Help I think I've got a problem

[kev-dog1]

It all began when I cleaned my powerheads this last Sunday. Since then I've had cloudy water, my skimmer started skimming like crazy, (I've since adjusted the cup to keep this under control), there's a funky smell coming from this tank and there's lots of dead worms accumulating (I think they're worms, they are brown about 1/4 inch long with a dark/black dot on one end). And to cap it off, my circuit breaker started tripping alot, resulting in serveral hours of no skimming/no water movement.
I've tried to isolate what's causing the circuit to trip and I think I've narrowed it down to the heater, but have'nt nailed that down yet. so I guess it could be anything from powerheads, heater, lights to gfi wall plug or gfi 20 amp circuit breaker.
Can't say exactly how many hours over the last 36 the tank has had power. It's been on again/off again several times. Sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours.
Params this morning were: Alk - high, PH - 8.0, Nitrate 10, Phos 0.5 All of these are where this tank has been for past three weeks. (I'm not a big water tester, but started checking both tanks after a slight outbreak of cyano in my reef 55g)
The tank is a FOWLR 38 gallon. 3 maxijet powerheads, one of those powers a AquaC Remora. NO lights running off a ballast and waterproof endcaps (tombstones). Inhabitants: Niger Trigger, Fiji Puffer, Maroon Clown, Fiji Damsel, several red leg hermits a couple of various snails.
Also added two hairy crabs from fellow reefer. One croaked upon entry. The other lasted a week.
I don't know what to do. Is my tank crashing?
kev

[kev-dog1]

oh yeah...and although the 55g reef is on the same circuit and having the same electrical outages, it looks fine.
?

[zanemoseley]

what did you clean the powerheads with? also is your circuit breaker tripping or is it the GFCI? I'd do a 25% or larger water change

[kev-dog1]

It's the circuit breaker mostly, but a couple of times I had to reset the GFCI plug too.
I only used a tooth brush to clean the PH's. Took them apart, scrubbed them clean, then put them back together. However there was considerable detritus build up around the PH's and the heater. But I figured the skimmer as cleaning this up as it was going bonkers.

[fishdoc11]

It sounds like something could be leaking stray voltage into the tank or the insulation on something electrical is coming in contact with your tank water. Do you have a grounding probe? Do you have access to a voltage tester? If so test the tank. Also a large water change is a must at this point. What are your ammonia and nitrite levels?
Chris

[kev-dog1]

no grounding probe, no voltage tester, no nitrite test.
Electrician coming 8:am. I'll test for amonia now.
Also no extra water on hand. :(

[fishdoc11]

When the electrician comes get him to stick both ends of his tester in the tank(after wiping them off with a wet paper towel). If you have voltage unplug stuff one by one until you get a sudden drop(this could be your faulty piece of equip.). This may or may not be the problem just something to try. Also A.C. water is better than no water if you have to do a large H2O change. Just test the SG and go slow if the difference is large. They will let you take xtra containers if you leave them a deposit. I would unplug things that are not neccessary (xtra powerheads for circulation etc...)if your NH3 is zero. Sorry man that sucks.
Chris

[jdieck]

I concur, seems you have a short circuit in either the powerheads or the heater and a big one at it if the main braker is tripping. For safety I think you shall unplug all of them until the electrician can check them out.
Expect an Ammonia spike as it seems you have potentially a lot of dead critters that will decompose. Do you have fish in the tank?
If so can you transfer them to the other tank? Can you get water from someone around? As an emergency if you have salt you can ultimately use tap water (Use a dechlorinator without the coating stuff).

[kev-dog1]

Well that was gonna be my next question. What's the danger potential?
I'm absolutely not equipped to handle this with no water, no salt. I buy my water at AC twice a month.
If I try to grab the fish, can I just put them in bags with water from my 55g reef? If I let them free in the reef, I'll never get them back out with out tearing it apart. Plus my psuedochromis will beat them to a pulp, especially in the shape they are in.
I'm testing Ammonia right now and will know the results at 10:15 (Is amonia and NH3 the same thing?)

[fishdoc11]

Yes ammonia is NH3(sorry). I think turning off the electricity and letting them stay in that tank is probably your best bet if you want to unplug everything(which is probably the best idea). I would unplug the heater and the powerheads and leave the skimmer on(you did'nt mess with it right?)if it were me but I risk stuff for my tanks I probably should'nt sometimes. Do you have a battery powered airpump? If you do I would put it in.
Chris

[kev-dog1]

skimmer got the same powerhead cleaning, that's all
Ammonia is zero

[foggy54]

kev. unplug everything , then plug in your pump, or prime water mover be it a return pump, filter, or pwr head. then see what happens. if it does not trip add your heater, let it run, the key is to add, run, add run untill you trip. once you trip you might have found your problem. yery well could be a heater as they cycle on and off. when it cycles on it could trip follow this, starting with the pump over a time period. adding one piece at a time .

[foggy54]

kev ps did you buy any chance drip water in your pwr strip ? that could short if you got salt water in a socket or two.

[fishdoc11]

If your Ammonia is 0 you are probably fine until the morning. I would test it in the AM and do a smaller H2O change tommorrow just in case and monitor it for the next few days assuming you get the electrical figured out.. Foggy gave some great advice. You can make your heater cycle on by just turning it up instead of having to wait. Good luck!
Chris

[kev-dog1]

foggy
Don't think I got any water in the powerstrip. It hangs vertically on the wall. But I guess anything's possible.
I started unplugging powerheads one at a time last night and pretty much eliminated the powerheads, 'cause it tripped when each of the powerheads was unplugged individually.
So I feel I've narrowed it down to the heater or maybe the powerstrip. Or I guess it could be the wall plug or the circuit breaker.
Can't wait for the electrician.

[foggy54]

the key is to add what you need most . one item at a time, not by subtracting one item at a time.

[kev-dog1]

Hey foggy
Just noticed your occupation. Good to have a pro to talk to.
I'm gonna wait to do this in the morning, for now that tank is shut down, but you recommend adding pumps one at a time to see if anything trips right?
Should I have the electrician check the water for voltage as I do this?
I think it is odd that nothing tripped after hooking up to an extension cord to another room, and thereby another circuit. I thought if it made one circuit trip, it would make any circuit trip. Course this is relying on a short circuit as my theory. What had previously been on one 20 amp circuit, is now on 3 different circuits.

[foggy54]

have the elect. ckeck how many amps the tanks draw with everything on and running, ie all lites heaters(on) not just turned on. if you are drawing more than 80% of 20amps this ckt i would say is to thepoint that it could trip at any time. 80% is all you can count on to be reliable, anything over 16 amps. on a 20 amp bkt or anything over 12 amps on a 15 amp ckt. over these readings is a crap shoot for your live stock. as far as test ing the water that figures in after your sure the ckt is not over loaded IF YOU CAN RUN YOUR STUFF ON TWO CKTS UNTILL TOMORROW THATS WHAT I WOULD DO!!!!!!GOOD LUCK............

[SRA4031]

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[kev-dog1]

Thanks everyone! The electrician is due within the hour. Anxious to get this solved and begin the tlc of getting the tank back to normal. At this point I don't think the Fiji Puffer is gonna make it :(
Will keep you all posted on what I find out and the tank's recovery.
Hey goldeneagle - the Marketing guy for Magnetic Dreams Animation Studio. Check us out @ magneticdreams.com
Plus there is an article about us in today's business section of the Tennessean :)

[SRA4031]

Great stuff on your website. Wish I could afford that type of marketing.