Which is more important?

[Awibrandy]

As some of you already know I had another friggen heater go on one of my tanks two days ago.

Mini power outage coupled with the busted heater that I didn't realize was the cause I had quite a bit of die off in my fowlr. Power outage was Monday evening, lasted at the most 45 min.. I didn't find the busted heater until yesterday evening, 3 days later. All the while I was thinking it had been the power failure that caused the initial problem I was simply doing 25% w/c every other day. As well as running carbon through a reactor, added some Amquel +, and emptying out the skimmer cup twice a day.
First animals to go following the morning after the power outage were a ton of mini brittle starfish, followed by the serpent & 2 chocolate starfish, and my Majestic angelfish the 2nd. morning. I just removed the Eibli angel plus my three bta.;(
When all this started I tested the water for ammonia, trites, and trates just before the w/c, because the water was cloudy. Results were all 0. So I took some water over to Total Aquarium who tested it for me. Sure enough my test kits were giving me false readings. Ammonia - slightly up, and the nitrates were at 100 ppm. I ordered new test kits which should be here this coming Tuesday.
Here's what I am uncertain about.

My ro/di cannot make enough water to do both w/c in both the reef as well as the fowlr simultaneously. Should I skip the weekly w/c on my reef, and do daily w/c on the fowlr until I get the trates down?
Everything in the reef looks ok. New stuff not quite happy yet, but all others are fine.

 

[prattreef]

If your reef is stable it can certainly go without it's weekly WC.

 

[Awibrandy]

Thank you Randy! Off to do a the 120's w/c.

 

[Dre]

I'm truely sorry to hear this.I have a chiller controller in the open so i know what my temperature is ,at all times and a have backup heaters although keeping my tanks cool my issue.I think the more advanced reefer should give you advice on this one.

 

[Awibrandy]

Thanks Dre! I appreciate your imput!

 

[DrCooper]

Sorry to hear it and hope it works out for ya!

 

[Awibrandy]

Thank You Doc!

 

[tentacles]

I'm sorry to hear that you lost some fish You need a thermometer on that tank!

 

[basiab]

Sorry about your loss Awilda. Its hard to lose so much in one shot. Since you know more than most of us here why not just pretend someone asked you your question. I am sure you would come up with the best answer.
Good luck.

 

[Awibrandy]

Thank you Tentacles, unfortunately a thermometer would not have stopped the heater from coming apart.lol And there is a thermometer on the tank by the way.

Sorry about your loss Awilda. Its hard to lose so much in one shot. Since you know more than most of us here why not just pretend someone asked you your question. I am sure you would come up with the best answer.
Good luck.

Thanks basiab!!
I asked for a second opinion, and got one from one of the TOP reefers here.

 

[Dre]

I have a question if you don't mind.Do you think the invertes start dying because of the temperature dropping and what was the temperature when you noticed that something was wrong?

 

[DrHarryLopez]

Sorry about your lost.

I have an Aquacontroller but before then I believe in redundancy and in-case stuff happens type stuff.

ie;
I actually bought a backup battery for computers at BJs. Here i only have my main pump connected. It lasts about 3 hrs.

Heaters X3, even though in a power outage heaters are less important than airation via circulation. Also in a large tank like yours it will take several hours to cool off to dangerous levels.

Battery power airaters (cheap about 12 bucks each.) one per every 2'

Float switchs. 2 on each. (if one fails there is another for back up)
As far as Float switches are concerned i had them everywhere.
ie; in my main tank at the top in case of an overflow blockage.
and in my topoff tank

In the end we should have a few checklists
Mechanical
ck all pumps, skimmer, heaters, chillers, dosers, lights, bottleneck areas that may cause blockage leading to overflows, Power strips (ck breakers)(also are other power strips connected in series? ie if one goes out will the others go as well?)
Chemical
Ca, Alk, MG, pH, SpGravity (salinity), nitrates, ammonia, ORP, oh temperature too

Hope this is helpful

Harry

 

[Awibrandy]

OK, there seems to be some confusion going on. So let me clear that up.

It was the stray voltage going through the tank that I believe that killed the animals starting with the inverts.

Temp was fine all along, never went under 77 degrees. I initially thought it had something to do with the small power outage that had killed the mini brittle starfish which in turn caused the nitrate spike. I then thought it was the nitrate spike (100ppm) that was causing the demise of the other animals.

Last night upon checking again in the sump for anything that may have fallen in it I got buzzed when my arm brushed the stand. I knew then that it something was up. As I was searching for the power plug to the individual heaters to check them I got zapped pretty good. I felt the current go up through my hand into my arm. Obviously I immediately let go, and pulled the plug on the darn heater. When I took it out of the water it came up in pieces.
The heaters in my 120 were/are on a Ranco controller.
NO AMOUNT OF CONTROLLERS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ELECTROCUTION OF THESE POOR ANIMALS!
I'm blessed to be alife.......................................

 

[DrHarryLopez]

WOW, Thats terrible. sorry for your lost.

 

[18oreefer]

Sorry to hear about your friends. What brand of heater was it? A stealth again? Would a ground prob have healped your situation?

 

[Awibrandy]

Thanks DrHarryLopez!

180, you got it! Another stealth!!! I will never buy another of these heaters. Second stealth to burst in 1 year.:skull:

 

[DrHarryLopez]

I think i have cheap heaters maybe thats why i over compensate with three. But one thing is that they never failed. Hmm i better not jinx myself

 

[pecan2phat]

Awilda,
Can I suggest that you go with titanium heaters as replacements? Their nexus is that they just die and shouldn't fall apart like a plastic heater or burst like a glass heater. A controller should also keep them fom getting stuck in the on position also.

 

[Chraddam]

Awi, I know you are very much like me and hate to see any loss of life, no matter how small...hope things work out!! If you need anything, let me know, I will track it down for ya

 

[Awibrandy]

DrHarryLopez, I keep 2 heaters in all my tanks. As to heater failures I've had 3 failures so far. One could've been avoided only if I'd known about the controllers 9 years ago. The other 2 I don't believe controllers would have helped.;(

pecan2phat, the first heater that went bad on me was a titanium. Nine years ago before I knew anything about controllers, darn thing got stuck on ON, and boiled my fish. I came home to find my priced Black Peacock Lion Fish along with the others floating. And the water in the tank hotter then a hot tub.;( Guess I can go with them now since all my heaters have been on controllers for the past couple of years.

Jeff, you are a darling you know me so very well! Thank you for your True Friendship!
Tank seems to be doing much better now that the heater has been removed, coupled with daily 25% water changes.
Had a few losses, but the Biggest heart break of all was the loss of my Majestic, and Randy's rbta, and it's baby.;(

How do you guys feel about the Ebo Jagers? I have 2 of those in my reef, and I am terrified that they too will fail. My track record with heaters has not been good since I began salt water.
36 years in fresh water with the old fashioned hang on tank glass heaters with out a hitch, and 9 years with 3 failures in salt water. Go figure!!!