Temp Swing!
Hey crew,
<Scott>
I'm stumped!  I don't really expect you guys to fully diagnose my issue because of all the factors involved but here goes.  The problem is temp swings from 78 to 80 - 81 degrees during the course of a day.  I have a 55 gallon seahorse tank.  I have a slightly oversized sump with a Mag 9.5 inside the sump as a return.  I have a Hydor inline 300 watt heater that has truly been great.  It's been cycled and very stable and consist for about 3 - 4 months.  At one point my skimmer crapped out, and I purchased a My Reef Creation MR1 with a Mag 12.  That's the only change I made to the tank.
All of a sudden temp started rising one day.
<Mmm, think about this... isn't the gear listed... as it runs continuously... what doesn't? The lighting and ambient, diurnal temperature changes...>
Wasn't a terribly hot day outside.  The heater wasn't kicking on from what I could tell.  I thought it
might be the addition of the Mag 12 which was at first placed inside the sump.  I plumbed the Mag 12 outside the sump but still had the temp swings.
Next I thought the heater might have malfunctioned so I unplugged it for a few hours.  Still the temp rose.  I thought maybe the digital thermometer was bad or the battery was going but the strip therm on the side of the tank read the same.  I've tried keeping the light off, no luck.
Most times it makes it through most of the day and then around late afternoon the temp raises.
I am truly stumped.  I know a simple solution is getting a chiller.  I just have no reason why all of a sudden the temp would raise.  My concern is for the pair of ponies.  From what I read (Seahorse.org) the species of seahorse I have don't care much for temps above 78.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Scott
(Sorry for the long email)
<No worries... here at all likely, the daily swing of 2-3 degrees F., even with this species is not a problem. I would not necessarily buy/use a chiller, but might change the "lighting period" to more in the evenings, off during the midday hours... as the season warms. Bob Fenner>

Temperature Swings - 03/17/06
Hello from Tennessee, WWM crew!
<<Back at ya from South Carolina!>>
I have a few temperature questions for you guys (and possibly  gals).  I've recently slowly (few days time) lowered my 95 gallon reef tank temps from very low 80's to the high 70's (78-79 to be more  exact).  I've read dearly about temp swings in the FAQ's, and I know a lot is subject to situation, but I'm asking for my situation since I am having trouble applying other situations in the FAQ's to mine.  
<<Um...ok <grin>.>>
Last night around 12:00 my temp as per Coralife digital thermometer was 79.3 F, glass suction cup thermometer said 79.0 F, close enough.
<<Agreed>>
This  morning at 8:30 digital read at 78.0 as well as glass thermo.  Is this too much of a temp swing given the time period?
<<Not at all, quite typical really...and perfectly fine.  My tank typically swings about 3 degrees in a 24-hour period.>>
I don't know at what time it bottomed at 78.0 so I don't know how fast it dropped.
<<Probably within a few hours after the lights went out.>>
In your opinion, what is the least amount of time that it is acceptable to drop 1 degree F?
<<Hmm...speaking for myself here, a drop of 1-degree Fahrenheit over the course of an hour should not prove detrimental.  But keep in mind, any deleterious effects may be a result of more than temperature swings.  In other words, if the tank is already stressed from other factors (poor water quality, fish bullied by other fish, malnutrition, etc.), then a rapid change in temperature of even one or two degrees may manifest in ways it wouldn't if the tank were otherwise stable/healthy.>>
Also, which should I trust more, glass or digital?  The digital and glass have disagreed many times at the higher temps by as much as a degree.
<<Use whichever you like best (I prefer digital for ease of use).  The "exact" reading is not so much important as monitoring the changes...it's the same logic as that applied to the inexpensive "swing-arm" hydrometers.  Of course, you could always shell out the bucks for lab-grade hardware.>>
The  digital is also infamous to me for jumping up and down rapidly example:  showing 80.5 F and then showing 80.0 two minutes later.
<<Is likely just that the digital-thermometer registers the change faster then the other.>>
The probe is  installed in the Megaflow overflow part of my tank.
The tank is heated by a 250 Watt Visi-Therm Stealth in the sump, set to 79 F (give or take), and was functioning last night before lights out @ 12:00 a.m.  Should I remove it from the sump and place it in the main tank?
<<I wouldn't>>
If so, what would be an ideal location?
<<Where it is is fine/my preference for all such hardware.>>
Near the overflow?  With a powerhead pointed at it?  Or with one of the return nozzles from the sump pointed at it?  Mid-tank on the back, or is it OK to put it on  the side?
<<Just leave it in the sump.  My only recommendation would be to replace the 250w with two smaller 150w heaters for redundancy/safety.>>
I apologize for all the questions, but I am a firm believer in  creating a great place for my fish to live comfortably with minimal, if any changes, and I need some advice.  Thanks for all your help and for tolerating my many questions.  It is greatly
appreciated, as is your  website and FAQ's.
<<No worries mate...am happy to assist.  Regards, EricR>>

