Nemo almost escaped!!!

[Kubi]

Ok,

I am real dumb #@%. About a year ago I built a DIY durso standpipe never thinking to put a strainer in.

Well last night before I went to bed I filled my auto top off up. Went to bed and around 2 am I woke up to my return pump cavitating. Crap, I knew that was not good I just filled the top off. I went to check to see what the problem was and the tank was spilling water over the sides!!!!:worried2: Shut everything down cleaned up the water and pulled my return tubing off. 1 hemit crab in a very large shell caused the problem. Luckily I did not loose a thing so far. Put the tubing back on added make up water and went back to bed 2 hours later.

Thought I share and if there are any fellow reefers out there with out a strainer...well you might want to think about putting one on, but I doubt if anyone is as dumb as I am.

 

[Gimplar]

yeah i had a similiar experience where a snail went into my over flow and clogged my draining system, fortunetly i cought it in time to not over flow the tankbut i had to kill the snail in order to get it out strainers are a must have on plumbing systems

 

[robthorn]

hehehe why do you think I don't have snails? been there done that. funny thing it always happens when you are getting into bed. good thing you only have a 90g. I did it with a 180 . 35 gallons on the carpet sucked.

 

[mflamb]

Hmmmm....something else to add to the "to do list" on my 390.

 

[flfirefighter13]

Witht that 390 I thin Id have to get a water alarm tied into a house alarm or something to page me when/if it goes off......I get to put 400G of freshwater on the floor of houses quite often and its a mess, couldnt imagine saltwater/sand/coral/fish

 

[Ah64av8tor]

Here is an easy strainer to make for your Durso, its made from scrap egg crate. I never throw anything away and sometimes it pays off.

 

[ReefArtist]

Hey Greg, I saw where you had done that on another thread, what a great idea. I really don't like the one I have on mine now - I might just have to brorrow your idea.

 

[CMcNeil]

hawkster i have some eggcrate here at home if you need to make a grate.

 

[xinumaster]

Very nice idea greg. I hope you haven't patented that design cause I am gonna copy it.

 

[Ah64av8tor]

You all are welcome to use it. I'm glad to help.

Like I said, I never throw anything away, I just look to see what I can make work for the situation.

That is a 1.5" Durso and the 2x2 egg crate fit perfectly, I haven't tried it on a larger fitting.

 

[Kubi]

Ok, the good news is the GFI tripped the bad news is I lost my Powder Blue:sad1: and possibly my sixline :sad1: :sad2: a bunch of dead pods I knew all about the egg crate, its on the DIY durso standpipe website I am such a A #$#$$.

http://www.dursostandpipes.com/

The tank was off since 11 am according to the timers. I was almost in tears pulling the tang out. On a good note the clowns, starrie blenny,stressed to the max, stars, cucumber and corals all seem to be alright. I will keep you posted

checkinhawk, thanks for the offer. You want to know what really makes things worse??? I have egg crate.

 

[Ah64av8tor]

Ouch .......sorry for your loss

Good luck

 

[CMcNeil]

sorry about the powder blue,that was a beautiful fish.hope you find the sixline in good shape.

 

[W Ellis]

Man that sucks. Sorry to hear about your losses. Another thing you can do to help keep things out of your overflow is to take a piece of styrofoam and and cut it to the shape of the top of the overflow and use it as a lid. I have done that and have never had and snails or what not in my overflow. It also blocks the light and helps prevent any algae growing in there.

 

[Kubi]

Yep,

Lost the wrass also.

I am going automated. Anytime I lose power I will have a back up UPS along with a water alarm that will give me a set of dry contacts to trip my DVR . The DVR in return will open up a web base browser at work and give me a live video feed on what is going on with the tank.

Live and learn....Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

 

[jokeefe727@aol.com]

On my 240 I use a electric flote switch tied into my return pump. I can't tell you how many times that saved Okeefs Reef.

 

[Kubi]

jokeefe727,

where do you have the float witch?

 

[jokeefe727@aol.com]

In my tank. Tank starts to over flow the pumps shut off. Water drains pump starts again. Works great. Alot of times

 

[Kubi]

soory about the last post. the question is

How do you have your float switches set up?

 

[jokeefe727@aol.com]

Pumps are pluged into strip.Strip has the switch pluged into it . Water starts to over flow. Switch turns off strip with the pumps pluged into it. I hope this helps.