Heater Malfunction (Please Read !)

[kevrockd]

Ok so a weird post but somehow the heater in my sump shattered yesterday thus igniting sparks in my sump !!!

Scary as hell because i open the door to my stand to check my water level and all i see is sparks underwater. I thus shut off the power to my entire tank and there are fragments of glass pumped into my entire reef tank. Anyone have any clue if there is anything toxic in a traditional coil heater, because if i have to empty and relocate my entire tank im going to be royally P'd off.

Id love to write the company a letter because no one touched the heater and thank jesus my arm wasnt in the tank when this happened or i would be smokin out of my ears right about now. Somehow my fish werent affected also....(YET) Has this ever happened to anyone ????

Oh and the heater was an Aquaclear Submersible heater 300W
Buyer Beware !!!!

[MTB]

I'd be ready to do a couple water changes. I'd be more worried about the glass all over the tank. If a fish thought a piece was food...

I have never needed a heater on my reef. I use the stealth heater in my FW. You know the plastic case ones.

[useskaforevil]

get a plug in GFCI from home depot, they're like $8. then you won't die

[Salamander]

GFCI or die. It could save your life.

[ljosh]

I had a Jager heater break in my sump fortunately it was just cracked. My skimmer was going like crazy until I pulled it out. I put in some fresh carbon. Nothing seemed to be affected.

[capn_hylinur]

same thing happened to me--only it was broken by a clarkie I had put in the sump. It blew all the gfi's but I was able to reset and then I saw the arching.
I got rid of all glass heaters in my tanks--I use the teflon cased ones now.

[ernestlives]

I got you all beat...Had just finished setting up my 75g to start cycling..walked into my living room one day after work to the sound of a return pump running dry, a soggy floor, and shards of glass in front of my tank stand doors. My 300 watt glass AGA heater, that i was going to replace that week with a shatterproof plastic one, had exploded like a rocket - sending it straight through the side of my 20g sump! It made an almost perfect hole right through the side! I cannot tell you how thankful i was that I was not tinkering around down there when it happened and that I had decided to put the heater in the sump, otherwise hello 75 gallons of salt water in my carpet!! haha oh well...replaced everything that night... that's the last time i trust a glass heater!!!

[reefmatenate]

titanium heaters are teh only way to go

[kar93]

the best heater i would recommend is an external one but not sure if you can get them in the US

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by ernestlives
I got you all beat...Had just finished setting up my 75g to start cycling..walked into my living room one day after work to the sound of a return pump running dry, a soggy floor, and shards of glass in front of my tank stand doors. My 300 watt glass AGA heater, that i was going to replace that week with a shatterproof plastic one, had exploded like a rocket - sending it straight through the side of my 20g sump! It made an almost perfect hole right through the side! I cannot tell you how thankful i was that I was not tinkering around down there when it happened and that I had decided to put the heater in the sump, otherwise hello 75 gallons of salt water in my carpet!! haha oh well...replaced everything that night... that's the last time i trust a glass heater!!!

I hope since the hole was made you put a bulkhead in it and hooked it up to a refugium

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by 07kar93
the best heater i would recommend is an external one but not sure if you can get them in the US

interesting Kane---do you have a pic of one?

[r0bin]

I would like to here more about this external heater.

[fishysteve]

Hydor makes them.

[r0bin]

Oh yea they are good, but you have to have a canister filter, which brings with it a lot of trouble.

[LobsterOfJustice]

I have found the visi-therm stealth to be good. They are plastic so they won't shatter, and they automatically turn off if removed from water. They are also the most accurate heater I have used.

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by LobsterOfJustice
I have found the visi-therm stealth to be good. They are plastic so they won't shatter, and they automatically turn off if removed from water. They are also the most accurate heater I have used.

I agree----but the only sure thing with any heater is to run them on a controller of some sort--eg aqua controller junior

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by r0bin
Oh yea they are good, but you have to have a canister filter, which brings with it a lot of trouble.

If you strip the canister of all filter media and run just carbon in it then this is very workable IMO.

Will it run through a phosphate reactor--alot of guys have opted to these already and it is always nice on the pocket book to use existing stuff we have

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by fishysteve


Hydor makes them.

I think there is alot of benifts to external heaters in cases where you have live rock and good flow through sumps where it can be bounced around--even the hard plastic can take a hit on the controls.

[yellowwatchmen]

I have a stealth and it is perfect!

[fishysteve]

I used one of those Hydor external heaters in a closed loop. All you need is a pump to push the water through them. I don't use it anymore because I don't need a heater on my tank.

[tmz]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
If you strip the canister of all filter media and run just carbon in it then this is very workable IMO.

Will it run through a phosphate reactor--alot of guys have opted to these already and it is always nice on the pocket book to use existing stuff we have

I use one of these . It has worked well for about 5 yrs.

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by tmz
I use one of these . It has worked well for about 5 yrs.

Tom, do you also use the external heater with it?

[r0bin]

Since we are on the subject of heaters and Hydor. I was wondering has anyone tried the hydor heater controler that is out? I posted this question a week ago and no one responded. I was thinking of asking for it for Christmas. If it is anywhere as accurate as thr one discussed here it would be terrific. Its called the Hydroset Electronic thermostat. Foster Smith sells it for 49.99 and it says it can be used with any heater.

[capn_hylinur]

robin, I interested in that also--------if you are not getting any hits on this perhaps you should repost as a separate thread.

At the same time I wish they would come with a controller for their powerheads so you can run them on intervals--right now it is and expensive 200 dollar seiko etc

[tmz]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
Tom, do you also use the external heater with it?

It is a heater. The heater is inside. You plumb it in line.