Broken heater & resulting contamination 2/1/07
<Hi, David. GrahamT with you tonight.>
Hello, I just did my weekly water change and realized after I poured the new water in that my heater had broken inside the bucket.
<Uh-oh!>
I quickly stopped before the brown cloud at the bottom of the bucket poured in.
<I would be willing to bet that any of the water was fouled.>
Within an hour EVERY coral closed up.
<Not at all surprised. Who knows what exactly is in there...>
(not the way I see my corals normally close after a water change) I'm not sure what could have been in my heater to contaminate the tank. All the fish seem fine but the zooanthids and leathers and Heliofungia looked terrible. I quickly made another 10% water change and replaced the carbon after reading WWM.
<Would think something along the lines of 75% or more would be on the menu here.>
Funny I found the same thing happened to another aquarist only they were smart enough not to use the water in the bucket. DOH!
<Relax, it only means they looked in the bucket a little closer than yourself. Can't beat yourself up...>
I learned during that research trip that we shouldn't worry about the innards of a thermometer these days but what about the insides of a heater?
<That is what you need to act on, IMO. Not sure how much/how fast carbon will remove the chemicals here, but would help to do a LARGE water change.>
I'm really going to sound stupid when I say this explains why the breaker in my son's weight room was popping.
< "It popped AGAIN?!?" I can see you now. ;) >
I'm wondering if the electricity that was probably charging the water before I caught it could have done something more to the water than just the heater parts leaching.
<I can't answer that question, though I suspect not. I think your main problem would be the electronic components/circuitry that went supernova with your water as it's "atmosphere" to absorb the toxins. You must be able to picture (through experience or my imagery) an electronic device smoking as it burns up? That foul-smelling smoke is burnt resin, epoxy, rubber, plastics etc. Each heater has their own makeup, but many are made with more than just a coil and tension-style temperature control. These models have semi-complex regulating circuits built-in that would provide the fuel for some nasty toxins in your water if burnt... but I digress. Whether you have toxins or not, or some odd chemical transformation from the prolonged exposure to current is mott at this point. You are well-served to perform as massive a water change as you are equipped to do.>
I guess a lil time will tell now what is to happen.
<Let us know how it turns out!
-GrahamT>
David Conway

Nitrifying Bacteria Wipe Out? (Heater Breakdown)  3/16/2007
Hello to all,
<Hi.>
Need to ask one question on the bacteria, I've recently lost a marine aquarium to a heater malfunction. Of course it stayed on instead of off. Like they usually do.
<Sorry to hear that, recommend going with two heaters next time, lower wattage. There is still a risk but if one goes awry again...it's less likely to cook a tank since it's not as powerful....and less likely two will go down simultaneously.>
My question is how high a temp. can the bacteria take before dying?
<Unless the tank literally boils for a sustained period of time, it is not likely you will kill all of the bacteria. There will however be a die off and it will take time for them to procreate and return to optimal levels.  Think of it as restarting your nitrogen cycle.>
Thanks so much for your answer.
<Of course.>
Jim  Jesko
<Adam Jackson.>

Heater Hazard! 2/27/07
I have (actually had) a 75 gallon reef tank with a variety of soft corals (zoos, mushrooms, polyps, etc), a jawfish, blue/red wrasse, Clarki clown, Blue goby, and the cleaner crew.  It was beautiful! This past weekend when I came home, my heater was shattered in the tank, the top of my aquarium was cracked, the plastic was broken away, and there was a black substance splattered on the wall all the way up to the ceiling. <Oh boy, sorry to hear.>  All the snails and crabs were dead, all the corals were withdrawn and the wrasse was dead.  <Painful loss I'm sure.>  I did an immediate water change, not knowing if there were any chemicals in the water from the shattered heater, but I lost all the corals anyway. <Not unexpected unfortunately.> The temperature did fluctuate and dipped to around 72 degrees. <Left and right hook.>  The heater was not touching anything, and I can't figure out what happened. <Have seen this before, does happen from time to time, weakness in the glass gets worse over time with repeated heating and cooling until it gives way catastrophically.> I always unplug my heater for water changes and have never had a problem before.  <Not really avoidable, sort of a ticking time bomb.> I immediately removed all the dead creatures.  Since then, I have a consistent ammonia reading in my tank and have done daily water changes to try to save the fish. <Good.> Do you have any other suggestions regarding the ammonia?
<Doing all you can currently, the die off from the LR is probably causing the ammonia spike.>
Obviously I am completely devastated and am contemplating reverting back to a fish-only system because I can't afford to restock the tank. <Discouraging for sure, but I encourage you to continue, would have had the same problem in any tank.>  Any suggestions on how to avoid this in the future? <Avoid the glass heaters, got with one of the titanium ones.>  Do you think there are chemicals in my tank still? <Yes, run lots of carbon and Poly-Filters.>  Was it the temperature change, electric shock, or chemicals that killed everything? <Yes to all, a triple whammy.>  Are there heaters that don't contain damaging chemicals or will automatically shut off if there is a problem? <Putting it on a GFI outlet will help, although the bigger culprit is the metal inside the heater.>  Or are some heaters just doomed to shatter. <All glass heater have this possibility, go with a titanium one.>  Also do you think my live rock is damaged? <Only time will tell, see how it recovers.  I would bet on it being ok long term.>  Or the substrate filtration? Thanks! Amy
<Sorry to hear of your troubles.  Have faith you will be able to work through this and get back on the right track.>
<Chris>
Heater Hazard! 2/28/07
Thank you for your reply! I appreciate all your help.
Although frustrating, at least I know I am doing all I can do.   
Amy
<Stay on the path.>
<Chris>

