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Electricity & Copper in a Reef (1 Viewer)

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Subsea

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In swimming pool maintenance, electrical devices are used to transfer copper into water treated. However, I got a double dose of contamination into 5yr mature 120G mixed garden, when power cord pulled out of epoxied MaxiJet powerhead which supplied reverse flow into plenum under 2” aragonite substrate. This happened while away for 2 weeks. No fish were lost, but every urchin and 100% of rock anemones & BTA are gone. I added an extra air pump and much utilitarian Caulerpa Prolifera was brought in to absorb organics & heavy metals, performed two 50G water changes and running activated carbon thru additional Aquaclear 110 HOB. I also circulating water between 5yr mature 120G display and 25yr mature 75G display.

PS: I am behind on chores and cleaning aquarium glass is low on the list today. I have toooo many tanks set up. Just did release Creamcycle Mollies into 30G Macro Lagoon.
 

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Subsea

Subsea

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Geez your like me... too many tanks lol....
When I retired as a subsea engineer 11 years ago, I built a 20’ by 40’ arched roof greenhouse with 10K gallons of Maraculture: the big tank at 8000G was for cultivation of liverock using Texas holy rock along side of diver collected live rock; eight 150G Rubbermaid tubs completed the macro agae section of the growout system. It took one winter & two summers to realize the high electrical cost with maintaining reef temperatures in Texas summers outdoors and I pulled the plug on the project.
 

Tangs

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Wow having a plug pull out of epoxies sounds like a night mare. I have a bad habit of pilling plugs by the cord. I am glad no one got hurt or worse.
 
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Subsea

Subsea

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Wow having a plug pull out of epoxies sounds like a night mare. I have a bad habit of pilling plugs by the cord. I am glad no one got hurt or worse.
It should have tripped the GFI, but it didn’t. I also have a titanium ground in the display tank.

The two big problems for the tank was the pump motor‘s exposed copper windings to salt water and the loss of reverse flow thru the plenum.
 
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