"Tom's RSM 250"
- Thread starter tnwillia
- Start date
DesertOrchid
Active Member
So sorry about your tank Tom. That is just awful but glad to hear you are carrying on and planning your next tank. We'll be watching for your start up.
FCatCH76
Member
Tom,
Sorry to see this. Is Red Sea saying all that water damage was caused by the sump? To me, all that warped wood looks like a lot of water was absorbed by the stand, was this from the crack or because of setup over the years? Is the white stuff on the bottom of the tank salt creep or mold? I also wonder if having the two MP40's in there was too much pressure on the glass, aided by the problems you were having with the stand.
Hopefully all of us with sumps can learn from this. I have inspected mine and even with the large opening/cut into my stand everything looks well.
Can't wait for your comeback...you definately have all the equipment to make a good one.
Sorry to see this. Is Red Sea saying all that water damage was caused by the sump? To me, all that warped wood looks like a lot of water was absorbed by the stand, was this from the crack or because of setup over the years? Is the white stuff on the bottom of the tank salt creep or mold? I also wonder if having the two MP40's in there was too much pressure on the glass, aided by the problems you were having with the stand.
Hopefully all of us with sumps can learn from this. I have inspected mine and even with the large opening/cut into my stand everything looks well.
Can't wait for your comeback...you definately have all the equipment to make a good one.
tnwillia
Well-Known Member
Hey Fcat,
Red Sea responded to a question I posed in the "Ask Red Sea" thread a few months ago where I asked about the wood damage I saw. They said flatly the 130/250 stands were not meant to have a sump in them or any other equipment that could spill water, they did not say it was the cause but it was possible. The wood damage I have, in my mind, is do to the spills I've had over the years and and me not getting it cleaned up or dried out as well as I thought I had. I had rubber matting around my sump and up the sides I was confident was directing any spilled water to a catch area. but that was not the case. Water, I think, mainly from skimmer cup overflows and spray was getting down the wall and behind the rubber matting. The stand has no mold, it's salt creep where the water got into the wood.
I've thought about the MP-40s but I've always kept the motor vibrations to the minimun possible and that was checked several times a week every week. Also my MP-40s never ran much more than 50%. I have never read a thread anywhere that an Ecotech pump of any size was the cause of a tank crack.
Searching the web for others with tank glass crack failure on any type of tank seems to come back to an off center/balance stand more times than not if it was not a impact that caused it. To me, this is the stand getting wet and over time added pressure towards the front corner as it shifted to some degree. This was not a Red Sea problem but I also now understand why the S series has a metal stand with their complete sump package under it.
As long as you tear the sump down and check all this out more than once a year (as I did) You probably have nothing to worry about. You can always build a new/better stand and get away from this possibility which was what I was in the process of doing when it failed. As I said before, even if Red Sea had told me this in 2009 instead of 2012 I'd still have added the Sump. Thanks!
Red Sea responded to a question I posed in the "Ask Red Sea" thread a few months ago where I asked about the wood damage I saw. They said flatly the 130/250 stands were not meant to have a sump in them or any other equipment that could spill water, they did not say it was the cause but it was possible. The wood damage I have, in my mind, is do to the spills I've had over the years and and me not getting it cleaned up or dried out as well as I thought I had. I had rubber matting around my sump and up the sides I was confident was directing any spilled water to a catch area. but that was not the case. Water, I think, mainly from skimmer cup overflows and spray was getting down the wall and behind the rubber matting. The stand has no mold, it's salt creep where the water got into the wood.
I've thought about the MP-40s but I've always kept the motor vibrations to the minimun possible and that was checked several times a week every week. Also my MP-40s never ran much more than 50%. I have never read a thread anywhere that an Ecotech pump of any size was the cause of a tank crack.
Searching the web for others with tank glass crack failure on any type of tank seems to come back to an off center/balance stand more times than not if it was not a impact that caused it. To me, this is the stand getting wet and over time added pressure towards the front corner as it shifted to some degree. This was not a Red Sea problem but I also now understand why the S series has a metal stand with their complete sump package under it.
As long as you tear the sump down and check all this out more than once a year (as I did) You probably have nothing to worry about. You can always build a new/better stand and get away from this possibility which was what I was in the process of doing when it failed. As I said before, even if Red Sea had told me this in 2009 instead of 2012 I'd still have added the Sump. Thanks!
Tokalosh
Well-Known Member
If only knowing this was the cause of my two RSM250 failures I'd be sleeping a lot better at night.
Tom I'm looking forward to seeing your new build in the summer.
Tok
Tokalosh
Well-Known Member
The funny thing is Tom I saw both cracks happen in front of me as clear as day, go figure.....
If I see it again I'm going to need counseling for the rest of my life....
Tok
Nowellsy SNR
Active Member
Tom so sorry to hear about your tank 
Nowellsy SNR
Active Member
Tom im slightly concerned my tank has'nt been level for over a year now
dmatt88
Has been struck by the ban stick
Tom im slightly concerned my tank has'nt been level for over a year now
If it were me id address that pronto.
.........yep. I'm a reefer.
tnwillia
Well-Known Member
Hey Anthony thanks, I'd do what ever you can to get it leveled out. Mine happened as the sump/skimmer/accident water started to effect the stand, this, IMHO was a long term thing. Maybe at your next water change when you have some of the weight off it you can shim it around the stand base as needed to get it back to level. While I don't know the cause, something happened and there are others with RSM250s older than mine still doing fine. Good luck with it!
Tokalosh
Well-Known Member
Tom im slightly concerned my tank has'nt been level for over a year now
Anthony how unlevel is your tank as it stands now?
Tok
Nowellsy SNR
Active Member
Im pretty sure after some investigation its not the tank i may be the floor but its off just the slightest to the right of the tank
