GFI!

[ReefWreak]

I know they're good because they can save your life etc etc etc....

BUT!

I've been up in NC for the past few days, trolling on 56k (painful experience if you ask me), and my tank has been home, being watched by friends. The lights and CO2 solenoid are on the Aquatronica, so they were fine, however because I don't have an expansion port, and some other assorted reasons, I don't have the main pump nor powerheads on the controller. But I do have them on a GFI, where I do not have the AT on a GFI.

Long story short, The GFI tripped, so my tank has been without flow for... It looks like maybe 12-24 hours... while I wasn't home. The g/f checked in the morning, everything looked fine, then she checked while I was 11hours into my 12 hour drive, and all the pumps were off and the LPS looked a bit funky. I came home to find that the GFI tripped, and that ALL flow was off.

So far, the corals and all look okay, the only thing is my new christmas wrasse is... not looking good. Gills flared, he's spasming backwards, kept in tight bundles. I fed the tank, he snapped out of his funk, ate some nori and now he's back to it again, except upside down, curled up, still flaring his gills. I know the tank has ich, but he should be used to it by now.

As I write this, my parents are telling me that he's swimming again, somewhat erraticly. I fed nori, mysis, and pellets, giving him as much food as he could eat. I'll keep this thread updated.

Point is - I don't trust GFI anymore. I've been shocked before by the tank. Death is for the weak

[gasman059]

Erick sorry to hear that. No GFI in my tank.
Fire or death before LMAO

[jeffbrig]

Sorry to hear about the problems, Eric. GFCIs can be valuable, but only when used carefully. I spread my equipment over 5 separate GFCIs, so any one of them tripping can't take down the tank. I also keep a set of Tunze 6100s on a UPS so they're guaranteed to stay running.

[ReefWreak]

Yea Jeff, that's a good idea with the seperate GFCIs and the UPS.

I think the wrasse will survive, he's swimming around, but still a fair bit dazed.

[ninjamini]

Man I wish I knew where you guys kept all this electrical. I cant seem to get anything under my 90 gal tank. I'll tell you my next house will have a dedicated home theater and a room against a wall so that I can plum my tank.

[Rogger Castells]

Eric, sorry that happened, I had my own bad experience with GFI and I no longer use them in the vital parts of my tank, however, I do use it outside in the chiller (just to follow the code)
I realized the advantages of them but the disadvantages out-weight them. I am yet to read the reefer that died because of an electric shock from his reeftank but I am constantly reading how many tanks have crashed due to a tripped GFI.
The funny thing is that this devices seem to trip only when you are away for a few days

[gasman059]

Originally posted by Rogger Castells
Eric, sorry that happened, I had my own bad experience with GFI and I no longer use them in the vital parts of my tank, however, I do use it outside in the chiller (just to follow the code)
I realized the advantages of them but the disadvantages out-weight them. I am yet to read the reefer that died because of an electric shock from his reeftank but I am constantly reading how many tanks have crashed due to a tripped GFI.
The funny thing is that this devices seem to trip only when you are away for a few days

exactly- I only have it in my chiller outside like the democrat and considered eliminating it prior to hooking the second chiller for backup online.

[ReefWreak]

lol, so since my chiller didn't run yesterday as there were no pumps to move the water through it, I find that today my heater is stuck off. I've shaken it and it came on for a second, but no luck on consistency. So I've got one day without a chiller, one day without a heater. 87 - 77 degree swing in one day. Maybe that's why the wrasse isn't fairing so well. He's still curled up in a ball flaring his gills. The finnicky acros look fine, so I'm hoping that they can stand the temp swing.

Are there any inhabitants that I should really take care to watch, that act negatively to tank temp swings?

[Rogger Castells]

Originally posted by ReefWreak

Are there any inhabitants that I should really take care to watch, that act negatively to tank temp swings?

I don't think you should worry, that swing is not as bad and as long as you have it under control you should be ok.

[mark33442]

I have heard that pumps and motors can trip a GFI for no reason. I also had an electrician tell me that they develop a memory and will start to trip more frequently the more it trips. Do any of you guys have a similar experience? Any electricians that can clear this up for me?

[ReefWreak]

OAigos should be able to ring in here, as I believe he's the local electronics specialist.

Rogger, thanks. Everything is fine

I went out and bought another heater from Barrier Reef (cough I got raped cough). When I took the other one out, unplugged, there was water steaming off of it. I think it's still working,but the indicator light isn't working or something, or I'm just halucinating. Either way, the new heater is in, I've got the old one plugged in too, to see what will happen. Maybe only 1 250w heater wasn't enough for a 120g tank? They do suggest like a 250w heater for 75g or something. I never bothered to size it appropriately, because I've never needed a heater before

[illal]

wow sucks about the christmas wrasse hope he makes it

[ninjamini]

Originally posted by ReefWreak
from Barrier Reef (cough I got raped cough).

Geeze its cheaper to get one from mail order and fedex it over night. That store is expensive and I have found most of there staff rude.


Woops did I type that. Sorry. There is no place for that bad behavior here. But being someone that trains sales staffs I see when a store...well you just should not be rude to the customer.