Blue Tang vs. the Heater
Hi,
I have a blue tang that has developed a strange habit of bumping his body against the in tank hanging heater. I thought that he was perhaps doing it because his face itched (he has HLLE). Then I thought that he was doing it because he liked the noise (rather loud) that the heater makes when it bangs against the tank's walls. After watching him for quite some time last night, I think that he is doing this because he sees his own reflection in the glass & he thinks that it is another fish (although he is not the largest fish in the tank, he is the most aggressive); therefore doing it out of aggression. Have you ever heard of this?
<Yes, many fish attack heaters. Most are attracted/annoyed by the little red light.>
Suggestions to make this behavior stop?
<Simple, remove it. If you have a sump, locate it there. Else, Tetra has a new brand of powerfilter that can have a heater added to it in the filter box. This way the heater is protected and cannot become broken and electrocute or cook your fish. I think Eheim makes a canister filter with a heater module, too.>
Thanks again, Jennifer J. Ford
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Broken heater in sump
Dear Mr. Fenner- I hope this isn't a major problem. I just noticed that one of my two Ebo Jager heater is broken in my sump. I recently put in a new protein skimmer and I am afraid it banged up against my heater which was laying on the bottom of the sump. The internal parts of the lower end were exposed to water. I immediately unplugged it and removed it. It may have been this way for up to seven days. Do you know if there was any inside the heater that could cause problems for my tank(75gal). Thanks for your time. - Anj
<no worries... little or no source of contamination and the livestock was safe in the insulated tank (from the floor by virtue of the silicone/gals/acrylic tank) as a floating ground. Just do a water change and run a poly filter and/or carbon for better sleep. A common problem... no worries. Anthony>

Re: broken heater in sump
Yesterday I wrote about a broken heater I discovered in my sump. Today I added carbon as you indicated but I noticed that 3 out of my 6 Xenias look shrunken and very unhealthy. They even seem to be given off some type reddish color discharge. They were extremely healthy and thick yesterday. Can this be attributed to my heater problem. 
<still almost certainly not... Xenia have been observed goring on sewer discharge pipes near hotels!!! If anything, they have been shocked by the improvement in water clarity/light of you haven't used carbon for a while or have gone without a water change for more than a few weeks>
I will start some water changes right away. Anything else you can suggest? 
<mostly patience and time>
Do you think the rest of the tank will start to have problems. 
<depends on carbon/clarity issues as per above>
can you suggest a better heater than Ebo Jager?- 
<they are one of the best brands. If you are willing to spend more, look into a good titanium probe heater with a remote thermostat>
Thanks so much- Anj
<kindly, Anthony>

