Seriously considering throwing in the towel

[Flippers4pups]

@Wrasse-cal, at one time I used baked baking soda ( sodium carbonate) for DKH adjustments. Stopped using it after some time when it precipitated and covered everything in my sump.

Went back to sodium bicarbonate and it's been good ever since.

I use Randy's improved recipe #2:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

I make it up in a gallon jug.

And this calculator:

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

Works like a charm.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Soft vinyl tubing popping off fittings?

Get these:

https://www.aquacave.com/plastic-hose-clamp-1.html

They have different sizes too. Even packs of them pretty cheap.

Come to think of it, I need some! Lol

 

[CMO]

Stories like this convince me to just stick with good old fashioned consistent manual dosing and monitoring.

Manual dosing and monitoring would not have prevented this situation. Additional modern electronic monitoring such as a low level switch or leak detector would have, however.

 

[cancun]

Wow! I am so sorry! I have also had many ups and downs over the years! I can't tell you how many times I told my husband, "that's it....I am selling it all"! But then I kept at it, learned from it, and keep going! When things are going great, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment and pride in my tank. That's what keeps me going. When something happens I remember that good feeling I have when things are going really good! Hang in there! [emoji16]

 

[Flippers4pups]

Occam's razor!

Occam's razor is the problem-solving principle that the simplest solution tends to be the correct one. When presented with competing hypotheses to solve a problem, one should select the solution with the fewest assumptions.

So true, not always, but can be applied to most things.

 

[Wrasse-cal]

Soft vinyl tubing popping off fittings?

Get these:

https://www.aquacave.com/plastic-hose-clamp-1.html

They have different sizes too. Even packs of them pretty cheap.

Come to think of it, I need some! Lol

Yeah. Is there is trick to getting those to fit tightly? I feel like I squeeze and squeeze and can't always get them to tighten all the way.

 

[rock_lobster]

Sorry to hear this all that gear can be a major headache. No one takes into account all the additional risks. We need to bring simplicity back to this hobby.

 

[cancun]

Sorry to hear this all that gear can be a major headache. No one takes into account all the additional risks. We need to bring simplicity back to this hobby.

Yes I love simple! The only automated thing on my Aquarium is my ATO.... LOL...so I guess if something happens aside from a mechanical malfunction with pumps, heater, etc....is human error...[emoji16]

 

[rock_lobster]

Yes I love simple! The only automated thing on my Aquarium is my ATO.... LOL...so I guess if something happens aside from a mechanical malfunction with pumps, heater, etc....is human error...[emoji16]

I even got rid of that just easier/less risky to dump the water in twice a week by hand lol.

 

[eggplantparrot]

Yeah. Is there is trick to getting those to fit tightly? I feel like I squeeze and squeeze and can't always get them to tighten all the way.

Use pliers, i could never tighten them without pliers

 

[Flippers4pups]

Yeah. Is there is trick to getting those to fit tightly? I feel like I squeeze and squeeze and can't always get them to tighten all the way.

Channel lock pliers. Hand and fingers don't have the strength to get that last couple teeth to engage. Can go too far as well and break them. A couple "clicks" pass finger tight works.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I even got rid of that just easier/less risky to dump the water in twice a week by hand lol.

Any automation can fail. This is a fact of life.

I found these years ago to control my ATO top off. I've used them for years and years without failure:

http://autotopoff.com/Standard/index.html

I use the "double" with bracket currently. Its redundant floats are nice to have. Jmtcw.

 

[eggplantparrot]

When i bought a 14G rimless tank to set up what i have now, i got too excited and drilled the tank and set it up completely without doing a leak test.

So of course out of all of my tanks ever, the only one i forget to leak test had a leak. Not just a leak, the whole bottom pane was siliconed on 2 sides only. How did i not notice that?? But i sure as hell noticed it when i started filling it up with a big pump. Nice sized waterfall straight on to new hardwood flooring.

Keep at it man, think of all the fishies waiting for you to give them food with puppy (fish...?) eyes!

 

[jsker]

Oh I have a few good mistakes I have made over the years

After my last experience, I like the switch idea and have installed them myself. The float switches and a breakout bar are inexpensive and very easy to install.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Any automation can fail. This is a fact of life.

I found these years ago to control my ATO top off. I've used them for years and years without failure:

http://autotopoff.com/Standard/index.html

I used the "double" with bracket currently. Its redundant floats are nice to have. Jmtcw.

To add to these electronic floats, they can used to control just about anything wet, skimmers, return pumps..... I want to put one on my sump that if it leaks, it will turn off my return pump and keep it from running dry and on my skimmer cup if it overflows, it will turn off my skimmer pump. Jmtcw.

 

[whoisfelix]

Oh man, I too have had 30 gallons of water end up on my carpet. I tightened a clamp down until it was snug, but apparently it was binding on itself. I should have just replaced it with a new one. I spent hours with a wet-vac trying to suck as much water out of the padding as possible and ran fans on it for weeks to be sure. Then I steam cleaned the carpet to try to get rid of any tank residue that may have stayed behind. Perhaps that was unnecessary. I also had to clean up a mess off my basement floor below and run fans on the joists in the basement ceiling. A totally annoying experience stemming from such a small thing.

For what it's worth, I chose to stick with it because that felt like a low point for me and I really needed to prove myself better than that. I hear what you're saying about feeling like you've had multiple lows, but taking things as they come is part of any hobby. What doesn't kill you makes you (and in this case, your skills in the hobby) stronger.

Things I learned from my spill.

1. Clamps. More and better clamps. Replace them if you're not sure of the condition. Test for leaks before considering the connection complete.
2. Don't walk away when you could just finish the job 100%. I know this doesn't apply in your case due to automation.
3. Next tank should be in a place with a proper floor drain (hence my next build will be in a newly finished basement).

 

[ReeferReefer]

Have you considered going with a more simple system. A softie tank wouldn't require KH to be kept to strictly.

 

[cancun]

I even got rid of that just easier/less risky to dump the water in twice a week by hand lol.

LOL! [emoji16]

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Manual dosing and monitoring would not have prevented this situation. Additional modern electronic monitoring such as a low level switch or leak detector would have, however.

I was referring to the cal reactor part of the story.

 

[hart24601]

In this hobby at times I feel we are just moving from one tragedy to the next. As we get more experience (or sometimes just luck!) that period between tragedies is just longer!