Back on topic. Good thing that you replaced that heater. When water gets in thats bad news. It might be good to just replace them once a year anyway. There like under $20 and how many stories have we all herd about a heater boiling a tank.

[ReefWreak]

Yea, barrier is okay. Some are nice, some arn't, it really depends on the day too. Same people act differently every day. They're human, I suppose it's to be expected.

Anyway, yea next time I'm going to just order like a Ebo-Jager heater, something that'll last a while, especially since I use it what, once a year, if even....

Illal, I think the christmas wrasse will make it. It's so weird. He'll curl up and spasm for a while, flaring his gills, then he'll be fine for 12 hours. Its the weirdest thing. I've got nori in the tank the whole time, so if he gets hungry, he can eat (and I do see him pick at it now and then) and now I've got the auto-feeder dumping in 3 or 4 feedings a day. He looks like he'll be fine. He does stay up by the surface though,which makes me wonder if it's ich imparing his breathing abilities. We'll see how he does.

[prsouthfl]

hope u got a big protein skimmer i think u had a g-2 or 3 didnt u
keep it clean with all that feeding dont want to add to more problems
hope the wrasse and the acros make it just fine
paul

[gasman059]

Originally posted by ninjamini
Geeze its cheaper to get one from mail order and fedex it over night. That store is expensive and I have found most of there staff rude.


Woops did I type that. Sorry. There is no place for that bad behavior here. But being someone that trains sales staffs I see when a store...well you just should not be rude to the customer.


Back on topic. Good thing that you replaced that heater. When water gets in thats bad news. It might be good to just replace them once a year anyway. There like under $20 and how many stories have we all herd about a heater boiling a tank.

Hey I heard the sirius reps in south florida are not very smart.

Cmon man If u don't like a store keep it to yourself-they are all trying to make a living.
BTW how would you feel if the next time I go and get a sirius radio I tell the rep that all of the sirius reps are irresponsible and rude.

[pedromatic]

Jeez, Eric
You can get a heater at Pet Supermarket or one of those for cheap. And it won't scar you for life.

[prsouthfl]

ya i just bought a 200 watt for 15 bucks !!!!!!

[ReefWreak]

lol yeah. I was in the area, and as Manny said, support your LFS I suppose...

[szhttm]

Originally posted by Rogger Castells
I am yet to read the reefer that died because of an electric shock from his reeftank but I am constantly reading how many tanks have crashed due to a tripped GFI.

That comment started me thinking... I know...that can't be good...

But, do any of you know of a vendor who would hook-up DSL to the casket????

I did see that Costco sells caskets online, so I can get a good deal there...

I can't be without my internet even after I'm gone...

LOL!!!

By the way, I also ran into similar issues with GFIs and have not used them for years.

Good Luck and Have Fun!!!;

[Rogger Castells]

Originally posted by szhttm
That comment started me thinking... I know...that can't be good...

But, do any of you know of a vendor who would hook-up DSL to the casket????

I did see that Costco sells caskets online, so I can get a good deal there...

I can't be without my internet even after I'm gone...

LOL!!!

By the way, I also ran into similar issues with GFIs and have not used them for years.

Good Luck and Have Fun!!!;

That is funny, I am also the same way with the internet. Incredible how addictive it is.

[0 Agios]

I don't want to try to scare anyone here, but I thought about posting this last week but said to myself nope... a fellow electrician died inside an attic, doing a side job Sunday before the Christmas holiday. I found about it because the home owner was looking for a contractor to turn his electricity back on after FPL shut down the house for a week. Horrible for everyone involved in this drama. Electricity is no Joke people, thank the GFI that tripped and look to why it did trip, there may be a reason, maybe it saved you from coming back home to a burned house, that would be horrific compared to finding the fish or corals dead, maybe it did save someones live, perhaps a fire fighter etc, or maybe your own live. ELECTRICITY CAN KILL. Have at least 1 GFI for the pump separate !!! and all will be OK PLEASE !!!!!!!!

[db_triggerfish]

Originally posted by 0 Agios
Electricity is no Joke people, thank the GFI that tripped and look to why it did trip, there may be a reason, maybe it saved you from coming back home to a burned house, that would be horrific compared to finding the fish or corals dead, maybe it did save someones live, perhaps a fire fighter etc, or maybe your own live. ELECTRICITY CAN KILL. Have at least 1 GFI for the pump separate !!! and all will be OK PLEASE !!!!!!!!

I was going to run my own line through the attic a couple of months ago, but i feel wisely decided not to do it myself. I remember the fire fighter that died last year working in his attic. Here is the link:

http://www.nbc6.net/news/9733466/det...subid=10101481

[Paul B]

O Agios is correct. Although you will probably not die from a shock in your tank, you could. I have been an electrician for 40 years (retired last week) and I have put enough guys in ambulances from shocks and I have picked up a couple that diden't make it. It's a stupid very fast mistake that makes all the difference. I only have one GFI on my tank and even if it trips I never lost anything because of it and my tank is much older than any ones here. If I was concerned I would put two or three GFIs on there.
Paul

[jman77]

the suck culo, I will never have one on a tank.... in a bathroom ,yes ; in as tank no