Vacation/Phantom GFI Trip/Total Reef Wipeout (long)

[andyman]

Hey ron, not implying you moron or anything like that. I've just heard so many stories lately of peoples tank failing and with all the $$ spent on this hobby, that a monitoring solution would have saved most of the tanks (with the exception of maybe a leaking tank or something.) The battery backup would be on the monitoring system and nothing else in case power goes out and you need to be notified. I'm also assuming the battery backup is powering the DSL modem and router and switches.

I know Nicholas has a monitoring system, but his tank crashed cuz he didn't hook it up! Anyway sorry about your loss. Don't mean to sound harsh on people, but everytime I mention things about monitoring their tanks, I get brushed off. Monitoring your tank in my opinion isn't luxury, its a requirement. Especially when you have a 24x7 requirement to keep things running smoothly.

Perhaps the club should have a meeting or DIY session on how to do this. I believe there was a cheap solution to do this with a Linksys router.

andy

 

[sfsuphysics]

We had a meeting on how to do this in general terms Andy, I got really inspired by the level of your techno-savy unfortunately I'm not an engineer so most of it went well beyond me. A DIY session where we actually build one would be great! Even if its not club sponsored it'd be nice to see some directions someplace and maybe someone who understands those can translate those to English

There were a number of different probes you could hook up with that wasn't there? I mean pH, temp, salinity(??), orp?.

 

[landragon]

My gfci will trip out of the blue once evbery three months or so. In wall, proffessiionally installed. Always when I'm home SO FAR. Knocking on wood.

 

[RonSF]

I'd like to apologize to Andy for taking offence at what I perceived as brusquenesss. It was my own sensitivity after this big event for me and nothing more. I'm obviously still kicking myself for setting up the house of cards that fell, so it was most likely a lame defense mechanism on my part to criticise him.

Thanks for the suggestions everybody. My next tank will most definately have a way of crying out for help if it gets out of whack. The cost of ready made controllers with this capability has been out of reach for me in the past. The price is slowly coming down, though, and I will make sure that I don't spend money on livestock again before I spend enough for a more failsafe system. I'm a pixel pusher, not a coding or board soldering type, so I have yet to see a DIY solution that will be within my grasp.

Even with a good monitor, though, it can only be more failsafe, not entirely failsafe. In reflecting on the day things crashed, the margin of error is so razor thin on a day when it is 111 outside and the tank is in a non air conditioned Eichler with a flat tar roof and no insulation. Unfortunately, until the chiller went out, the tank was better looked after than the people in my household. House rich and cash poor . . .

 

[crazzyreefer]

so ill take offence....lol...

 

[tacocat]

I put my return pump and chiller on non CGFI outlets, because I have heard both devices emit voltage leaks which are capable of tripping off CGFI. Both devices have thermal protection and their own breaker.

Aquacontrollers are capable of emailing you if there is an issue with your tank. They cannot call you.

I hear that the Aquatronica can call you in an emergency (not sure).

 

[TikiDan]

when you decide to set up a new tank, let us know and maybe some of us could donate some small frags to help get it going for you. All you have to do is ask.

 

[andyman]

Ron your welcome to have small frags of anything in my tank when you decide to setup your new tank. Well except frags of my yumas. Hopefully we can all bump start you back into full gear with something nicer then kenya trees and plain jain zoo's. Offer goes to you to nicholas.