hopefully this will help people in the future as a check off for future problems

1. ATO malfunction
2. heater Malfunction
3. macro algae going asexual
4. dosing pump failure
5. pump failure

 

[scott473]

Having a nem kick the bucket in the back of your tank behind all the rock work.
dropping the fuge light in your sump

I know theres more just drawing a blank.

 

[RyanEG]

Stray electrical current
Copper in water
high nitrates nitrites or ammonia

 

[RyanEG]

Spawning event

 

[oneradtek202]

weak silicone seals on pvc plumbing
GFI tripping off the power and not knowing until a few days later

 

[cardiffgiant]

Here's a new one for me.

I banished my urchin to the refugium after it caused too much disruption with the corals in my display. It's been there for 3 months. During my last water change when the water level in the sump was above the refugium baffle the urchin moved from the refugium to the return chamber. Now I can't get it out of that tight chamber and it's occasionally covering the intake for the return pump.

 

[Haffs09]

Leaving the AC off while on vacation for a week during the summer!

 

[backdraft79]

Not keeping an eye on the room mates crazy girlfriend...... To be continued.....

 

[shawna1972]

Blocked overflow
External skimmer draining your sump
Overfilling sump "my newbie sump mistake" lol

I know we can list 100'd but having brain cramp right now lol

 

[oneradtek202]

good thing were making a list then lol

 

[jdoenumber2]

Not doing proper research and getting a mystery wrasse. Not knowing they are closely related to sixline wrasse. Left cover off of tank for half an hour while in kitchen to find him on hardwood floor. Not doing enough research. moving 2 tanks in a uhaul truck having smashed all the plastic bracing from the rough ride. Sunday night, 120 lbs of live rock corals and fish in buckets and no aquariums to work with. I hate to say it but i went to walmart to get 55 gallon tank to set up fast. Huge crash to start with and lost chaoti wrasse. All SPS and most lps. Falling a sleep for 8 hours while filling a 5 gallon bucket of RO/DI water. Thinking i knew everything when i started. Where do i begin?

 

[Johnny C]

-Anemones caught in powerheads
-Backsiphoning/Faulty Check-Valves
-Electrical Fires
-Leaky Plumbing/Pumps

...wow, just thinking of the possibilities makes my head hurt. Damn you, Murphy!

 

[superkat]

thinking fish can't possibly jump 4ft across a room.....
son jumps off of bed, rock stack falls....kills fish and coral.....
leaving for vacation and letting someone else take care of your tank that doesn't have a clue.....
son jumps off bed, coral A falls into coral B...warfare ensues...
overfeeding
underfeeding
nasty crabs that eat all the snails
never name a fish if you want it to live.......
faulty hydrometer (don't even waste your money on these)
not testing water consistently
PROCRASTINATION

 

[dadoftwins]

5 year old son dumps windex in tank and says(I helped clean the tank) happened 2 years ago

 

[Kent E]

Got enthralled in Trumps show (a while back) while filling the tank with RO. I looked over and I saw "sweat" on the tank... it was full of 50 degree fresh water... all while I was 10 feet away. I lost everything.

 

[piscivorous]

Not having an automatic shut off on your RO/DI reservoir and forgetting to shut the water off only to wake up the next morning with an overflowing reservoir...this has happened more than once.
DIY overflows with a faulty seem that causes over 150 gallons of water to drain out of the main display tank onto the floor while you are away on vacation causing you to loose everything in the tank....this happened to a friend of mine.

Making that mistake that you just want to keep a couple of clownfish and you aren't going to go "crazy" like some of these folks and just be conservative with a small 55 gallon tank that should be cheap. $2000-3000 later I finally got a pair of clownfish in my tank.....

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Great idea for a thread!

1. ATO malfunction
2. heater Malfunction
3. macro algae going asexual
4. dosing pump failure
5. pump failure

Let's be more specific. For instance, a heater can fail by sticking on or sticking off. Same for ATO.

Some more:

1) Timer for lights stuck on/off
2) skimmer goes crazy and bubbles until the cup overflows (REALLY BAD for external skimmers!)
3) Skimmer waste collection system gets blocked or overflows
4) Ca/Alk dosing system malfunctions: Ca reactor CO2 solenoid stuck on or off, media in Ca reactor "melts," dosing pump for 2-part stuck on or off, kalk reactor dump into tank, etc.
5) Cooling system failures - thermostat on chiller stuck on or off, cooling fans fail, etc.
6) Power outages almost deserve their own thread. When the power comes back on, weird things can happen (timers might be off, controllers might not start in the right state, pumps/powerheads might be run dry, etc.)

 

[diverdick]

I have a recurring wet floor from tapping my RO system to fill containers for Two Part blending. LOL, I have started to fill them and walked away "since it will take a little time" and forget they are filling. This issue has forced me to set the oven timer to remind me. Now, that is not to say I have been outside during the rinnger..lol...Anyway, I have had several events of wet floors in my pump room!

Humanity

 

[GMaquarium]

not to derail this thread but will there be a list of problem prevention?

 

[lcs]

Cleaning the rocks and letting it siphon into the filter sock, but the return pump is off (I don't know why either), but the skimmer is on and overflows into the sump. Ewww.