So why did your system crash?

[Hookup]

I found this thread on RC (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1727176) and figured we should have our own here... it was very interesting and informative to me.  So often we document what has worked for our systems and the factors that affect that are numerous borderlining on magical...   However, crashes are often attributed to one factor going wrong, and as such much easier to pin-point and hence learn from... (Learn from your mistakes kind of idea).

My system *crashed* about 3 months ago due to ALK dropping down below 6.0dKH, (Droped to about 5.0 actually).  I had stopped dosing and for about a 3 week long brain-fart didn't test or dose anything... with my SPS load ALK got chewed up fast... I lost a few colonies but was able to move most to a friends system and have recovered mostly.

My system almost crashed again, from ALK (thick headed eh? )... I put the balling method onto my system and didn't test (get the reoccuring theme yet?)... the Ca went up faster than ALK... so much that ALK couldn't  (and still can't) be sustained over 7.0.. it sits chroniclly at 6.0/6.4, which btw is very "OK" but so close to bad it's kind of scary.

Anyone else up for sharing?

[RossW]

I have not experienced a crash yet, but I have had high temp issues in the summer.  I don't watch temp as frequent as I should and lost experienced RTN and could not figure it out.  It was not until the 3'rd episode that I deduced that everytime I had tissue loss my temp had bounced off of 85/86'sh.  My tank is currently on the top floor of our house, I have plans to move it to the main floor and introduce a basement sump to help combat heat in the future.

I guess Tim and I have one thing in common... not monitoring critical attributes of our tanks.

For the record, I just checked my temp and it it 79.4

Ross

[JD]

I have been fortunate not to have a crash yet. Still being new to the hobby I am sure have some experiences.
I tend to overdo testing, keep a journal of parameters and all that stuff.
In the beginning before using balling, I was using Bio Calcium to suppliment for calcium. Unknown to me at that time, Bio Cal also adds magnesium and alkalinity too. So much so that in bringing my calcium in one week from 320 to 400 also spiked my dKH. Can you guess how high?

My dKH spiked at twenty four....ouch, poop, firetruck!!!!!!
A few quick water changes got it down to 18 then letting it drop on its own from there.
Wow, close call, no loss at all. In fact I could not see any signs at all. Everything looked normal. Colours, polyp extension, fish, softies, inverts everything just kept truckin' so to speak.
I now try to control my dKH at 7.2-7.8 ish. Now that I am using Reef Crystals, fresh salt water has an alk around 11-12. I have stopped dosing bicarb all together. My water changes keep it stable for me.

Lots to learn yet!!