Heater Exploded!!!!!

[lfsmarineguy]

My stealth heater..... I know..... exploded for no apparent reason in my 120 last night killing off most of my huge colonies and a few of the frags. What's left has severely bleached and a lot still has polyps in their coralites but they are extremely stressed. I moved everything to our frag tank under shade to try and save whatever I could. If I end up losing everything, if you have a frag of any of my personal colonies I will buy pieces back or trade other pieces for them. I am currently doing massive water changes on the tank sans whatever colonies I could remove. The fish seem ok for the most part but a little freaked out. I hope I am underestimating their resilience but the water itself smells burnt :banghead:.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Also, if over the next few days some of the pieces come back I am going to be fragging them up if anyone wants to pick up some pieces for trade or whatever to lessen the blow should anything happen again.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Sorry about the accident. Hope everything works our. Let us know what you need specifically we might not have one of your personal colonies but someone might have the same coral from a different tree.

 

[KathyC]

So sorry to hear! Best of luck in your clean up, I know you already know what to do, but I feel for you

Did it literally break apart?

If you need anything or a place to put some corals - lmk, I'm right nearby.

 

[Tim]

I have been using those heaters for a while with no problems, how old is it?

 

[lfsmarineguy]

The heater looks like it overheated internally and melted through the shell. I'll post pics later when I get a chance. There was nothing in the sump that could have damaged the casing and it was attached to a GFI so I have no idea how it happened. I plan on calling our rep on Monday (Unfortunately I like our rep so I can't be mad at him) and let him know how pissed I am at Marineland.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

3 monthsish. Not old at all and was working fine until last night. Only piece of equipment that failed and everything else is fine. I have always used them for smaller tanks since the plastic can't shatter but this brings up an entirely new problem that can occur with these heaters.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Debating which is better right now, breaking down the tank completely or trying to recover with water changes and carbon. Obviously starting over is harder but probably faster recovery depending on what was leached into the system.

 

[roncgizmo]

That bites! Sorry to hear about it.

 

[Chongpark27]

sorry to hear about ur lost.

 

[bad coffee]

get a large poly pad and get it in there. plus, change the carbon about every 24 hours. (with each waterchange)

B

 

[lfsmarineguy]

almost all the coral is out and whatever is left is either dead or already starting to reopen. So far I have done 3 50% water changes and filled an entire phosban reactor with hydrocarbon. The fish came back out and are acting normally. I looked at all the SPS I took out and in the frag tank some just look bleached while others look completely void of flesh except for the polyps. I can see the stark white skeletons and naked septa of the colonies but the polyps are still in their coralites. I have had corals bleach and I have had corals die but never seen one shed it's flesh but keep the polyps. Some of the fleshless corals are also starting to show some polyp extension in the frag tank. Anyone else ever experienced this before with just the polyps remaining? Did the coral come back or is it just a prolonged death? I know the difference between bleached and naked skeleton.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Also, I know there have been threads about disasters before but I was thinking a sticky in the beginners thread with different scenarios, their possible causes, and how to rectify would give people an easily accessible source of info in a pinch.

 

[Tim]

Any power surges? Just a thought...

 

[Killerdrgn]

Was it the plastic visitherm or was it the glass one. I had a glass one explode on my parent freshwater tank it was about a month old and it went kablammo. The older ones that i have seem to be fine and work without a hitch. Maybe a new manufacturing process that hasn't had all the bugs removed yet?

 

[KathyC]

Was it the plastic visitherm or was it the glass one.

The heater looks like it overheated internally and melted through the shell.

I looked at all the SPS I took out and in the frag tank some just look bleached while others look completely void of flesh except for the polyps. I can see the stark white skeletons and naked septa of the colonies but the polyps are still in their coralites. I have had corals bleach and I have had corals die but never seen one shed it's flesh but keep the polyps. Some of the fleshless corals are also starting to show some polyp extension in the frag tank. Anyone else ever experienced this before with just the polyps remaining? Did the coral come back or is it just a prolonged death? I know the difference between bleached and naked skeleton.

I just recently read somewhere (wish I could recall where...) regrarding what you describe, that you still have a chance of those corals regaining their health.
Don't give up on them yet!

 

[Dj Orion]

Damn bro that really sucks. I'll stop by monday with some beers so you can drink yourself into utter numbness.

:givebeer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::dead1::sigh:

 

[jhale]

so sorry Jared, that's horrible.

I hope some of the corals will pull through for you.
What's in a heater that will pollute the water that quickly?
Was there a stray current running through the tank?

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Judging from the looks of the heater whatever the elements are made of melted through the plastic shell and had a bad reaction with the saltwater. So who knows what ended up leaching into the tank. All the lps look ok just stressed and a little bleached. I think the only corals I may have lost completely was a small poker stars monti and 2 of my wild acro colonies (one yellowish green with blue highlights and the other was a really nice dark purple with neon green coralites). Some of the other colonies I had died off a little but are just mostly bleached. Was just lucky I caught it in time and had other tanks ready to put the refugees in.

Orion I have beers in my office fridge but thanks anyway lol.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Keep us updated please.