Horrors with heaters; what could/I be going/doing wrong?!?  11/9/05
Hello Bob.
<James>
To start with I think I will complain about the general quality of many marine components in general as I have had bad luck with lights (Coralife power compacts... went through two but had a very assistive {helpful?} store owner go great lengths there) and powerheads have given issues of late... same store we had to try two before we got one that worked out of the box on my return trip. So, I am just a little bit frustrated by quality in products of late.
<I sense this>
However, it is the heaters that are causing the most grief... Okay, the first failure was undoubtedly my own and it was a Neptune in my small tank... I know I was tired and let the water get too low during a water change and that one stuck on shortly thereafter. I since 'learned' and unplug all the heaters first while during any maintenance and I even allow about 10 minutes for thermal equilibration before plugging any back in.
<Good>
However, I have gone through two Neptunes and one or perhaps two Visitherm Deluxe in the past 9 months.
<Unusual...>
I even now suspect the Ebo Jager I just bought as the temp over shot in another tank this morning while at the same time the heater overshot in my quarantine tank... rather than risk the health of the Flame Angel I decided to place it in the 55 gallon main tank where the conditions are/have been (knock on wood) stable. I would have preferred to not do this yet but here I am at work and not at home to unplug/reconnect or get another as necessary.
What could be going wrong?
<I don't know... are you setting these at a reasonably low initial settings? Allowing a few tens of minutes for the thermostats to adjust before plugging in initially?>
I use GFCI for every tank and everything plugged into them that is connected with the tanks. Should I check the polarity at the outlets?
<Mmm, in general circuitry itself will do this...>
Have I just been plagued with bad luck????
<Most likely... yes>
I have been trying hard to do everything right and just do not understand what is going wrong. Bob, I am truly frustrated...
Thank you.
James Zimmer
<Time for a holiday! Honestly, the brands you mention are typically good... Bob Fenner> 

Re: Horrors with heaters; what could/I be going/doing wrong?!?  11/9/05
Thank you Bob.
<Welcome>
10s of minutes and low enough temperature... hard to say here. I know the Ebo Jaeger was left in the tank for well over an hour (the water and heater were about 70F) and the temp set on heater was 76F..
<The setting about time is fine... But I do want to make a statement re the "pre-sets" of submersible, non-submersible heaters... they're not accurate, nor precise! I encourage all to "turn barely on" by hand (regardless of what the "dial says"), check back later after the "light has gone off", and re-adjust...>
since that one was in the overflow in the rear of the tank
<I would not place heaters here... too much air mixing, chance of the things breaking, burning a hole in the side... place either in the tank, and/or in a permanently filled part of the sump/s>
I had thought that the water coming out was hitting the thermometer and just giving a higher reading based off of location. However, I had since moved it and notice it is stuck on running passed the set temp.
Bad luck... yeah, this would be an understatement and the holiday sounds like a great idea. Truth is I am just concerned for the well being of my pets. I didn't want to put the Flame Angel in the 55 gallon yet as there are inverts [Branched Frogspawn... yes, 'finally' discovered the identity!!! ; ), star polyps, mushrooms, sponges, zoos and other horseshoe worms/featherdusters coming out of the rock] but with a heater running out of control it seemed more prudent than trusting the fate of the fish in a potentially... ahhh soupy environment. The article on heaters from your site made me consider some overtemp devices... in this case even if stuck on then the power will cut out with the controller in place.
<Good insurance...>
IT is a bummer about the quality of products of late. The same store owner mentioned that this trend is causing some problems for people. I insist that these issues of quality are a huge problem as our livestocks are directly dependent on the functional reliability of the products we use. The bigger the tank the more money invested...
<Yes... though less per gallon....!>
On the positive side the Flame Angel seems very happy and the cleaner shrimp now has a new customer to service. The inverts attached to largely immoveable (nowhere big enough for them to go other than where they are) rocks are another matter if this same fish decides to go picking. What could I do though? I have three tanks and two potentially down. Thank God for redundancy because at least there was still one!
Sincerely,
James Zimmer
<Keep your "eyes on the prize" James... the "big picture" is not bad at all... Cheers, and happy holidays my friend. Bob Fenner, not going out to Garfield this Xmas, but down to sunnier/windier Ft. Lauderdale> 

Crab Boil
Hello guys...
<Hi Mario, Don here today>
It finally happened.  After 2 years of clear sailing, something has finally gone terribly wrong in my reef.  My siphon overflow stopped overflowing (these things are constant trouble IMO).  
<I don't believe that anyone here will disagree with that>
Luckily, I have a float switch that stopped the return pump from the refugium, so the tank did not overflow.   
Unfortunately, my heater is in the refugium and the temperature sensor is in the main tank.  Without circulation between the two tanks, I came home to find the main tank was about 76 F and the refugium was HOT... well over 120 F (that's as high as the thermometer goes.)  I can't describe how terrible it was to walk in to the smell of cooked seafood (actually smelled sadly delicious).  
<So sorry to hear>
I had about 35 lbs of live rock and some Chaetomorpha in the refugium.  Should I junk the rock or do you think it's still got some life to it.
Keep in mind, this stuff cooked for probably the better part of a day. I have put it in a big Rubbermaid to re-cycle, but if you think this is futile, I'll just trash it.  
<You are on the right track and the rock will be useful in the future, 'restocking' with beneficial life over time.>
Luckily, the reef itself seems unscathed.  
<Indeed, the aquarium angels were with you>
To anybody reading this email I can say two things: 1) put your temperature sensor and heater in the same tank and 2) siphon overflows are an accident waiting to happen.  
<Well said>
Thanks for this opportunity to vent and share my sad story with somebody.  You guys are the closest thing to therapy I have.
<Well, as long as the topic is marine aquaria, I will try to help, just don't start me on that meaning of life stuff <G> >
-Mario

