need quick help - had a close call!

[nickyblase]

Had a REALLY close call with my RBTA when I got home from work yesterday. Found him sucked up into my Rio powerhead!!!!

I don't know if the Gods were favoring me at that moment or what, but as soon as I leapt the 15 feet from the door to the power cord (in one jump!) & swiftly unplugged it, he released himself and moved right away. THANK GOD!

I thought I myself was going to have a meltdown. My other powerhead (Maxijet) is covered, but how do I cover this one? I'm afraid to plug it back in! I thought for sure that this type of powerhead had openings that would be too small for him to get sucked up into.

Maybe they are indeed just large enough for him to get caught, but small enough for him not to reach the impellor?

Here's a pic of the powerhead (or similar model) for those who haven't seen one. Any ideas would be fantastic!!

 

[~Flighty~]

Get some craft mesh and make a cage to go around it. you have to make it big enough that you can't feel a strong suck on the mesh.

 

[JohnK]

You might want to swap that RIO out for aonther kind of PH anyway - at least in the past the RIO's had a reputation for shorting out in the tank and cooking whole tanks (I think it was mainly the larger RIO's, but I wouldn't trust any of them)

 

[nickyblase]

thanks for the ideas - I'll def. get some craft mesh.

The powerhead I've got is a pretty small one, and I've got a grounding probe on this tank (not sure if that would help in this situation or not)

 

[naturebatslast]

You might want to swap that RIO out for aonther kind of PH anyway - at least in the past the RIO's had a reputation for shorting out in the tank and cooking whole tanks (I think it was mainly the larger RIO's, but I wouldn't trust any of them)

Ditto

 

[RichConley]

thanks for the ideas - I'll def. get some craft mesh.

The powerhead I've got is a pretty small one, and I've got a grounding probe on this tank (not sure if that would help in this situation or not)

Do you have a GFCI?

grounding probes without GFCIs are a serious hazard.

 

[me2003]

This may also work if you have the right rio model. I have seen this kit for the 600 and 800 also. You can use it with no filter material if you want.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=TA4151

 

[nickyblase]

I do have a GFCI, but that's not plugged into it! Guess I better move some things around.

 

[RichConley]

It doesnt really matter if the probe isnt plugged into the GFCI.

The problem is that if somethign shorts in your tank, and that device isnt on a GFCI, its going to run current through the probe, and gonna continue pulling current, instead of tripping like if it was on a GFCI.

IE say your lights have a short, and theyre not on the GFCI, you're touching the lights, and you touch the water, you've got a path to ground, and thats bad news.

If something is submersed, and has a voltage leak, if its on a GFCI, and theres a probe, it trips the second there is a voltage leak. If theres no probe, it trips the second you stick your hand in the tank. If theres a probe and no GFCI, it'll just keep running with that voltage leak, except its now leaking current into your probe. Good chance the pump burns out/catches on fire, etc.

 

[nickyblase]

oh, okay well thanks for the clarification. I've got a couple things external to GFCI - the grounding probe, the moonlights, the calcium reactor (which is not at the moment online, but will definitely go into a GFCI when I hook it up).

Is it a problem that the moonlight isn't in GFCI, since it's not actually touching the water??

 

[RichConley]

I think you'll be okay. Just make sure anything big is on GFCI.

As to BTAs, he'll probably heal right up. I'd look into why he started moving around.

 

[JohnK]

FWIW the thing with the RIO pumps was something along the lines of - the internal housing melting or wearing through some some sort of epoxy material exposing the full inards of the pump along with some "black goo" or something like that. Call that a very serious short along with very toxic contamination to the tank water. Numerous %100 tank wipe outs were attributed to RIO pumps.

I don't have a good conceptual understanding of the electrical issues involved or the un-named contaminates, but I don't know that a GFCI would protect the tank or the tank owner. This is all second hand, but for the $20 for another maxi-jet I would really reccomend tossing that RIO. (It's also a lot easier to anemone proof almost any other PH)

 

[nickyblase]

HOLY CRAP!! Okay, out goes the Rio.

Rich - I think the reason the anemone was moving was because of higher than normal daytime temps, but the A/C just went in the other day, so it's at a consistent 78.

The BTA is looking better - not chopped up at all. He did look a little pissed yesterday, but fairly bubbly this morning, even with the lights out.

 

[JohnK]

Don't let me freak you out on the RIOs, they may have addressed the past problems - I just don't know.

Whatever the case, another maxi-jet isn't a huge investment.

good to hear the RBTA is OK

 

[Jeepman3sk]

I have had RIOs in one of my tanks for 7-8 years no problem so don't get scared over the pump. They aren't the best but do a good job.

 

[Tstone]

The large rios were the problem the smaller ones were always OK.