heater failure.

nfored · 11/01/2012, 08:20 AM

I was upgrading my 55G FOWLR to a 75G. So I moved all my rock and fish into a large Trash can I use for water stroage, drop in a powerhead and heater. I then turn on the RO to let the new tank fill up and go to bed, today I walk down stairs to see how the salt is mixing in the new tank, when I feel a source of heat. To my surprise its the trash can, I take the top off and it is literally steaming off the charts past 110 where my thermometer will read. Complete loss fish and Live rock now dead.

James77 · 11/01/2012, 08:35 AM

Sorry for your fish loss

. Look into a Ranco temperature controller, they range from $50-$75 and are far, far more reliable than the assortment of cheap hobby heaters available to us.

nfored · 11/01/2012, 08:42 AM

Do you know can I just scrub the rock and recycle the tank with it or do I need to worry about dead things leaching out and fowling the water?

Donald7204 · 11/01/2012, 08:48 AM

Man, thats terrible. Sorry to hear about that.

Its a hobby where the smallest miss steps can have drastic results. I know I have experienced and learned things the hard way as well. Sucks that you didnt do anything to cause this though.

rrasco · 11/01/2012, 09:08 AM

And that is why I don't ever use heaters. If I did, there would definitely be something to turn it off if the temp got too high. I do have the added benefit of living in a climate that hardly gets 'cold'.

Spyderturbo007 · 11/01/2012, 09:10 AM

Awww. How sad. Sorry for your loss.

nfored · 11/01/2012, 09:37 AM

Thanks everyone one. I guess I will start using dual heater controllers.

Does any one know if I can simply scrub the now dead rocks and start recycling the tank? This is my wife's tank and I have to figure out what I need to do to getting going again especially after she just okay ed me spending almost 900.00 on my tanks.

rrasco · 11/01/2012, 10:23 AM

I guess that depends on what contaminated your tank. Theoretically you could just put the rocks back in and they will grow bacteria, assuming they have not absorbed whatever killed your tank and leech it back into the water column.

I would recommend at least appropriately cleaning them with something: bleach, muriatic acid, etc.

nfored · 11/01/2012, 10:40 AM

Heat killed my tank. The tank was fine a living tank last night, tore it down and placed the rocks and fish in my water container while I filled up their new tank, and the heater broke. I was just worried that all the bacteria got cooked and died and could leach something nasty into the tank.

grcforce327 · 11/01/2012, 11:27 AM

I'm using a JBJ titanium heater w/ controller,and the controller is plugged into the Apex.

tommyz44 · 11/01/2012, 11:41 AM

Sorry to hear about your loss

. to answer your question since it wasn't a nitrate, contamination, ect issue you would be fine to just start a recycle. I would however if you can rinse off the rocks with ro/di to pull off some dead material. It would naturally just cycle with the dead bacteria i would imagine. i would just do a light clean no need to bleach and acid bath. In reality whatever is dead might leach off a little which would start a new cycle and after a few water changes it would be gone for sure.

nfored · 11/01/2012, 12:26 PM

Thank you for your help everyone

rrasco · 11/01/2012, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfored

Heat killed my tank. The tank was fine a living tank last night, tore it down and placed the rocks and fish in my water container while I filled up their new tank, and the heater broke. I was just worried that all the bacteria got cooked and died and could leach something nasty into the tank.

Sorry, I mistook this for another thread. That's what I get for not going back and re-reading.

Where are the rocks now? If they are dry, I'd recommend the lanthanum chloride treatment. Treat them the same way you would treat dry rock if you bought it 'new'. If they were never dehydrated, I think you could get away with just starting a new cycle, there shouldn't be too much phosphates to leech. You could always treat with LC just in case.

nfored · 11/02/2012, 11:02 AM

They where never dry for more then a few minutes, and during that few minutes I was constantly pour salt water over them. I had taken the rocks out of the tank, and then siphoned the tank water into the container the rocks where in, moving the holse back and forth the whole time so the rocks never dried out.

