/sigh

[mumbles]

Hello all Well I moved into a new apartment cpl weeks ago had to break down my tank and move it so I figured hey ill setup a new tank. so ive had the old tank on the floor waiting for the new one and I wanted to switch out the old sand bed .So I filled a bucket with some tank water a few pieces of LR and some new sand To jumpstart the new sand that going to be introduced to the system.Well checking the sand today and I see the water looks a lil dark Too dark I was using a rio powerhead that was previously running my refugium and it apears that it was leaking oil somehow /sigh .So im guessing that the new sand and my LR are trash now ? I love the hobby but argghhh sometimes lol .has anybody had this kinda expierience with oil leaking out of a pump ?

 

[jdieck]

Not oil leaking but you were lucky. Usually it mans a full blown circus and fireworks of short circuits, personal shock and fire.
Might have not seriously afected the rock but the cheaper sand I would replace.

 

[michaeldaly]

Oil floats on water so if oil did leak out I would think the sand should still be ok.

 

[demonsp]

Do you ever clean your powerhead ? You didnt mention type of powerhead but most if not all dont use oil, they run by magnetic drive and should be cleaned regularly.

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9722725#post9722725 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demonsp
Do you ever clean your powerhead ? You didnt mention type of powerhead but most if not all dont use oil, they run by magnetic drive and should be cleaned regularly.

He mentions Rio. Electrical melt of plastic parts creates and oily residue.

 

[mumbles]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9722725#post9722725 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demonsp
Do you ever clean your powerhead ? You didnt mention type of powerhead but most if not all dont use oil, they run by magnetic drive and should be cleaned regularly.

Actually I cleaned everything when I broke down my tank 14 days ago . I didnt see any actual oil leaking from the pump but what else could it be making the water and sand black like that ?I was running a skimmer on this thing prior to using this rio pump by itself and the water looked fine .

"Electrical melt of plastic parts creates and oily residue." Could I toss the skimmer back on and toss the top lair of sand w/o any problems or just toss the whole thing and start over ?

 

[jdieck]

I will place the skimmer to work in there.
Regardles the sand it depends how much and $$ you are talking about. If it is too much you can leave it but before you try the tank in big scale, once it is cycled you can try a shrimp or two for a couple of weeks, if everything is OK then go with the rest of the setup, if they have trouble or the snad is not that much I would just toss the sand.