So i killed my tank

[boom215]

Well i bought a heater during the time when i first started my tank(April). I never had it in the tank until yesterday when it got cold in my apt. and my tank was down to like 77degrees. i put it in and set it to about 77degrees because i thought that that temp would prob be around the right setting so my tank would be like 80. i went to bed, and woke up and the temp was off the charts. i put the temp on the heater all the way down and i believed it to be off. i come home from work, water warmer then ever and my tank looks dead. my yt, 2 clowns, and blue damsel are all breathing like 400000 times a minute. my starfish has climbed his way tp the top of my tank. my snails all seems to be ok. but actually what i am most upset about(might sound funny) but my purple urchin looks dead. his spines are all pointed down and it looks like his inside are coming out the top. my fish all just looked stressed, like in a few hours when it cools down they will be alright but my urchin soo looks gone. this will be only my second lost fish thingy. i had a snail die the other day outa no where.

 

[sinner's girl]

How high did it get? I delt with high temps a few years back, my fish held on to May (my luck, they died the very week they were going to be moved to another tank where I could control the temp.)
Take the top off, if you didn't already, and you can use a fan or ice in baggies, if you need to get it down (depends on the temp of your apt). About the urchin, keep the lights off, and try not to stress him any more...and hope he makes it.
by the way, you might want to get a different heater.

 

[boom215]

NICE!!! now my emerald crab is eating my urchin

 

[thomas712]

Just for reference: What brand heater?
Suggestions: run an airstone now or hook up the air hose if you have say a maxi jet powerhead and get some oxygen in the water.
Fresh Carbon, get a water change ready in case of ammonia spike.

 

[boom215]

well i tought my fish were going to make it but my yt looks real pale and my two clowns look pale too. they all ate but i dont know. no ammonia spike, but i took out the urchin b/c he wasnt movin or anything. i miss him already

 

[drea]

my gf left the ac off and it killed everything in the tank except the inverts,,, sux! i feel ur pain...........

 

[bonebrake]

That really stinks boom215... Sorry for the loss. Heater meltdown is probably one of the worst, next to your tank cracking inexplicably. I hope the urchin is the only loss and the other fish pull through.

 

[r22wink]

helps if you read the directions on equipment before using it on the fish..just MO..!!

 

[sleasia]

This shouldn't have happened. these heaters are supposd to have thermostats and turn off when the water reaches the target temp, and turn on when the water temp drops again. Something is wrong with the heater. you should call or write the manufacturer and definately explain in detail the loss of fish and cost. you never know, they may do a good samaritan thing and reimburse you. Do you have glass or acrylic? in the future if water heats up too high do a big water change. Put baggies of ice in the sump (if you have a sump otherwise you may have to put them directly in the tank) and aim a fan at the tank(if its glass, if its acrylic this doesn't work too well) and shelter it from any window sunlight. When I didn't have a chiller, I filled plastic soda bottles with water froze them and kept several in the freezer on hand for above 80 degree problems. Then I would just float them in the tank and when they melted i would refreeze them and just kept the ice bottles cycling through hot summer days.

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by boom215
...i put the temp on the heater all the way down and i believed it to be off. i come home from work, water warmer then ever and my tank looks dead...
I always keep a couple of two liter bottles of frozen water and smaller 18 ounce peantu butter jars with frozen water in my freezer should I catch a meltdown happening with the heaters.
This summer I had the temp get too high in one of my tanks and the two liter bottles of ice that were frozen I believe saved my fish.
Just something I thought I would suggest to everyone since we are getting into the winter months and the heaters are starting to work a little harder.
Denise M.