Fish died. motor fry? Conch snail okay. Tank Safe?

csmfish · 07/03/2011, 07:27 AM

Last night I was cleaning the tank. I removed what I believe was a half cup of fine sand and that was enough, near the end of the cleaning, to lower my water level in the sump to where cavitation started. I was getting micro micro bubbles right next to me but kept cleaning. all of a sudden it was like I inhaled a cactus. My senses went a little numb so I could not tell if it was from the salt mist or smell anything electronic, but, any time I got near the tank I would choke up AFTER filling the sump.

I checked all my pumps and they seem to be putting out the proper volume and I havnt gotten zapped from having my hand in the tank (not that that means anything). Now, I was sucking substrate near my gobys den and he shot out like a cannon. I dont know where he came from (we will get back to that in a second), but, after a minute or two he was hopping and skipping out of the water about the same time i was choking. Coincidence? I pulled him and the bi color blenny i had out and threw them in the 20L (I call it a weigh-station tank) tank. Goby died 5 minutes later.

I woke up this morning and looked in my tank and my queen conch is still kicking. Blenny thats in the weigh-station tank seems to be alive but pi$$ed off and hiding under a rock.

Because the snail is alive, is it safe to say I just got overwhelmed by the salt and crushed my gobey? Also, who else here has inhaled a bunch of nasty saltwater mist and what did it feel like, lol? Yes, yes, was already to do a 30%+ water change and as a side not, all my pods, copa and ampi's are alive fine and kicking too.

InsaneClownFish · 07/03/2011, 07:35 AM

It sounds like this had little to do with salt mist and more to do with static electricity and a real, and dangerous levels of stray voltage in your tank- enough to kill you goby.

I hope all of your equipment is hooked up to GFCIs.

You need to hunt down which pump or heater is bad. It sounds like the pump, but heaters can leak stray current far from where they are placed. I'd check everything.

csmfish · 07/03/2011, 03:30 PM

yea, I have it on one of those yellow plug in the wall GFCIs from lowes and it has tripped a few times before (high load I believe) 8 months ago, so, either it IS working or it was.

I looked in the heater for condensation and water and didnt see any.

I would think if there was something bad enough in there to kill my gobie, the queen conch would be toast by the morning, since I used it as a canary in a coal mine, aka guinea pig or sacrificial lamb. I am thinking also that since my blennie is fine (pulled him out same time as goby), hmmm, I dunno. All I do know is something nasty was going on to make me choke along with the gobie at the same time. Coincidence? Possible. Did I suck up the gobie in the vacuum? Possible.

Those that had electrical failures, did it toast the snails?

07/03/2011, 07:27 AM	#1
csmfish Moved On Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: VA Posts: 1,055	Fish died. motor fry? Conch snail okay. Tank Safe? Last night I was cleaning the tank. I removed what I believe was a half cup of fine sand and that was enough, near the end of the cleaning, to lower my water level in the sump to where cavitation started. I was getting micro micro bubbles right next to me but kept cleaning. all of a sudden it was like I inhaled a cactus. My senses went a little numb so I could not tell if it was from the salt mist or smell anything electronic, but, any time I got near the tank I would choke up AFTER filling the sump. I checked all my pumps and they seem to be putting out the proper volume and I havnt gotten zapped from having my hand in the tank (not that that means anything). Now, I was sucking substrate near my gobys den and he shot out like a cannon. I dont know where he came from (we will get back to that in a second), but, after a minute or two he was hopping and skipping out of the water about the same time i was choking. Coincidence? I pulled him and the bi color blenny i had out and threw them in the 20L (I call it a weigh-station tank) tank. Goby died 5 minutes later. I woke up this morning and looked in my tank and my queen conch is still kicking. Blenny thats in the weigh-station tank seems to be alive but pi$$ed off and hiding under a rock. Because the snail is alive, is it safe to say I just got overwhelmed by the salt and crushed my gobey? Also, who else here has inhaled a bunch of nasty saltwater mist and what did it feel like, lol? Yes, yes, was already to do a 30%+ water change and as a side not, all my pods, copa and ampi's are alive fine and kicking too.

07/03/2011, 07:35 AM	#2
InsaneClownFish Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,069	It sounds like this had little to do with salt mist and more to do with static electricity and a real, and dangerous levels of stray voltage in your tank- enough to kill you goby. I hope all of your equipment is hooked up to GFCIs. You need to hunt down which pump or heater is bad. It sounds like the pump, but heaters can leak stray current far from where they are placed. I'd check everything. __________________ 7 Years Reefing and Many Fresh 8 Foot Envisions

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07/03/2011, 03:30 PM	#3
csmfish Moved On Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: VA Posts: 1,055	yea, I have it on one of those yellow plug in the wall GFCIs from lowes and it has tripped a few times before (high load I believe) 8 months ago, so, either it IS working or it was. I looked in the heater for condensation and water and didnt see any. I would think if there was something bad enough in there to kill my gobie, the queen conch would be toast by the morning, since I used it as a canary in a coal mine, aka guinea pig or sacrificial lamb. I am thinking also that since my blennie is fine (pulled him out same time as goby), hmmm, I dunno. All I do know is something nasty was going on to make me choke along with the gobie at the same time. Coincidence? Possible. Did I suck up the gobie in the vacuum? Possible. Those that had electrical failures, did it toast the snails?