Very unfortunate situation

[Rjmul]

I'm running a 65 gallon mixed reef. I have no sump. For twoish years I've been running a BH1000 with zero issue.

Recently it started filling up in just a day which I found odd, last night it overflowed and almost burned my house down.

I use RO. No dechlorinator. Nothing weird

I unplugged it and cleaned up all the water.
today when I go home the skimmer is going in the garbage, and I'm replacing the outlet with a 20 amp gfci. I rent. I have kids. I have a wife. Everyone is mad at me. I'm mad at me.

where do I go from here ?
my options are
-go skimerless (I'm worried that might be a bad idea because I carbon dose)
-buy a used sump/skimmer from a friend and try my luck drilling the tank with fish in it
-go to China and buy a tunze 9012 (as they're not available anywhere)

 

[iMi]

Don't be too harsh on yourself. Things happen and we can't foresee everything. What to do next, I'd say replace the skimmer and definitely address the electrical issue.

 

[Keenan]

I always had great luck with Aquamaxx HOB skimmers. Also make sure to establish drip loops with all electrical cords near water.

 

[piranhaman00]

Yikes, I would never be able to sleep with a hob skimmer, my in sump overflows too often...

Hook everything up to GFCI first. Can you place something under the skimmer in case it happens again? Bucket?

 

[TankCandy]

Hook everything up to GFCI first. Can you place something under the skimmer in case it happens again? Bucket?

+1 This is exactly where I would start with.

 

[Timfish]

Sorry to hear about your problems! It's so frustrating sometimes when equipment fails, especially after such a short time. For what it's worth reefs can be kept without skimmers or carbon dosing. You likely have a decent amount of cryptic sponges growing under and behind rocks and they pull out stuff a lot faster than the bacteria that's grown with carbon dosing (which has it's own issues, get Forest Rohwer's "Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas"). Here's videos of two of my ssytems that don't have skimmers or carbon dosing, the 2nd system also doesn't have a sump or skimmer (before the freeze last month > )

 

[dedragon]

It is a 65 gallon non drilled tank so im guessing it wasnt a super expensive one. For piece of mind i would just buy another one and drill it for a sump. 75 gallon tank from petco is like $100. what are the dimensions though

 

[Devaji]

if you dont want to drill a new tank another option is the life reef overflow there the best on the market hands down the only overflow I would ever use. check out there FB page and website ( the website is from the start of the internet tho) but dont be fooled by it he has been making aquarium goodies for decades top notch stuff.
that and a 40br made into a sump and your off to the races.

prefilter box, siphon box, overflow box, siphon overflow, Eurobrace, Euro-brace, Euro-tank

 

[Keenan]

I know the Aquamaxx HOB had an outlet where you could attach tubing to run excess/overflowing skimmate into a bucket or back to the tank.

 

[Rjmul]

Well. Update.
Installed a new outlet tonight. I have the hands of a 1940s railroad worker. Zero dexterity. Had a hard time fitting under the tank as well. I added one of those outdoor covers for an outlet because why not



Should have pigtailed the wires as they were way too short to work with, but I didn't, because I didn't feel like walking two blocks to my shop for spare wire.

ONE day without lights, and my alk went from 8.7 - 9.5. If nothing else, I keep my alk stable so that was a bummer. Temp went from 78 down to 75.3 just in the time I was working with the fuse off.

plan is to buy a reef ready 75, build a stand. Same lights. Used sump. Used skimmer.

still gonna cost a few dollars.
I guess life goes on. I'm skimerless until I get this new build going.

 

[dedragon]

Nice, I always think a canopy looks good if you are already making the stand, lets you get away with a tank with a rim which will save you a lot of money. I would ask a local glass cutter to drill the holes if you are afraid and ask them how much. saves so much money for a 75 gallon size tank which is easy to get and those slim overflows are around $100+ as well with bulkheads for them.