I went ahead and set everything back up, I poured some of the old gross water in to the sump to give it some food until I could go out and buy some ammonia from ACE to do a cycle.

11/01/2012, 08:20 AM	#1
nfored Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Kansas City Missouri Posts: 157	heater failure. I was upgrading my 55G FOWLR to a 75G. So I moved all my rock and fish into a large Trash can I use for water stroage, drop in a powerhead and heater. I then turn on the RO to let the new tank fill up and go to bed, today I walk down stairs to see how the salt is mixing in the new tank, when I feel a source of heat. To my surprise its the trash can, I take the top off and it is literally steaming off the charts past 110 where my thermometer will read. Complete loss fish and Live rock now dead.

11/01/2012, 08:35 AM	#2
James77 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 8,158	Sorry for your fish loss . Look into a Ranco temperature controller, they range from $50-$75 and are far, far more reliable than the assortment of cheap hobby heaters available to us. __________________ Jim Current Tank Info: 120g Mixed Reef and 75g Freshwater

11/01/2012, 09:08 AM	#5
rrasco Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,159	And that is why I don't ever use heaters. If I did, there would definitely be something to turn it off if the temp got too high. I do have the added benefit of living in a climate that hardly gets 'cold'. __________________ -You had me at PWM

11/01/2012, 10:23 AM	#8
rrasco Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,159	I guess that depends on what contaminated your tank. Theoretically you could just put the rocks back in and they will grow bacteria, assuming they have not absorbed whatever killed your tank and leech it back into the water column. I would recommend at least appropriately cleaning them with something: bleach, muriatic acid, etc. __________________ -You had me at PWM

11/01/2012, 08:42 AM	#3
nfored Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Kansas City Missouri Posts: 157	Do you know can I just scrub the rock and recycle the tank with it or do I need to worry about dead things leaching out and fowling the water?

11/01/2012, 08:48 AM	#4
Donald7204 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 12	Man, thats terrible. Sorry to hear about that. Its a hobby where the smallest miss steps can have drastic results. I know I have experienced and learned things the hard way as well. Sucks that you didnt do anything to cause this though.

11/01/2012, 09:10 AM	#6
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	Awww. How sad. Sorry for your loss.

11/01/2012, 09:37 AM	#7
nfored Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Kansas City Missouri Posts: 157	Thanks everyone one. I guess I will start using dual heater controllers. Does any one know if I can simply scrub the now dead rocks and start recycling the tank? This is my wife's tank and I have to figure out what I need to do to getting going again especially after she just okay ed me spending almost 900.00 on my tanks.

11/01/2012, 10:40 AM	#9
nfored Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Kansas City Missouri Posts: 157	Heat killed my tank. The tank was fine a living tank last night, tore it down and placed the rocks and fish in my water container while I filled up their new tank, and the heater broke. I was just worried that all the bacteria got cooked and died and could leach something nasty into the tank.

11/01/2012, 11:27 AM	#10
grcforce327 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 395	I'm using a JBJ titanium heater w/ controller,and the controller is plugged into the Apex.

11/01/2012, 11:41 AM	#11
tommyz44 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: CORNING NY Posts: 435	Sorry to hear about your loss . to answer your question since it wasn't a nitrate, contamination, ect issue you would be fine to just start a recycle. I would however if you can rinse off the rocks with ro/di to pull off some dead material. It would naturally just cycle with the dead bacteria i would imagine. i would just do a light clean no need to bleach and acid bath. In reality whatever is dead might leach off a little which would start a new cycle and after a few water changes it would be gone for sure.

11/01/2012, 12:26 PM	#12
nfored Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Kansas City Missouri Posts: 157	Thank you for your help everyone

11/02/2012, 11:02 AM	#14
nfored Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Kansas City Missouri Posts: 157	They where never dry for more then a few minutes, and during that few minutes I was constantly pour salt water over them. I had taken the rocks out of the tank, and then siphoned the tank water into the container the rocks where in, moving the holse back and forth the whole time so the rocks never dried out. I went ahead and set everything back up, I poured some of the old gross water in to the sump to give it some food until I could go out and buy some ammonia from ACE to do a cycle.