Reasons for Tank Crashes

[daugherty]

if i get a bigger tank i am going to add a couple 20amp circuts to be safe

 

[yote]

I made up my own power cords with GFCI outlets on them.2 powerheads,the heaters,and fan on one.2 more powerheads,return pump,and skimmers on one.,the another for the last 2 powerheads.The timer for the lights is just plugged into a GFCI in the wall.Then of course the whole house is grounded.

 

[parrotchute]

I have 4 x 250 MH actually, and twice now my tank system has shut down the power in half my house. If you add the lights, skimmer, and all the pumps up, it definitely has put a giant strain on my system.

What's your elec bill?!?!?

 

[tankedchemist]

Another dumb question about electricity.... feel like I need to go back to college and get another degree in elec. engineering :P Anyway, how do you know which outlets are on the same circuit? And is it true that if the circuit breaker thing trips once, it no longer functions properly?

 

[lilyicu]

My koi pond trips the circuit breaker when it rains too much. I just reset it and it works just fine :)

 

[yote]

Another dumb question about electricity.... feel like I need to go back to college and get another degree in elec. engineering :P Anyway, how do you know which outlets are on the same circuit? And is it true that if the circuit breaker thing trips once, it no longer functions properly?

To figure out which outlets are on what circuit,just flip the breaker off:D
And no,The breakers are designed to trip when overloaded.Thats what prevents electricial fires.90% of the time,when a breakers not working right,its overloaded.

 

[Bifferwine]

What's your elec bill?!?!?

Ha! Usually between $300 and $400 a month. That is why the big tank is NOT coming with me to my new house.

 

[parrotchute]

holy crap...

 

[dcantucson]

Ha! Usually between $300 and $400 a month. That is why the big tank is NOT coming with me to my new house.

Yes... but part of that is because of cooling. At least mine is! When it's 100+ degrees by 11am and the low is 90+ degrees then cooling the house gets expensive!

 

[Bifferwine]

That's so true. And even more so because my lights heat up the room so much. The AC has to kick in to overdrive just to try to keep up.

 

[lilyicu]

I just added my tank in April and my electric bill was $400 this month and they said that my usage was down from this time last year. That is what happens when you are at 100 degrees by noon :(

 

[yote]

I'm dreading the summer light bill myself.Running double the wattage on lights alone,plus got a window AC unit to put in the bedroom where the tanks at.And we've only hit the mid 90s so far.

 

[Yoda_022]

How about not washing your hands before you put them in your tank? Thats what i'm always worried about...just in case you have soap or cleaning chemicals on your hands...or if you've been driving and if your cars are as dirty as mine you can get alot of bad stuff in your tank.

 

[lilyicu]

Did anyone hit on broken heater (too hot or not working)?

 

[yote]

How about not washing your hands before you put them in your tank? Thats what i'm always worried about...just in case you have soap or cleaning chemicals on your hands...or if you've been driving and if your cars are as dirty as mine you can get alot of bad stuff in your tank.

Thats why I keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol in the bathroom to wash my hands with before I work around my tank.

 

[dcantucson]

Rubbing alcohol? Yote are you sure it's that kind of alcohol and you're washing your hands with it? :lol:

 

[mng777777]

How about not washing your hands before you put them in your tank? Thats what i'm always worried about...just in case you have soap or cleaning chemicals on your hands...or if you've been driving and if your cars are as dirty as mine you can get alot of bad stuff in your tank.

That's a good point. It's something I am very careful about and yet I forgot it in my post. Good Catch!

 

[yote]

Rubbing alcohol? Yote are you sure it's that kind of alcohol and you're washing your hands with it? :lol:

I'm sure Dcan.Rubbing alcohol taste like:pooh: :mrgreen:

 

[ndepratt]

how about crusty salt.

sounds odd... but the salt mixes we use are not a homogeneous mixture. So aged salt that has gathered moisture has the potential to kind of "settle out" if you will.... you get the possibility of getting a bunch of one aspect of the mix.

I once talked to a guy who had his tank crash because he had a bunch of 10-12 month old salt, that had not had the lid tightened all the way. It had become hard, and after a good size water change everything started dying off. Apparently the Magnesium in the salt was all sorts of messed up, causing his calcium and alkalinity to swing like crazy.... and thus crashing his tank.

I once did a WC on a customer tank using old crusty salt, a few days later when I checked in on the tank the corals had browned, and a blue hippo tang had died. I typically suggest putting a silica packet or some other item to remove humidity when you buy salt in bulk and use it slowly.