2.5 gallon Pico Electricuted - help!

[Marshs]

When I got home the power was out in one half of the house.
I was only gone for 30 minutes. Everything was off in the fish room. When my wife through the switch, the heater in my tank was shooting sparks.

I removed the bad heater and turned power back on. My snails/crabs are not moving. The little (micro) long leg star fishes that lived in my rocks were motionles on the sand as well as a few pests (I did not know I had). So I sucked all the dead stuff out.

The only thing still moving in the tank is my little Pom-pom crab.

The corals are not looking too hot - I'll wait until the morning to see how they do.

Is my rock/sand still alive or could the electricution kill everything?

Thanks for the help,

Steve

 

[returnofsid]

Well, since your Pom Pom crab is still alive, it didn't kill of everything, which really surprises me. I'd go with the assumption that everything was killed. Do a large water change, filter with carbon and start testing for Ammonia and Nitrites. If you're going to have a cycle, you'll know it with your testing. Sorry to hear of your disaster. Sounds like your heater shorted out, which tripped the breaker for the house wiring. What kind of heater was this? Did you have any type of rocks falling that could have physically damaged the heater? Keep us posted!!

 

[thincat]

When I got home the power was out in one half of the house.
I was only gone for 30 minutes. Everything was off in the fish room. When my wife through the switch, the heater in my tank was shooting sparks.

I removed the bad heater and turned power back on. My snails/crabs are not moving. The little (micro) long leg star fishes that lived in my rocks were motionles on the sand as well as a few pests (I did not know I had). So I sucked all the dead stuff out.

The only thing still moving in the tank is my little Pom-pom crab.

The corals are not looking too hot - I'll wait until the morning to see how they do.

Is my rock/sand still alive or could the electricution kill everything?

Thanks for the help,

Steve

That sucks, I am glad you and your wife did not get hurt. Electricity is a silent killer. Did you have your tank grounded. More reefers should do that. We seem to always have our hands in the tank.

 

[gas4544]

I am sorry for your losses - that really stinks. I suggest buying the most durable heater you can buy that will sit in your system. Also, see if you can find a plug-in GFI for your tank.

How are your corals looking?

Gary

 

[Marshs]

Popm-pom is also dead. Corals all seemed to be withering away.

One hermit crab is alive.

Amonia went up to .6

I will do another large water change.

Does this mean my live rock/sand is no longer live?
Will I have to start over?

Steve

 

[returnofsid]

I don't think you'd have to pull everything out and start over. You can treat your tank as if you just introduced uncured live rock. It will cycle on it's own. The dying material in the tank will feed the cycle and help create the beneficial bacterias you want. Watching your test results will help determine when the cycle has completed.

 

[Marshs]

Thanks - I will continue with water changes and test water.

 

[returnofsid]

Make sure you're skimming good too!! This will help with your cycle. Also, if everything's dead, you won't need your lights, at this time. This will help reduce the chance of an algae outbreak.

 

[ac7av]

Sorry to here that. Does anyone use GFCI’s on there systems? Every piece of equipment I’ve purchased for my system says to plug it into a GFCI to prevent exactly that from happening or worse. I am as guilty as the next guy for not using them on all my systems. After hearing your story, I am going to go by some to finish off my other plugs with them TOMORROW! I never put a volt meter in the water before sticking my hands in it. There could be a 120vac killer in any tank and you would never know it until it’s too late.