View Full Version : heater bust
doh!
I forgot to turn off one of my heaters while changing water...pfffffffffffffffffftcrack
Tank temp after change is 27C...room temp is about 16C...I can't get a replacement until tomorrow (the moral of the story is have a spare handy...and turn off your heaters before you do a large water change).
Any idea what the cooling rate is likely to be in these conditions ? Tank is 180L. I was thinking that covering the tank with a quilt overnight is a good plan, and that the fish (malawi cichlids) would be ok down as far as 23C - 24C on the basis that this cool down will be very gradual. Am I in the ballpark/any other ideas ?
Oh yeah...and I'm an idiot
jessicar613
04-12-2007, 2:26 PM
Oh yeah...and I'm an idiot
lol I did the same thing a few weeks ago. At least it gave me an excuse to replace my cheap glass heater with a Stealth. :) It works a lot better anyway, the temp is much more stable now.
See you did your fish a favor. :D
musho3210
04-12-2007, 5:46 PM
try raising the room temperature
liv2padl
04-12-2007, 5:52 PM
a blanket over the tank should help alot. i put my heaters horizontally on the bottom of all my tanks to insure against this possibility.
a blanket over the tank should help alot. i put my heaters horizontally on the bottom of all my tanks to insure against this possibility.
That's a great idea. Simple and effective and I never thought of it.
I do have another heater in there so that and the quilt should I think keep get them through the night.
Thanks folks.
Mgamer20o0
04-12-2007, 7:00 PM
a blanket over the tank should help alot. i put my heaters horizontally on the bottom of all my tanks to insure against this possibility.
do the same thing with mine. even doing 70% water changes they still stay under water.
I just had a look to see if I could rearrange but my cords arn't long enough for where I get my juice from.
So I will just get a tattoo on both arms saying turn your heaters off when you do a water change instead.
Mgamer20o0
04-12-2007, 7:05 PM
lol i guess that solves the problem..... no need for a extension cord.
I'll be taking a long look at my electric set up in the not too distant. The way it is now I had to drill holes at the bank of my cabinet (which rests on a Juwel stand - we built the cabinet around it to hide the stand) to get my cords through, and I plan on installing an external filter soon which will mean some more drilling. Will probably try and make more sense out of the sockets as well at that stage.
And will probably not get the tatoos. I will just think of the pfffffffffffffftcrack moment when I thought I had electrocuted myself instead.
And while we're on the subject of being an idiot...I should have found out about external filters before I got the tank, built the stand, had the cabinet made around the stand and filled the tank...which is a perfect fit in an alcove in our house with not 4 inches between it and the wall. Not looking forward to a very delicate drilling operation in behind there.
liv2padl
04-13-2007, 6:18 AM
but my cords arn't long enough for where I get my juice from. isn't that why they invented the extension cord? ;)
Deadline
04-13-2007, 10:19 AM
Eh, I dont have to worry about this, I just built a campfire underneath my Tank. Problem solved.
But seriously, I have never turned off my heaters before a water change... i have only done about 50% at one time but I get the water back in the tank pretty quickly... from now on I will turn them off though, heh.
Aislinn
04-13-2007, 11:08 AM
I have a messed up heater at the moment, as well. Not for the same reason - it didn't involve a water change, and mine didn't crack or anything. It's stuck on, and when I woke up this morning the tank was at 82. This same stupid thing happened a few months ago, and at the time I threw away that heater and put on the spare, which is the one that's broken now. They were both pretty old, though. I guess fate REALLY wants me to buy some new heaters. I was thinking I'd go with the Stealth...anybody have any recommendations?
Coler
04-13-2007, 12:32 PM
isn't that why they invented the extension cord? ;)
yup...tattoos too.
I would if I could but I can't...my stoopid lack of forethough in planning my set-up.
Coler
04-13-2007, 12:33 PM
But seriously, I have never turned off my heaters before a water change... i have only done about 50% at one time but I get the water back in the tank pretty quickly... from now on I will turn them off though, heh.
I was doing a 50% in my 180L. The heater bust happened as I was refilling - about oh 10 mins from when I started to drain. Seriously, turn 'em off :)
The good news is I just got home with a replacement and the water had dropped to only 25C so no probs hopefully.
NinjaPirate
04-13-2007, 4:06 PM
I have a messed up heater at the moment, as well. Not for the same reason - it didn't involve a water change, and mine didn't crack or anything. It's stuck on, and when I woke up this morning the tank was at 82. This same stupid thing happened a few months ago, and at the time I threw away that heater and put on the spare, which is the one that's broken now. They were both pretty old, though. I guess fate REALLY wants me to buy some new heaters. I was thinking I'd go with the Stealth...anybody have any recommendations?
I have stealths in all (9) tropical tanks in my house.
nickmcmechan
04-13-2007, 4:20 PM
I'll be taking a long look at my electric set up in the not too distant. The way it is now I had to drill holes at the bank of my cabinet (which rests on a Juwel stand - we built the cabinet around it to hide the stand) to get my cords through, and I plan on installing an external filter soon which will mean some more drilling. Will probably try and make more sense out of the sockets as well at that stage.
And will probably not get the tatoos. I will just think of the pfffffffffffffftcrack moment when I thought I had electrocuted myself instead.
And while we're on the subject of being an idiot...I should have found out about external filters before I got the tank, built the stand, had the cabinet made around the stand and filled the tank...which is a perfect fit in an alcove in our house with not 4 inches between it and the wall. Not looking forward to a very delicate drilling operation in behind there.
Please DO NOT drill holes in the back of your aquarium cabinet.
Your aquarium cabinet is built differently (most of them anyway) from a normal cabinet.
Most household cabinets these days come in a flat pack and have thin board as the backing.
An aquarium cabinet normally has a thick board.
There is a good reason for this.
Aquariums are very heavy, having thick board on 3 sides of the cabinet support the weight of the aquarium.
If you drill holes in that board you are at (somewhat small) risk of making the tank less supportive of the weight.
Although its probably unlikely that any harm will come, its not worth the risk, IMO!
Aislinn
04-13-2007, 4:59 PM
Maybe I misread Coler's post, but I got the impression the tank was on an aquarium stand, and the cabinet was built around it to serve as a facing.
Maybe I misread Coler's post, but I got the impression the tank was on an aquarium stand, and the cabinet was built around it to serve as a facing.
Correct - I have space at the back between the stand and the wall so all I would drill through would be the cabinet top. But thanks for the concern nick :)
Rbishop
04-13-2007, 9:42 PM
Your heater doesn't turn off automatically on a lowering water level...?
nope - i take there are those that do...which brands ?
Aislinn
04-14-2007, 12:42 AM
nope - i take there are those that do...which brands ?
There are a number of brands that do. Ebo-Jagger and Visi-Therm for sure, although undoubtedly there are others. I ordered a Visi-Therm Stealth today to replace the antiquated heater that's started acting stupid.