KrazyKuch's & Michika's 180Gal Tank Build

[michika]

If I had anymore towels I would be considering throwing them in...

The power went out. So I watched the rubbermaid sump almost overflow. Then I shut the gate valve to keep most of the water in tank and to prevent the aformentioned overflow. It worked and was working when I was called to the manager's office about a problem in our condo. I came back and the sump overflowed, its all over the carpet, and in the bottom of the stand. This is not my day! Oh yes, and I argued very strongly for sealing the bottom of the stand, but was told to just put it off until we put the glass sump in...should have gone with my gut instinct.

*Edit for more info*
Post mess photo;
- most of the water on the ground has been soaked up
- dried out the stand as much as possible, I think there is water under the rubbermaid.
- have the fan blowing on the carpet and the stand.

Found out why it overflowed;
- too much water in the system, overtopped off from the water change.
- I thought the gate valve was shut, but I guess it has a sticky point about 3/4s of the way closed. It felt tight and closed, but it wasn't.

Good things! (This is my favorite part!)
- Emergency back up worked great, koralia 1 kicked on with no problems.
- Lights and everything else came back online automatically (except the pump which I shut off manually)
- Everything in the tank looks no worse for wear.
- Power was out for a total of 45 minutes, and aside from my error, and the fact that the tank was over filled with water, I think an extended power outtage would be quite easy to handle for the tank.

I couldn't find the flashlight in the dark in our catchall drawer so I had to use the flash of the camera to tell me how full the sump was.


After the clean up;


More good news is that the new top plate for the Ca. reactor is done. It needs to be cleaned but I think it just needs to be washed and assembled before going online tonight.

[Delphinus]

Oh no! Man alive, it can't just rain, it pours??

Good luck with everything!!

[Lance]

Unbelievable run of bad luck you're having! I sure hope it turns around for you soon. I think you should run out and get some 4-leaf clovers and rabbit's feet, and stay away from black cats and ladders. GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK!!!!!

[michika]

Thanks for the good luck!

I'm hoping we'll have no more problems for the future. We've opted not to add any fish like I mentioned earlier for a little while. Probably at least a couple of weeks to get our chemistry straightened out, our reactors online, and our new sump in place.

The flooding was a fluke, a combination of faulty choices, that is almost impossible to see now with the fan running. The fish deaths, particularly the angel, like someone on RC pointed out, can also be a fluke. Sometimes some fish just keel over, and it could be any reason.

I have a few things to do over the next couple of weeks, and then maybe once the lighting, sump, and reactors are online we will revisit the idea of adding new fish to our set up.

[michika]

Alright so the flooding problem has been fixed. The problems were;
1) Overfilled the tank when the WC was done.
2) I closed the gate valve (or I thought I did) to prevent a sump flood because of the extra water. However, there is a sticky part on the gate valve and I thought it was totally closed, and it wasn't. So the water in the overflow drained into the sump causing the flood.

Everything is dry now and you can't even tell there was a flood at all. Yay for my quick clean up skills!

We also had another power outtage last night. There was no flood, no problems at all because we returned the sump to its proper levels. Things again seem good in the land the 180g tank.

[michika]

So my real package with UPS is out for delivery.

This came with our morning mail. I freaked out, called the Utility company and we had a nice long chat about their responsibility to their clients, and how maybe, just maybe they should read the notes on file before assuming that 1) I'm a non paying client, 2) that you need to talk to my husband to get the facts. Apparently women are now no longer able to make decisions, or be responsible for financial things...



Anyways supposedly that little snafu has been fixed. They made an error on their part, and instead of just turning our electricity back on from last time, instead they gave us a 30 day trial period. Stupidity hurts my brain.

So the Ca. reactor build photos;
The reactor before plumbing,


Hi Mum, am I in your way?








Our supervisor

[Delphinus]

Wow, I can't believe the amount of bad luck! Sooner or later things have got to start turning around! Hang in there!!

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Wait...women ARE allowed to make decisions now? Sheesh, what's this world coming to?!

I agree with Tony. Things will improve...and it's lookin' good.

[rocketlily]

I had an "untalk" with Direct Energy yesterday. They told me they couldn't talk to me because it was my husband's name on the account. I then asked them if they have ever received a payment on the account from my husband or was it is wife paying the bills. After a discussion, I was asked if there was anything else they could do for me. My reply was that if they couldn't talk to me, how could they do anything for me.

[michika]

Kevin isn't even on the utility accounts, which is what makes it such a fantastic conversation to have had.

Well I am seeing some awesome things regardless of the messes and the electricity drama and stuff. The colonies we bought are colouring up like I expected. Too bad Kevin can't tell the difference between purple and blue, otherwise he would owe me his share of a bet we made.

I had a gut feeling about one particular colonies. I thought it would turn purple if it was under a more blue light. Kevin said it would darken up to be a nice rich royal blue. Its turning purple. I'll try for some photos of the change later.

My ups package, our new lighting, STILL isn't here yet. I'm so anxious to get the box!