Almost an ATO catastrophe

[jabberwock]

The device functioned properly. The mistake was mine. Tank has been up for 30 days. I added some filter floss to the top of my filter sock because the sock housing did not entirely cover the chamber. Then I went deer hunting for three days. My wife was feeding the tank, but she doesn't really have any interest in what is going on. The filter floss reduced flow and caused the levels in the back chambers to fall, triggering excessive fresh water top off. The sensor is in the back chamber. The fail safe of a finite amount of fresh water in the ATO was the only thing that saved me from overflow. Salinity dropped to 1.201. I have corrected the mechanical issue and will manually top off with clean salt water until salinity gets back to 1.024. Whew. Any other advice on the corrective action?

Moral of the story for me is, "Don't make ANY changes before you know you will be gone for a few days.".

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

The device functioned properly. The mistake was mine. Tank has been up for 30 days. I added some filter floss to the top of my filter sock because the sock housing did not entirely cover the chamber. Then I went deer hunting for three days. My wife was feeding the tank, but she doesn't really have any interest in what is going on. The filter floss reduced flow and caused the levels in the back chambers to fall, triggering excessive fresh water top off. The sensor is in the back chamber. The fail safe of a finite amount of fresh water in the ATO was the only thing that saved me from overflow. Salinity dropped to 1.201. I have corrected the mechanical issue and will manually top off with clean salt water until salinity gets back to 1.024. Whew. Any other advice on the corrective action?

Moral of the story for me is, "Don't make ANY changes before you know you will be gone for a few days.".

I think you are right to bring your salinity up slowly. No more than about .01 a day.

Not sure why you added floss. I suppose you felt you had water missing the sock, but I think that is ok as I’m pretty sure water runs over the tops of my socks without going through in my Red Sea tanks. Can’t picture your chamber, but maybe acrylic would close your gaps and direct the water through your sock without slowing your flow.

 

[jabberwock]

I think you are right to bring your salinity up slowly. No more than about .01 a day.

Not sure why you added floss. I suppose you felt you had water missing the sock, but I think that is ok as I’m pretty sure water runs over the tops of my socks without going through in my Red Sea tanks. Can’t picture your chamber, but maybe acrylic would close your gaps and direct the water through your sock without slowing your flow.

Thanks for the post, If I can make the gap be before the sock, or after the sock, which do you think would be best. I am thinking in after, as most particulate matter would fall out quickly and into the sock.

 

[jabberwock]

I think you are right to bring your salinity up slowly. No more than about .01 a day.

Not sure why you added floss. I suppose you felt you had water missing the sock, but I think that is ok as I’m pretty sure water runs over the tops of my socks without going through in my Red Sea tanks. Can’t picture your chamber, but maybe acrylic would close your gaps and direct the water through your sock without slowing your flow.

I added floss because there was a significant amount of crud getting passed the sock into my media. I discovered this when I cleaned the sock.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

I added floss because there was a significant amount of crud getting passed the sock into my media. I discovered this when I cleaned the sock.

I would have the gap after the sock as you are correct in more crude should go through the sock that way.

Also cleaning the socks frequently. I don’t clean mine often enough.

 

[jabberwock]

I have a bunch on order. How do you clean them?

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

I have a bunch on order. How do you clean them?

Easiest when changing water, I turn them inside out and swish in the dirty water I took out.

Between water changes could rinse in tap water, shouldn’t introduce too much.

When they really look bad or if I’m using felt vs mesh I would soak overnight in a water bleach solution, rinse thoroughly then soak overnight in RODI. Then allow to dry fully.

Have to have extras for this. But a rinse will remove most of the crude captured.

 

[jabberwock]

Easiest when changing water, I turn them inside out and swish in the dirty water I took out.

Between water changes could rinse in tap water, shouldn’t introduce too much.

When they really look bad or if I’m using felt vs mesh I would soak overnight in a water bleach solution, rinse thoroughly then soak overnight in RODI. Then allow to dry fully.

Have to have extras for this. But a rinse will remove most of the crude captured.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I got 10 delivered today... They are felt. I like them. I will start by rotating 3. Should give me plenty of time for cleaning thoroughly and decon. Saved $30 by purchasing in bulk.