When good heaters go bad! OR..... Aquascaping anyone? - 4/15/03
Salutations to all,
    Well, My Tank is nearing its completion. <Glad to hear and congratulations! A very rewarding adventure is about to be had. Paul at your service.>  55 Gal bow front corner tank 20 High sump DSB and Fiji live rock.  I have a four inch sand bed and now that the live rock (60 lbs) is curing in a trash can I need to know how to support it in the tank.  That is a lot of rock!  Should I make pvc supports or just sit it on the sand bed? <Either way. Most times though, with that much rock and depending on how high you build your structure, you will probably need to glue them together or employ a PVC frame. Anthony Calfo has a great book that broaches this subject and many many more. Check it out. www.readingtrees.com >  Is there any consensus on which is preferable? <Aesthetic symmetry is the key. What would look better to you? See here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/aquascaping.htm>
    The second question is about heaters.  If I put two heaters in the sump, how will I know when one is bad? <Well, that is a good question. Sometimes damage is obvious (physical), sometimes the light will stay on for hours, and hours turn to days so the temp slowly rises. Sometimes there will be no light on at all for days while the other heater light may be on frequently to adjust for the lack of heat output from the other heater. Wow, good question! I never put much thought into that, as I have never had one go bad. (cross my fingers)> I can foresee one breaking and not being noticed and then the other breaking and then I'm out of luck. <Could happen> How is this better than using one heater? <The other thought process is having the total wattage of the tank's heating needs spread out over two to three heaters in that they all work in conjunction when heating to the set tank temperature, but if one were to go bad, it would be only a third of the total wattage for the tank's heating requirement. Therefore it would only be able to slightly affect the temperature as it is way underpowered in its heating ability by itself.> Should I set them at slightly different temperatures and then if one goes I would notice the temp difference? Any thoughts? <Not necessarily. See the above thought>
Thanks again for a great website, You do realize that I could be finishing my bathroom remodeling project, but instead I am always reading on this website or at least that is what my wife is always yelling LOL <Heheheheh>
Bryan Flanigan <Thanks Bryan.>

-Fried heater-
Hi,  I am hoping for some advice.  I had a catastrophe happen today.  My lights flickered and I heard a popping noise and then saw smoke.  The heater in my 38 gallon salt water aquarium blew up.
<Ouch, never fun.>
It broke the glass cover and came apart in the tank.
<Is your plug a GFI? If not you may want to either change the plug to one or buy one that plugs in. These devices will shut down the circuit if it suddenly draws too much current, like when a heater fries. Check out http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gfcimarines.htm for more info.>
I believe all my fish are dead.  They're laying on their sides gasping.  My question is, would this electrocution kill the
coral and live  invertebrates as well?  And how do I tell?
<If something dies it should be exceedingly apparent, the tissue will peel off, it may turn black and necrotic, I suppose it would depend on what's dying. This was not a good situation for the inverts either so you may have more loss.>
Also, before buying new fish, do I need to wait a certain amount of time,  and do anything to the water? Do I need to replace the gravel or rock?
<Do a large (50%+) water change.>
Are there toxic substances inside the heater that may have been released into the water?
<Absolutely, run a few Polyfilters.>
I read a post about a broken thermometer, but I didn't see anything about electrocution of the salt water.  This was terrible.  I purchased a new heater and cover.  The man at my local fish store was busy and didn't have time to help me out. I would be ever so grateful for any help you can give me.  I am just sick over this.
<You're lucky you were home, this could have started a fire. Good luck, and check out GFI's. -Kevin>
  Thanks,  Julie

- Fried Heater Follow-up -
Thanks,  I already have a GFI's in my house. <But was your tank plugged into it? Having them 'in the house' is of little use unless it is house wide, or you are directly plugged into it.> But, some good news,  my fish didn't die. <Ahh, good.> They, I guess, were stressed, I replaced the bacteria and made sure all my levels were ok, and during the night they got up and started swimming!!! I'm glad I didn't flush them.  Just in case any else ever asks.
But thanks, Julie
<Cheers, J -- >

