Which is more important?

[18oreefer]

Awi, do you have a ground in your tank? In my thinking, i could be wrong here im not an electrician, if you had a ground then it would pick up the voltage. If that ground was connected to a GFCI then it should trip it. If the GFCI were tripped then you would go looking for the problem as soon as you noticed some of your stuff had no power. If there is an electrician reading along please pipe in.

 

[18oreefer]

Do you even have a GFCI that the heater was plugged into. It should have tripped anyway.

 

[Awibrandy]

I had purchased a Ground Probe a couple of years ago, but a good friend told me that they are not meant to be used on older houses, which mine is 100 years old. So the Ground Probe never got installed.;(

I had the heater plugged into a Ranco, and the Ranco is plugged into a surge protector.

The one that blew last year in my reef was plugged into the surge protector directly, and when that one blew it not only tripped the surge protector it also tripped my circuit breaker.

Hubby is now insisting that we buy a voltage meter to check the tanks before I put my hands any where near them.

So what kind of voltage meter do I look for this purpose?

 

[18oreefer]

Im not quite sure what kind of meter you should get that you can test the water for voltage. A surge protector is not the same as a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlet unless it is a GFCI surge protector. Thats a good question if the GFCI would trip if it is run threw the controller. Perhaps plug the controller into the wall, and then instead of plugging the heaters into the controller into it directly plug a GFCI surge protector into the controller. Then you can plug your heaters into that so this will hopefully never happen again. It also might be worth it to write the makers of stelth heaters.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

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

+100

Awi sorry for the losses, when your power went out or returned maybe the surge busted the heater. But rather then get into the what if's or maybe's this is what has worked for me. I have always run EBO JAGER heaters. I use two under powered heaters in my big tank and the same with my frag tank. Not to jinx myself but I have never had a heater fail unless I dropped a rock or large return pump on it. As far as the nitrates go I am probably the worst person to ask. In my fowlr I could care less about them. The fish get fed 4 times a day with vitamin and amino acid enriched foods and the nitrates are over 150ppm. I have no nuisance algae and if you have seen the video of that tank everyone is fat and happy. I do a 30% water change every 3 weeks.
My frag tanks are a different story. I do 25% water changes every 2 weeks and my nitrates are about 5ppm. If the nitrates start to go up in the frag tank I do experience less growth and less polyp extension.

HTH

Andy

 

[Awibrandy]

Thanks Andy! I do have the Jagers in my reef. I honestly forgot that the ones in my fowlr were stealth, but then again did I think I'd have a second stealth blow within a years time. Never.lol I know better now.

I have been doing weekly water changes because I do not dose, and the water changes keep my # where they should be.

Guess I'll be testing the reef's water tomorrow.

 

[MIKE NY]

sorry to hear....if your using anymore of those Stealths replace them ... I will never use another one again!

 

[Awibrandy]

Thanks Mike! The reef was changed over to the ebo jager heaters last year. I totally forgot that there stealth in my 120, but then again I never thought I'd have another go like that. Don't need a heater right now, but will definitely replace the 120's heaters before the winter gets here.
And like you I will never own another stealth.....

 

[Awibrandy]

Should I discard the yellow leather, or do you guys/gals think it has a chance of coming back? And what about the blue hex palys? Do they have a chance? Should I be scraping them off of the rocks.
Tested the trates this morning, and they were at 10. Lost the last of the anemones.;( The ltpa which just yesterday was still intact was falling apart this evening.;(

My clowns are homeless. They look totaly lost. The 4 of them use to have individual anemones, and now they have none.

 

[DrHarryLopez]

Those leathers are tough as nails, but its size might be too much to heal itself.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Awi, it's hard to tell but I think that leather is shot and should be tossed. If you pick it up and it starts falling apart that is a sure sign

 

[Awibrandy]

Thanks for the response DrHarryLopez!

Andy, that is what I have been afraid of! I was hoping I was wrong.:sad2:

What about those palys, should I take the rocks out, and scrape them off? Don't really want to go through the hassle, but if they are going to fawl the water then I'll do it.:sigh: There are a few lg rocks covered in them, and they all look like that now.arrrggggggg

 

[KathyC]

Sorry to hear about this Awilda

The leather looks bad probably best to take that out as it can make things even worse. The palys are gone, if at all possible I would get those out.

Just to clarify - are things getting worse in there or were these corals (the leather, palys and the last bta to die) looking good right after the incident with the heater and have gotten progressively worse in the past couple of days?

Are you running a poly pad in there? I know you're done water change/s and are running carbon, just wondering if there is something else in the tank from the broken heater?

 

[Awibrandy]

Thanks Kat!
The anemone was the only one that looked fairly good up until today. Could be that the clowns continued to put more stress on it. The leather & palys have been looking just about the same all along. I haven't taken them out hoping to see some improvement.
Funny you should mention the poly pads. I just looked at them, and throw them in about 30 min. ago...

I am so sick to my stomach! Only survivors now are the fish, and the 2 eels. At least they didn't get killed too. Actually they are the only reason I don't get rid of it.:happysad:

Guess I have to tear the rock work apart! I'll do that tomorrow.:tired:

 

[KathyC]

Good on the poly pad, just seems like there is something else going on in there due to the heater breaking apart.

I know you have a LOT of those palys - please do be careful when removing them!

Perhaps when the tank does stabilize again you can move some of your frogspawn over from your 155 for your clowns?

 

[Awibrandy]

Yup, will be very careful with them.

I will actually be replacing the anemones once the tank stabilizes. The anemones were in there by choice, the others were just rejects from my reef. But as the frogspawns out grow their designated area parts of them will be moved into the 120.