Okay, so I am going to be known as the one who has a lot of equipment problems! Someone has to learn the hard way!
Heaters...I have had two go bad on me...both in the salt tank. In all of my years in the hobby, I don't remember any going bad...except the glass ones that broke.
The first one had not been pluged in for awhile. As it was my backup, I used it during my overheating problems in my 120g to rule out a heater problem. Well, after I plugged it in, I put my hand in the water and received a slight electrical tingle. I unplugged the heater and prepared to toss it. Then I put another heater in the aquarium that I knew was good (it came from my 120g oscar tank), and plugged it in. All was good. Two days later (today), I looked in and saw the temp rising. This was after I discovered what was originally causing my overheating (a powerhead). From the heater was a steady stream of bubbles...real small. I knew something was wrong, so I unplugged it, and took it out. The cord was either corroded, chewed or scraped near the heater. I could see the wire and the white insulation.
Then I looked at the other malfunctioned heater. IT too had a disintegrated cord. And when I examined them closely, it appeared that they had been chewed...or so my imagination thinks. The cord had areas that were scraped off down to the wire. I know that this is what caused the problem. I ruled out acidental scrapes from live rock, because they were rarely moved and one heater had not been in the aquarium but a couple of days.
Then I had an idea that seemed strange. Could it be the spiny sea urchin that I had? Actually, today I brought it back to the LFS, because I think he was eating too much of the coralline algae I am trying to cultivate. I had never heard of such a thing, but he is the only critter in the tank that seems capable of doing such damage.
The question is...am I right? The only other creatures that I know live in the aquarium are fish. Two clowns, a yellow tang, a blue tang, eight chromis, a cardinal fish, a neon goby, and a royal gramma. Is there any other critters that could have come in on the live rock? I did find a website that indicated that urchins DO chew on cords sometimes.
Next question...related. These heaters were the plastic submersible Stealth heaters. The one I put in there now is a Pro Heat titanium heater. Which do you find better...a plastic submersible or a titanium submersible? What brand do you find most reliable?
Heaters...I have had two go bad on me...both in the salt tank. In all of my years in the hobby, I don't remember any going bad...except the glass ones that broke.
The first one had not been pluged in for awhile. As it was my backup, I used it during my overheating problems in my 120g to rule out a heater problem. Well, after I plugged it in, I put my hand in the water and received a slight electrical tingle. I unplugged the heater and prepared to toss it. Then I put another heater in the aquarium that I knew was good (it came from my 120g oscar tank), and plugged it in. All was good. Two days later (today), I looked in and saw the temp rising. This was after I discovered what was originally causing my overheating (a powerhead). From the heater was a steady stream of bubbles...real small. I knew something was wrong, so I unplugged it, and took it out. The cord was either corroded, chewed or scraped near the heater. I could see the wire and the white insulation.
Then I looked at the other malfunctioned heater. IT too had a disintegrated cord. And when I examined them closely, it appeared that they had been chewed...or so my imagination thinks. The cord had areas that were scraped off down to the wire. I know that this is what caused the problem. I ruled out acidental scrapes from live rock, because they were rarely moved and one heater had not been in the aquarium but a couple of days.
Then I had an idea that seemed strange. Could it be the spiny sea urchin that I had? Actually, today I brought it back to the LFS, because I think he was eating too much of the coralline algae I am trying to cultivate. I had never heard of such a thing, but he is the only critter in the tank that seems capable of doing such damage.
The question is...am I right? The only other creatures that I know live in the aquarium are fish. Two clowns, a yellow tang, a blue tang, eight chromis, a cardinal fish, a neon goby, and a royal gramma. Is there any other critters that could have come in on the live rock? I did find a website that indicated that urchins DO chew on cords sometimes.
Next question...related. These heaters were the plastic submersible Stealth heaters. The one I put in there now is a Pro Heat titanium heater. Which do you find better...a plastic submersible or a titanium submersible? What brand do you find most reliable?
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