DOH!  Well, Now Ya Know! 
>Another difficult question for you (sorry), I took my heater out of my pre-mixed water for a minute and put it back in while it was plugged in.
>>Doh!  <smacks forehead>  Well, when we do it (and many do), we only do it ONCE.  Now you know.  ;)
>I noticed that the heater light wasn't turning off and the water was cold so I took it out and noticed that the glass was broken at the bottom and the wires were exposed. I am now replacing with a titanium one.
>>Cool.
>My question is, is my water still ok? Nothing to leak out of the heater, i.e. mercury or various metals etc?
Thanks in advance.
>>Should be, but filtering through fresh (and well-rinsed) carbon and/or PolyFilter (brand name) would eliminate most all concerns.  I don't think there's anything that would be of any real worry.  Glad you didn't get shocked!  Marina

Broken heater
Dear Crew,  I recently lost a bubble tip anemone and all the mushrooms in my tank as a result of a broken heater in my sump.  The glass was shattered and it was still plugged in so I am sure that I sent an electrical current through my tank.  While I am not positive that this caused the deaths, it is the only thing that changed in my tank.<Sorry John, without a doubt this caused the deaths. I strongly suggest using a GFI where you plug your equipment in to eliminate this possibility in the future.>  Since the anemone died I now have some ammonia in the tank.  I have done a 30% water change and am going to do another 25% tonight.  My question is, could or did the electrical current that killed ( I think) my inverts also kill the bacteria that I need to break down the ammonia?  Should I expect another full blown cycle or should my 1 year old tank with 150lbs of live rock be able to handle the mini cycle I am getting from the die off? <Dave, its hard to say.  I certainly would monitor ammonia levels daily for a while.>FYI my tank is a 110 gallon with a 20 gallon sump.  I use bio balls in the sump. Other filtration (besides the LR mentioned above) comes from a EuroReef CS8-2 skimmer and a Magnum 350 with fresh carbon that I mainly use for extra circulation.  I'm pretty diligent in keeping the Magnum clean.  I like the extra flow and it is a convenient way to use carbon. <David, can I suggest using Chemi-Pure rather than carbon?  I've done some tests on carbon relating to excessive algae growth due to the phosphates present in activated carbons (especially coconut shell carbon). I have found that Chemi-Pure has the least effect.  It also creates a crystal clear blue/white water along with other benefits.> there are 4 150 GPH powerheads in the tank, and my main pump runs at 800 GPH. Altogether the flow is about 1750 GPH.  Lighting comes from 4 110watt VHO's and a 260 watt PC.  Finally, I also have about 2" of live sand on the bottom of the tank.  All rock and sand has been in the tank for at least 12 mos. <Good luck with your problem Dave.  James (Salty Dog)
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

Buoyant Heater Warning!!
Dear Crew,
<Paul>
I appreciate the great information that you have provided me and now I believe I can contribute some useful information in return.
<Okay> 
I'd like to caution everyone about using the new aquarium heaters that are made from clear "unbreakable" plastic materials. I acquired one of these heaters that was imported from Italy. The heater I had acquired for my refugium was very buoyant. When its rubber suction cups come loose, the heater floats to the water surface with the bottom end sticking out of the water. The exposure of the heater to air will cause overheating.
<Yikes! What a design defect!>
Apparently, the heater floated loose when I was away on vacation. When I came home, the heater had overheated and exploded with plastic particles adhering to the walls and ceiling of my refugium cabinet. 
<Yeeikes!>
Luckily, the GFI circuit had cut power from the heater and from the pumps that circulate water between the refugium and the main tank. Otherwise, I would have had to clean out not only my refugium but also my main tank as well. I hope that this is news you can use.
Regards,
Paul
<Thank you for sending this along. Am glad you had the GFI and that no one was hurt, your place didn't burn down. Bob Fenner>

Heater problems
I recently received a response about some heater issues that I have been having. Here is the scoop, I have a digital thermometer that I've calibrated at my LFS. My temp in the tank has episode were it fluctuates throughout the day. Usually it stays around 78 during the day and drops down to about 76 at night, but on more than one occasion I've woken up to find either my temp lower or higher than my heater is set at. In my latest incident I woke up this morning to find my temp at 81.5 and my heater is on!
<yikes>
Its only set at 78 and it is practically a brand new Rena cal. What is the deal? Should I move it out of my sump?
<if the temp is the same in the tank and in the sump, No>
Is my heater malfunctioning?
<sounds like it>
    What do you know about the titanium heaters with the digital controls?
<love them, use them all the time MikeH>

