Not the way to start the week...

[darrellw]

So I went down to look at my tank early this morning under the moon lights.

 

The first thing I wondered was why my return was spraying bubbles, followed shortly by wondering why my feet were getting damp...

 

It appears that something (a snail, I'm guessing) is clogging up my drain line. Of course, this would happen the day after I decide to run my sump a bit higher, and to make it worse, my ATO container was just filled up (luckily it only holds a gallon).

 

So I turned off the return pump, and cleaned up the spill as best I could before I had to get off to work. The good news (if there is any) is that I think by running my sump at the lowest possible level I can avoid this in the future. I hope I don't have to pull my drain apart to get the snail out (assuming that is what it is). I figured out how to rig up a screen, which I was hoping to avoid since that might clog with other things. I also found a little hermit in the overflow box, I can only assume it hitchhiked on the snail, since I don't see any way it could have got in there on its own.

 

Man, and everything was going so well!

 

-Darrell

[Nyles]

Sound like it could have been way worse, good catch.

[dsoz]

I have found hermits in my overflow several times. I think they can climb the glass and get in. I have actually seen them halfway up the back wall in the AP24 that I have in my classroom.

 

dsoz

[darrellw]

Well, got home early and tore my drain apart, found a trochus snail just inside the elbow off the bulkhead. He seemed none the worse for the experience. I put a mesh barrier inside, but I'm worried that may plug eventually, so I'll keep an eye on it. I'm also contacting glass-holes to see about getting a custom overflow bow with teeth instead of the "toothless" one I have now.

 

When I came home, I found three of the hermits climbing the silicone seams, so I think the one I found in the overflow got there on his own.

[Michael7979]

Checking the screen will just have to be another item on your "daily checklist" of things to do.

 

Glad it wasn't worse.

[andy]

Maybe a bit of eggcrate in the overflow box?

[CA2OR]

good thing that was all that happened.

[darrellw]

Maybe a bit of eggcrate in the overflow box?

 

Hmm, good idea, I could put a "grate" across the top, which I could check pretty easily. Right now I have some plastic screen inside under the baffle, but I have to remove it to check that it isn't getting junked up. Thanks for the idea!

 

Does anyone know of a local source for black eggcrate? It isn't all that visible, but it black would be better than white.

 

-Darrell

[darrellw]

good thing that was all that happened.

 

Certainly could have been worse!

[spectra]

If you are looking for a small pc of black eggcrate go see Isaac at Seahorse. He has some and might sell you a small chunk.

[markdadof2]

I have some white eggcrate you are welcome to if you are down this way.

[darrellw]

If you are looking for a small pc of black eggcrate go see Isaac at Seahorse. He has some and might sell you a small chunk.

 

Thanks for the lead, I'll check with him.

 

-Darrell

[darrellw]

I have some white eggcrate you are welcome to if you are down this way.

 

Thanks for the offer, I'll keep it in mind if I can't find any black.

 

-Darrell

[andy]

Darrell, I have white and can bring it into work -- just hit it with some black Krylon paint. Let me know.

[darrellw]

Darrell' date=' I have white and can bring it into work -- just hit it with some black Krylon paint. Let me know.[/quote']

 

Sure, a 3" x 5" piece would be plenty.

 

Thanks!

Darrell

[andy]

You got it. I think I have some Krylon, too...

[darrellw]

You got it. I think I have some Krylon' date=' too...[/quote']

 

I've got some black Fusion left over from the build, so I'm good there.

 

Thanks again,

Darrell

[undrtkr_00]

 

When I came home, I found three of the hermits climbing the silicone seams, so I think the one I found in the overflow got there on his own.

 

Yeah, my hermits climb up the silicone all the time. My tank is 30" tall, and they regularly make it 2/3 of the way up. It is kind of funny to see them scaling the corners like that, hanging precariously on the wall. Makes me wonder why they do it, but then I remember I used to climb mountains for no particular reason. DOH!

[darrellw]

Thanks again to Andy for the idea and material, I installed the grate last night. I'm glad I made the change, as the plastic mesh I was using had already caught several pieces of algae, and would certainly need weekly cleaning. And being inside the baffle, it wasn't easily visible. First shot is the grate cut to size, notice the water pooling over the top of the baffle. In the next shot I cut some of the cross pieces out over the baffle, but didn't go far enough. See the nasty snail foiled from getting in, though! Last shot shows the water flowing off of the top of the baffle better.

 

And a bonus, an out of focus shot of my new rics under the moonlights. I'm using the rock that the blue ones came on to hold the orange one in place (it wasn't attached to anything), once it attaches I'll move the blue ones further away.

[andy]

Looks good, glad it worked out.