Polo reef crashed

[bakbay]

It was a crazy change of events his wifi didn't provide notices, using ozone probably screwed his valves, rodi water bins were being cleaned and he had no backup water to make saltwater replacement. They couldn't refill it completely till the next day. Right away corals and fish started dying. Andrew said of course the nice fish from Hawaii died first.

I didn’t get much details but all 17k gallons were emptied? Where are the drains? I would expect water stopped draining to a certain point of the “overflow”? I’m not sure if there is such a thing in this massive system?

 

[bakbay]

Andrew provided this -

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWP9LOqlEXc/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

 

[mescobar]

Looks like root cause was a failed pump and failed automated check valve, which resulted in back syphon. Coincidentally the control system wasn't able to send alerts while it detecting the failures occur in real time. A really unfortunate series of events.

Looking at the discussions from other forums...

He was told a year ago by Alex from Abyzz (CEO) who visited him that his setup would cause issues eventually, specifically as it relates to some of the valves (which appears to be an unusual choice for a public aquarium type of setup and volume).

He was not impressed by this feedback at the time, and probably does not remember anymore he received this.

My lessons learned is to consider feedback specifically if it feels uncomfortable.

https://www.bareefers.org/forum/threads/polo-reef-by-andrew-sandlers-nightmare.40108/post-572068

I'm surprised Polo didn't Alex's feedback seriously if true.

 

[bakbay]

Looks like root cause was a failed pump and failed automated check valve, which resulted in back syphon. Coincidentally the control system wasn't able to send alerts while it detecting the failures occur in real time. A really unfortunate series of events.

What I still don’t get - forget about the failed pumps & valves, the aquarium lost 50% of the water- no big deal. Outside of some corals being above water, all fish would have been ok right? Why 40’ish fish didn’t make it? They didn’t learn to swim / follow the current and just hung out in mid air and died? The rest of the fish (thousands) were smarter?

 

[ndrwater]

What I still don’t get - forget about the failed pumps & valves, the aquarium lost 50% of the water- no big deal. Outside of some corals being above water, all fish would have been ok right? Why 40’ish fish didn’t make it? They didn’t learn to swim / follow the current and just hung out in mid air and died? The rest of the fish (thousands) were smarter?

Methinks there is more to this story not being shared..
One thing to have a failure, another entirely to have a "trusted" staffer or worse yet Drew make a stupid mistake publicly..

 

[mescobar]

What I still don’t get - forget about the failed pumps & valves, the aquarium lost 50% of the water- no big deal. Outside of some corals being above water, all fish would have been ok right? Why 40’ish fish didn’t make it? They didn’t learn to swim / follow the current and just hung out in mid air and died? The rest of the fish (thousands) were smarter?

I guess this assumes there was sufficient oxygenation in the tank for the fish and corals, which there may not have been if the return and protein skimmer were taken out of the loop. The corals could have started melting/sliming/expelling their zooxanthellae, polluting the water and causing ammonia poisoning.

 

[Greaser9999]

The only thing there really is to learn about this unfortunate incident, is that shit can happen to anyone at anytime. It only takes one thing to go wrong, and wham!! Failed pump, doser going haywire, or your ato. I mean, there's so many things that can go wrong, especially for a tank of that magnitude. Such a complex system, which he tried his hardest to make bullet proof, but failed. Sometimes the flaws are not visible until they're exposed by something of this nature. Sucks big time for a tank that size, but that dude has deep pockets, so not much sympathy for him directly lol I feel for all the livestock that was lost though.

 

[bakbay]

I guess this assumes there was sufficient oxygenation in the tank for the fish and corals, which there may not have been if the return and protein skimmer were taken out of the loop. The corals could have started melting/sliming/expelling their zooxanthellae, polluting the water and causing ammonia poisoning.

They have Abyzz AFCs lower in the water line. They will still circulate water for oxygenation. Suspect we don’t have all the information and speculating but I’m very perplexed as to why they lost fish. Corals — some can survive in nature exposed to the air for half a day right?

 

[dizzyjay]

They have Abyzz AFCs lower in the water line. They will still circulate water for oxygenation. Suspect we don’t have all the information and speculating but I’m very perplexed as to why they lost fish. Corals — some can survive in nature exposed to the air for half a day right?

The theory for the fish loss he mentioned in the vid is that the zooxanthellae bailing poisoned the water

 

[mescobar]

Latest video from polo suggest that they had a butterfly valve that failed (very end of video), that would make sense why they weren't able to stop back syphon.

TIL: ball valves don't make sense if your pipes are greater than 6"

 

[jessesoto33]

Recent video

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[drexel]

If you lose that much water and don't have the flow, respiration from the fish and corals will deplete o2 in no time at all. Flow is everything to these animals, it's what provides o2 and takes away co2. Some things can survive in low o2 environments, but others not so much.

 

[dizzyjay]

Recent video

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The teaser at the end looks like the failure is going to get tagged to ozone breaking down the valves.

 

[jessesoto33]

This is heartbreaking

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWcjlfJji2O/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Greaser9999]

Dang... that sucks!! Years of growing those

 

[joseserrano]

Dang... that sucks!! Years of growing those

Pretty sure he mostly buys large aquaculture colonies, or wild.

 

[dizzyjay]

Pretty sure he mostly buys large aquaculture colonies, or wild.

When I look at what died it was clearly grown in place. Maybe not from a frag but there long enough to have a dedicated spot.

 

[joseserrano]

When I look at what died it was clearly grown in place. Maybe not from a frag but there long enough to have a dedicated spot.

Sure. That can happen in a few months. I’m not trying to take anything away from the loss, but it’s not the same as losing something they got at an inch

 

[dizzyjay]

Sure. That can happen in a few months. I’m not trying to take anything away from the loss, but it’s not the same as losing something they got at an inch

I must be doing something wrong bc that looks like growth i haven’t seen after years. I understand tho- I’ve watched one vid and he sits on the couch in front of a tv and brainstorms with hired hands; if it was me I’d have a wetsuit on and my hands on a hose explaining to others as they arrive. He comes off (to me) as arrogant; a classic money having man. That said, his aquarium has been viewed by more than mine ever will and if that translates to a handful of marine biologists then that’s a big “W” for coral and worth enduring the rest of it.

 

[joseserrano]

I must be doing something wrong bc that looks like growth i haven’t seen after years. I understand tho- I’ve watched one vid and he sits on the couch in front of a tv and brainstorms with hired hands; if it was me I’d have a wetsuit on and my hands on a hose explaining to others as they arrive. He comes off (to me) as arrogant; a classic money having man. That said, his aquarium has been viewed by more than mine ever will and if that translates to a handful of marine biologists then that’s a big “W” for coral and worth enduring the rest of it.

Big corals grow faster. Many more mouths and surface are to take in needs. But yes. He served a net good purpose for the hobby.