Dodging "Disaster" - Whew...

Just as soon as we "rookies" think we have everything under control and know everything we need to about keeping up our "Reef environment"...along comes a new brush with possible "disaster" to re-teach us some "humility" and "respect" for the "learning" that is still necessary to responsibly manage the environment and life we have taken under our care.

Embarrassing occurrence :-[- but worth sharing with others who may come across same event, or as a "reminder" to those who think it could never happen to them.

First, I am pretty meticulous at testing my water parameters, doing water changes, watching feeding/lighting schedules, and am on constant watch out for any "adverse" living conditions with critters and environment.

Couple of days ago my sump and canopy cooling fans started coming on all of a sudden for short periods during day.

I initially passed it off to increasing outside air temperatures as spring is arriving here in PNW. - But then noticed sump temperature had risen a couple of degrees also - and was staying that way. - suspecting a heater problem, I turned the temp control down a couple of degrees - but did not seem to make much difference over next day or so. Sump air/water temp still heating up and fans activating.

Then occurred to me my skimmer production was way down - not unusual in itself, as it seems to have periodic high/low production periods. But now am "suspicious" something haywire somewhere.

Of course, am sure you "veterans" have already guessed problem, - while appearing from out side to be quite clean, the prefilter for the sKimmer pump intake was clogged up internally. Water flow was reducing to pump, causing it to start to heat up, and was thereby source of "problems" noticed.

Talk about feeling "stupid" - as I regularly clean everything I can every couple of weeks - (actually, may sound weird to some, but I even look forward and enjoy doing) - but had overlooked this, as it "appeared" to be perfectly clean from outside...

Anyway, while not a major "life threatening" event, it easily could have been as I am getting ready to leave for a week.

Whew...

(please, in future, please note with any posting I put up here, I "barely" know what I am taking about.)

Respectfully,

OmarD :-X

 

Good save omard Thats why I never use any prefilters that can clog up

 

Glad you caught it before you left on your trip!

 

good thing to check and recheck before vaction begins.

 

Good catch! Don't worry buddy with as meticulous as you are in no time you will be teaching the "pro's" Have a great trip

 

Kinda had a similar problem today. I noticed that there were hardly any bubbles going in my skimmer. I grabbed the pump and moved it and it kicked on all of the sudden. It's only been going for a week so I think I might take it apart in the morning when I get home to see if something might have clogged it.

 

Good catch and thanks for the reminder to be diligent.

 

I read this then went to bed. I couldn't sleep so I 1:30am there I am cleaning my Skimmer.

Thanks for the resless night Omard
J

 

You're a model of meticulous animal husbandry Scott! Great job!