nuked my tank

[PAnanoguy]

well I changed my filter sock this afternoon and forgot to turn off my skimmer. the skimmer overflowed the collection cup which was about half full of very dark skimate. I didn't notice for a few hours when I looked at my tank and it looked like a bomb hit all my corals were closed up and looking stressed. clam was ****ed. hope I didn't just kill everything in my tank. I had to go to

[PAnanoguy]

work so I guess I'll find out in the morning if I'm still in the hobby or not. might be a lot of good equipment for sale on here tomorrow because if this destroys my my tank I'm quitting.

[ajcanale]

That has happened to me a few times with no major issues. It certainty will not destroy your tank, unless you maybe had a nearly full cup of very very thick and potent skimmate.

Provided that your skimmer stayed on it should have immediately resumed removing what it released into the water column.

[jasonrstewart79]

An event like that should not nuke or kill your tank inhabitants... during storms and other natural events at sea, corals are exposed to massive amounts of detritus as well as pollutants in the water column with no long term ill effects... just give it some time.

[PAnanoguy]

well it was pretty full and very dark skimate. so we will see. I'm literally sick to my stomach. I hope it's ok. dumb move on my part. not thinking. going to stop cleaning filter socks in the wash and just clean them out with a hose from now on.

[ajcanale]

Filter socks are overrated, IMO :)

[jasonrstewart79]

well it was pretty full and very dark skimate. so we will see. I'm literally sick to my stomach. I hope it's ok. dumb move on my part. not thinking. going to stop cleaning filter socks in the wash and just clean them out with a hose from now on.

When you say you cleaned it in the wash, were you talking about washing it with clothes or any type of detergent? If so, that could easily introduce toxins that would nuke a tank

[jacob.morgan78]

Changing your filter sock shouldn't make your skimmer overflow I don't think. It doesn't happen when I do it. I just posted abut this in another thread so I pasted below. HTH


I place the filter sock in my sump and let my drain pipe from the display tank flow into and through it. I replace them at least every week... Usually more frequently. When I replace it, I take the used sock, turn it inside out, and put it outside in a bucket. When enough have accumulated in the bucket, I wash them in hot water in the washing machine. NO detergent! I just use a couple glugs of bleach. I put them through an extra rinse and let them air dry for at least 24 hours before use. A lot of people will suggest replacing them every 2-3 days and that is probably smarter.

[ReachTheSky]

It's happened to me twice. No nuking. Just some upset livestock that was back to normal the next day. :)

[cakemanPA]

I wash my filter socks in liquid Chlorox with an extra rinse cycle. My 50 gallon skimmer never reacts differently than with an old sock. But I have spilled most of a skimmer cup full of skimmate back in my sump without any issues other than temporarily ticked off sps.

[PAnanoguy]

ok. I feel a little better now guys thank you. I'm also very much considering not using filter sock anymore. such a p.i.t.a.

[Whisperer]

My skimmate continuously spilled when the drain hose in the collection cup got disconnected. A few times I spilled it while removing the collection cup for cleaning, no significant effect on the inhabitants.

[GPB]

You may have nuked your tank, but not because of filter sock, and skimmer overflowing. Sudden death would have to be more related to electrical shock, or chemical poisoning.

[daninflipflops]

shouldnt be a long term issue, you got to remember that the stuff the skimmer pulled out was already in your water, its just been concentrated thru skimming for a few days, the skimmer should pull it back out pretty quickly

[chunk78]

any update fot today?

[sslak]

Changing my sock always makes my skimmer overflow.

I'm not sure why.

I wash in cold water with only bleach, rinse cycle in washer, then rinse by hand, then allow to dry for 24 hours before using again.

Dumping skimmate into your tank shouldn't really cause a problem...it came from the tank in the first place. How many days worth of skimmate are we talking here?

[rrasco]

I'm assuming he turns off his return pump when he changes the sock. This would raise the water level in the sump thus causing the skimmer to go spastic.

I don't believe he is saying the new sock was the problem, this just happened to occur during sock maintenance. Of course, it might, I don't use socks so I'm not familiar with their side effects.

[highpower9979]

Ive done this before with no fallout at all hang in there should be fine

[coralsnaked]

:spin2::spin2:I am in the market for a couple of small Radions

[BigCountry74]

You should be fine.

[jacob.morgan78]

[QUOTE=rrasco;20729538]I'm assuming he turns off his return pump when he changes the sock. This would raise the water level in the sump thus causing the skimmer to go spastic.[QUOTE]

good point, didn't think of this!

[PAnanoguy]

Nothing has died as of yet from my screw up thank god. Corals are still not looking good though. The Colt coral and the green leather are looking most upset.

I've also done this overflow accident before. Never with this amount of skimate going back in though. It was probably about half a cup of skimate.
No I don't turn off the main pump when I change the filter sock. Not sure what causes the skimmer to go nuts like that. A lot of other people say this also happens to them too. I don't use detergent or bleach when I wash them so I guess it must be residual cleaning product in the washer. I'm going to just rinse them out with a garden hose outside from now on.

[PAnanoguy]

I'm doing water changes all week to get this thing looking good again.

[PAnanoguy]

And my nitrates are still at about 1-2 ppm and phosphates .04-.08 ppm so I'm not sure what good water changes are going to do but oh well.

[ajcanale]

I don't think a bunch of water changes are necessary. Your corals are irritated, they will be fine, especially the leathers.

[PAnanoguy]

^ yeah guess your right. The colt coral almost looks like it got bleached out. It's very pale.

[audacious1]

it has happened to me too. half of the cup overflowed.(huge swc cup) did a water change immediately & nothing really happened. you're good.