- Heater Scale Deposits -
Dear Crew:
Thanks for the great site. I am new to marine aquaria. I have two large tanks, 75G and 125G, which I maintain similarly and are 9 months and 6 months old, respectively. Both have 300W submersible heaters. I found a heavy scale on the heater of my 125 a few days ago.  How long it has been there I am not sure but there is no similar scale on the heater in the 75G. Here is a picture of the scale in the 125G:
It is orange-brown and has spalled in places taking away with it the decorative glass-stenciling. I am interested in what caused the scale to form because I am trying to track down the cause of a prolonged micro-algae or phytoplankton outbreak in this tank. <They are not related.> The calcium levels in the two tanks are similar (around 500 ppm) but the temperatures are different: about 75°F in the 75G and 83°F in the 125G. Possibly the higher temperatures or longer "on" times could have promoted scale formation in the 125G, but I was also considering another possibility. I thought that the scale formation might be due to my having left a floating glass-cleaning magnet in the tank for two-weeks. <Nah... doubt that. The scale is simply just the product of a high calcium level and the temperatures of the heater right at the surface of the glass.> I had seen other people leave them in their tanks but I took the magnet out after the algae or phytoplankton outbreak because I thought iron might be leaching from it. <Not all magnets are made of steel...> I had difficulty controlling the outbreak but eventually managed through water changes, improved skimming and use of a canister filter. Do you think that increased iron levels could lead to a runaway algae outbreak and produce the scale on the heater? <No... that is just calcium and very normal for just about any accessory attached to a marine tank and not regularly cleaned.>
Respectfully,
Karl
<Cheers, J -- >

The Dreaded Heater Mishap!
>Dear crew,
>>Hello.
>First, thanks again for all of your hard work and patience. I am writing because I had a heater mishap, I must have turned the dial without noticing and the next morning the tank was up to 96 degrees!
>>It is not unknown for thermostats to become stuck in the "on" position as well. Sounds like you've got a bouillabaisse going there, eh? Very sorry to read it.
>Well, needless to say some things died (Coral Banded Shrimp, Mushrooms, and I think my purple Pseudochromis). Yellow Tang, damsels, percula, snails, and hermits- all OK.
>>Real bad, sorry to read this, mate. Glad you didn't lose the whole lot.
>I can't find the pseudo I think he must be dead inside a piece of live rock. 
>>Could be, or the hermits got a hold of his warm carcass.
>I can't think of a way to get him out if he is dead, because he gets in the smallest of holes. 
>>As those Pseudos are often wont to do.
>1) Do you have a suggestion of a way to maybe get his little body out?
>>No.
>2) If not, how long will this affect my cycle?
>>This depends on many things, but you can certainly boost it with Bio-Spira. This is the good stuff <opens trench coat> right here.
>3) Is the best thing to do is just frequent water changes if I can't get him out?
>>Yes, and do them anyway. You may need to do one or two really big w/cs - on the order of 75%-100%. Make sure you've aged that water at least a full day, two or three are better. Match everything, as I'm sure you know. Oh yes! Be SURE to bring your tank temp down slowly! No more than two degrees Fahrenheit/24 hours.
>Thank you so very much.
Sincerely,
Keith Tallbe
>>Again, so sorry to hear this. Get that Bio-Spira first thing, then mix up the water anyway (it's always good to have on hand). Best of luck, and if you don't have a hospital set up, be prepared. This sort of thing may spur on some stress-induced troubles. Marina 

How to handle a heat wave
>Hi all,
>>Greetings, my apologies for the late reply. Your email has been in another's folder and I just found it.
>I have a problem. I keep a 75 gallon saltwater tank with a 6" Volitans lion and a 4" Long Longnose Butterfly. I live in the southern US. Recently, the heat pump outside the house gave out. With temperatures inside the house climbing to over 100 degrees in the hottest part of the day, I am EXTREMELY worried about my fish. I have turned off the aquarium lights and directed a fan over the top of the tank that stays on all the time, but the temperature still climbs to above 86 degrees in the tank. With repair on the heat pump expected to take 2 weeks (!) and no local fish store willing to "board" my fish, what can I do? I work during the day four days a week, so a hands on solution is out.
Worried!!! Frank
>>You should have in place a system of fans to utilize evaporative cooling, along with an automatic top off for adding freshwater in order to keep the salinity stable. This can be quite simple, using gravity feed and a few 1gallon plastic jugs or soda bottles - you silicone in some airline valves and set the drip rate manually. Or, it can be a dedicated top off system with float switches, etc. Also, you can fill some plastic jugs (must have screw tops or otherwise be SEALABLE), those "Gladware" reusable, sealable plastic containers, or, in a real pinch, Ziploc baggies (I'd go with freezer quality bags, just to be sure), fill with water and freeze over night. Let them float in the tank for the day, but be careful with this method, as you could cause too much of a drop, which is harder on the fish than a rise. Let the temps stay around 80-83F if possible. Marina 