 

[BaliReefBox]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I got 10 delivered today... They are felt. I like them. I will start by rotating 3. Should give me plenty of time for cleaning thoroughly and decon. Saved $30 by purchasing in bulk.

imo you should have gotten the nylon mesh 100-200 micron socks. from all that i have read here the felt ones are a pita to clean. with the nylon mesh i jusst turn them inside out and rinse them under the tap to clean then air dry. I have 2 in use and just rotate them out. the initial felt ones are still in the drawer

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

2 things #1 I just throw my socks in the washer with bleach double rinse ( dont tell the wife ). #2 half the water that goes into my sump diverts in a refugium never touching the sock . I think you will be fine if some water gets around your sock

 

[jabberwock]

imo you should have gotten the nylon mesh 100-200 micron socks. from all that i have read here the felt ones are a pita to clean. with the nylon mesh i jusst turn them inside out and rinse them under the tap to clean then air dry. I have 2 in use and just rotate them out. the initial felt ones are still in the drawer

I bought the factory socks that were originally provided with the tank by Innovative Marine. 200 microns. I saw poor reviews from Amazon quoting, "obviously not authentic.", so I bought them directly from IM. They look good. On a side note, my front of the house outside hose spigot occurs before my whole house in-line pressure regulator. I have some serious water pressure coming out of that hose. I think I will try cleaning them from that location... I hope they hold together. Do I need to do something to mitigate chlorine and chloramines?

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

I bought the factory socks that were originally provided with the tank by Innovative Marine. 200 microns. I saw poor reviews from Amazon quoting, "obviously not authentic.", so I bought them directly from IM. They look good. On a side note, my front of the house outside hose spigot occurs before my whole house in-line pressure regulator. I have some serious water pressure coming out of that hose. I think I will try cleaning them from that location... I hope they hold together. Do I need to do something to mitigate chlorine and chloramines?

Generally IMO you won’t get enough chlorine in them from rinsing in tap water. Also if you allow them to fully dry, the chlorine evaporates. I always soaked in tap water/chlorine mix then rinsed and allowed to dry. Did it with the filter felt back in the old days with amiracle trickle filter.
I’m on well water so I don’t have to worry about chlorine.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

I bought the factory socks that were originally provided with the tank by Innovative Marine. 200 microns. I saw poor reviews from Amazon quoting, "obviously not authentic.", so I bought them directly from IM. They look good. On a side note, my front of the house outside hose spigot occurs before my whole house in-line pressure regulator. I have some serious water pressure coming out of that hose. I think I will try cleaning them from that location... I hope they hold together. Do I need to do something to mitigate chlorine and chloramines?

On well water now, city water back then.

 

[jabberwock]

On well water now, city water back then.

Thank Hank. I assume you have your well water tested. There is ALL KINDS of stuff to worry about in groundwater...

 

[BaliReefBox]

lol well water also buy mine you cant drink it unless you want to sit on the toilet for a week

 

[jabberwock]

Yeah, there is the biotic thing, but even worse are things like SVOCs, heavy metals or PFAS, PFOAS.

This stuff is pretty much everywhere.

 

[BaliReefBox]

if you decide you dont like socks i read a post on here, a guy took off the mesh/felt found a plastic container that fit the circular top then he drilled holes in the container and put regular floss into the jar...then he just threw the floss away..no cleaning

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Thank Hank. I assume you have your well water tested. There is ALL KINDS of stuff to worry about in groundwater...

No I run everything through RODI and we have RO for drinking. Yes don’t trust any non-purified water for us or our fish.

 

[homer1475]

I have about 20 felt socks I rotate. When dirty(roughly 2 or 3 days) I rinse them in the sink with tap water, and throw them in a bucket of tap water and bleach. When the bucket is full, throw them in the washing machine.

Let them air dry(any left over bleach will gas off), and throw them back into rotation. Been doing it that way for the better part of 30 years. I have never had an issue.

 

[LisaMarie]

I literally just toss them in the washer. Fortunately, I am the wife so it doesn't cause marital problems. Your results may vary.