Heater Controller - Broken!

So I get home tonight around 9:15 p.m. after a long day at work and notice something very wrong with my Zero Edge tank.

Usually there are one or two snails that make their way up and over and down to the overflow troff. Well tonight there were dozens of snails everywhere! I thought WTF is going on here? I pick up a couple to throw them back in and notice that the water is HOT! Not warm mind you but HOT! Panic mode sets in. I rush and get a floor fan to blow on the side of the tank and also make ice bags with zip-lock bags. Then I check the heater control and it's still on and reading some kind on mumbled gibberish. Obviously a malfunction, big time. I get my hand held tester and do a quick read. 93.6* at the coolest part.

After unplugging the heater, I begin looking at things. Looks like almost a total devastation. Dead shrimps, crabs, snails and starfish everywhere. And my corals are literally melted and dripping goo. Fish are nowhere to be found. Must be dead too, or hiding in the rocks. Don't know yet. I had hundreds and hundreds invested in my corals and at least 90% of them are dead and already skeletons. Not just dying!

So I figure the temperature was close to that for about 10 hours or so. Could have been stuck since last night and I didn't notice this morning. Guess I'll start over again. :frustrat:

Oh to top it all off, we were leaving in the morning to go on vacation to Alaska. I have pushed it back a day now after this.

That sucks. Sorry to hear it. I had the same thing happen to me about 15 yrs ago. The corals in my tank literally melted.
I use a Ranco temp controller now. I don't trust the thermostat on any heater, regardless of the brand.

When you say 'Heater Controller' do you mean the thermostat on the heater itself or did you attach a seperate temperature controller? Also, how old was the heater?

that sucks bud. that is one reaslon i dont use a heater i just dont trust them.

holy crap, i've allways wondered if this had ever happened, where a heater got stuck on...

bummer dude, sorry to hear that...

sen5241b said:

When you say 'Heater Controller' do you mean the thermostat on the heater itself or did you attach a seperate temperature controller? Also, how old was the heater?

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sen this was my 2nd unit or thermostat! The first one quit working after about 8 months. This one is a Blue Line Temperature Controller and I've had it about 5 months! Its got a temp probe and a heater that plugs into it. I have no idea why I'm having such bad luck with these things.

Update: This morning the temperature is down to around 76.5* Looks like most of the fish survived. A couple of mushrooms have made it too. But almost all corals, nems, starfish, crabs and snails are gone.

Strange I was just referencing "here today, gone tomorrow" on another thread.

Thanks for all your positive encouragement. Hopefully today will be better. :(

dcantucson said:

sen this was my 2nd unit or thermostat! The first one quit working after about 8 months. This one is a Blue Line Temperature Controller and I've had it about 5 months! Its got a temp probe and a heater that plugs into it. I have no idea why I'm having such bad luck with these things.

Update: This morning the temperature is down to around 76.5* Looks like most of the fish survived. A couple of mushrooms have made it too. But almost all corals, nems, starfish, crabs and snails are gone.

Strange I was just referencing "here today, gone tomorrow" on another thread.

Thanks for all your positive encouragement. Hopefully today will be better. :(

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Sorry, about your losses -that ultra-sucks. I thought the wonderful and expensive temperature controllers were supposed to solve the whole problem of heaters gone wild?

Me too! I don't think I can trust one again.

man that sucks. I feel for ya. I havent been running a heater yet mainly because with the heat outside. Now I am wondering if i should get one at all. In south Texas it never really gets cold here I was just concerned about temp swings. Now im not sure if I should get one at all. :shock:

I only had it for backup at night. Just in case it got too cool. Guess I should of had a chiller!

yea, south texas is plenty warm, ofcourse i keep my house ac unit set at 68, so i have to run a heater.. but i'm thinking that some kind of an overtemp safety may be a good idea.

a simple relay controller circuit would do the trick, just a thermister and a couple lil 741 op amps should do the trick. if the temp goes over the set temperature, then it would open the relay, cutting the power to the heater...

Hmm design the thing and get to marketing my friend. That could be a money maker :^:

Yea that would be great!

hell i can make them at the house, all day long, the only thing that i need is the orders...

project5k said:

yea, south texas is plenty warm, ofcourse i keep my house ac unit set at 68, so i have to run a heater.. but i'm thinking that some kind of an overtemp safety may be a good idea.

a simple relay controller circuit would do the trick, just a thermister and a couple lil 741 op amps should do the trick. if the temp goes over the set temperature, then it would open the relay, cutting the power to the heater...

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I think that is pretty much what the heat controllers with the probes are. The glass tube ones use a bimatalic switch to opperate which arent very accurate or reliable.

Brian

Sorry to hear that! It sucks! Exact same thing happened to me when I transferred my 55 to my current 240. My temps got up to 96. It killed every coral except for a few zoas and mushrooms. I had at least $1000 in coral killed. Since then, I have not used a heater. Maybe you don't even need one? My tank is normally in the 80 to 82 range, and rarely drops below 80 even at night.

Thanks Biff. I think you're right about the heater. I do have a lot of surface area with all four sides and it can cool off pretty quick. I think the only problem might be in the winter months. It's so saddening to loose so much so fast!

Still pulling out skeletons of dead corals. I will post a picture of them once everything is finished dying. Funny but the one thing that survived that I wanted to die are those damn aiptasia nems! Suddenly they are everywhere and all my peppermint shrimps are dead and gone!

thats how it always works everything you want dies and the one pest lives through it.

Dcan so sorry :frustrat: damn heaters can be great but can also be a menace:death: I am sorry for all ur lose