Skimmer overflow. Almost hurt house down

Holy sh$t I'm freaked out right now. It's almost 1am.
Wife and I watched a show and I went up to bed at end. I hear her say "you left light on down stairs". Next I hear "your tank is over flowing!!!!"
I come running down the stairs and skimmer is overflowing but I smell smoke. Water was leaking onto power strip. Power strip wasn't below it but was close. I grab it to pull everything out and get electrocuted. Turn skimmer off but sump is low on water so add 5g of water I had ready for water change tommorow.

What could cause this??
That's right I put something new in my tank. It was a gift.
Fake coral. This must have set chemistry off.
Wow if my wife didn't come down that power strip world have caught on fire. It was smoking.
So freaked out right now. I have 3 young kids!

Here is the fake coral. Wow how could that set skimmer off?!?!

 

Wow close call man thats why you need to mount up your power strips.

You have a hob skimmer?

 

Wow. That's not the kind of excitement you need. Did it leak 5 gallons?

 

Whatever outlet you are using down there should be a GFCI outlet so that if it ever happens it will trip at the outlet to cut the power. The Power strip should of done that on it's own but it failed. Putting the fake coral in with out bleaching it and cleaning it definitely set the chain of events off I'm sure. If it's painted in anyway I would use it as decoration outside the tank. It seems like all crazy events happen late or when your not home. Don't be discouraged a GFCI outlet is easy to install and runs about 20 to 30 dollars for a 20 amp.

 

Wow,,glad you caught this!!
New reef is right,,find a way to mount the strips under your stand ..
To what caused it ,,had to be the fake coral.

 

Skimmer should always overflow back into the sump/DT.
As Rolo stated- A GFCI is a must for any set up.
YOU could have lost your life during that electrocution.
Gload you're OK, and please do what ever it takes so not only the flood/water, but also the shock,
never happen again- please.

I've read a thread from a few years ago on another board where a famous reefer on that board was found by his wife with his arm in the sump, dead.

PS, that fake coral looks like a skeleton

 

Still in shock. Yes it's a HOB back. I had a 60g that I got all my equipment for them upgraded to a 90g. Would prefer a sump skimmer but mine is still good enough at 90g. My sump was empty and pump was putting tons of air in the water.
For my electoral cords I did have that dip everyone recommends. But I need to mount it on the inside of my stand. What happened was skimmer was shouting water out that it hit the chord 5 feet away. The overflow tube is dry. It was coming out that fast. Water got inside the chord and overheated. I'll see how to extend that tube into the sump.
I'm serious when I say this and it scares me. If my wife hadn't gone down there I think my house would have burned. I have carpet in basement with tank. Which is now soaked.
So....
I need to fix this. CFCI I hear I come!!

I kept hearing everyone goes through at least one overflow. Hopefully will never happen again.

Also. Why would fake coral screw up the skimmer that bad?

 

Oils form your skin and everyone else who touched it and plus the added mass of it to the tank may have set the levels off just enough too.
Seriously glad this didn't end up another way for you.
Having a drip loop is good ,but also get those cords to where there is no way they can be in contact with water...Mine are up under the stand and just about centered in the middle ..Water would have to defy gravity to get to my power strips ..

 

Glad you are OK and all worked out well... Most power strips have over load protection and wont trip until there is a dead short or an over load ( exceeding their power rating) .. GFI protection senses stray currents and are extremely sensitive...thus they are code wherever there is water... take a deep breath and retool. This will be a good learning lesson for everyone...