Temperature Spike- Loss of Livestock 7/6/04
Hey There- You seem to be the end all resource here so I have a few questions for you.  I got home from work last night to find my reef tank a whopping 83.5 degrees.  
<hmmm.. the temp is not so terrible when the climb is/was slow. Many reef creatures can tolerate much higher temps. But in general, more then 2-3 F spike over a short period of time can be rough>
I added a frozen bottle of water to the tank to bring the temp down but it appears I have lost some livestock and everything in the tank looks ill.  
<a sharp drop can be equally stressful. Do note this for future reference. All good and bad things should happen slowly in aquaria <G>. The first thing to do in such cases is heavily oxygenate the water. Turn up venturis, add an airstone and/or add fans to blow across the tank. Improved O2 and slow temp reduction>
My LT Anemone hasn't melted but was found in the back of the tank with a lot of the mucous looking stuff in the trail of its path.  The cleaner shrimp was dead, and my goby, wrasse, and blue tang look like death has touched them.  I did an emergency water change this morning (20%).  
<excellent... when in doubt do a water change - agreed>
Is there anything else I can do to save my tank???  
<a few more large water changes in the next week or two>
I took the anemone out and put it into a hospital tank to see if it opens up again.  If not I think it shall be the toilet for him.  My live rock looks ill as well (the mushrooms and zooanthids are closed.)  What happened during the temperature spike-  The tank is normally 78.3??  Did the temperature spike cause an ammonia bloom????  
<more likely sudden oxygen deprivation>
Will a water change be sufficient to bring this under control or am I S.O.L.??  
<no worries... the tank can get right back on track. DO consider adding a fan to the timer for the lights, or run full-time if needed. It also would not be too expensive to add a fan to blow across the top of the tank plugged into a thermostat>
Thanks for you time on this matter.  Russell Sacramento, CA
<best of luck! Anthony>

The Heat Is ON...All The Way ON! (Heater Too High)
Yesterday morning I cleaned my tank, moving tubes around.  The heater I have has the temp dial housed with the plug that plugs into the wall, well moving things around pushed the dial on the heater all the way up!
<Yikes!>
It sat like that for about 8 hours reaching about 110 degrees, when I got home, I quickly changed some water and had the temp down a few hours after that!  So, lets see, Flame Angle, Bubble tip anemone, cleaner shrimp, feather dusters, Pseudochromis- DEAD.  Mostly all of the turbo snails and hermits died also.
<Sorry to hear that!>
The Tomato Clown and Purple Tang are still alive! (clown is lonely without the BTA). Bubble Coral and Toadstool fell apart.  I have Mushroom Corals (hairy/Bullseye), Button Polyps, Sally Lightfoot and a large clam (I think still alive).  My questions would be this, is the live rock ok. I mean the bacteria that makes it live, will the tank need to be recycled?  
<Good question. Bacteria are among the most hardy organisms on earth, so it is likely that the majority of the population survived. However, do monitor water quality to confirm this. You can always make use of a commercial "bacteria in a bottle" product to help kick-start things if needed.>
Will the tang and clown have problems?
<Hard to say. If they made it this far, they should be able to survive. Keep an eye on them!>
Is all the purple encrusted algae dead?
<Again- hard to say...You will just have to maintain proper conditions and hope for the best...>
Should I remove anything that would eventually be a problem?  I guess what should I do now, clean it up, let it sit for (how long) then BUY A NEW HEATER, then add new fish.  In other words how bad is the aftermath?  Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated
<You're on the right track here...Observation and upgraded husbandry are the vehicles of choice here. It may not be as bad as you think. The worst may be over. Monitor your fishes and water quality carefully here, and stay on top of routine husbandry practices (water changes, protein skimming, etc.). Continuous use of chemical filtration media (activated carbon and/or PolyFilter, etc.) and a lot of patience will see you through! Do get that new heater ASAP. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>
Mark Halatin

Water temp. 06/11/05
Hi, first just want to say that I love your site. <<Thanks a bunch :)>>I'm having a water temperature problem. Background: 75 gallon FOWLR, about 100 lbs. live rock, 2 clowns, 1 blue tang, 1 yellow clown goby, 1 scooter blenny, 1 emerald crab,
several snails and hermit crabs, one anemone, one mushroom. We've had the tank for about 1 year, and recently upgraded to metal halide lamps in order to hopefully start getting some corals. They are mounted on top of the canopy about 8 inches away from the top of the tank. Even before the metals, the tank was never below 80-81 degrees (with about 200 watts of fluorescents), but now its up to 85ish in the daytime. At night it doesn't go below 81. I'm worried that this is too hot. We live in South Carolina, and keep our house as cool as possible, and the tank isn't by the window. Yesterday we hooked up a fan to blow between the lights and the tank, but this today, the water is still warm. By the way, we try to keep the lights on for 13-14 hours a day. Is this too long maybe?  
<< I would try the MHs for 8 to 9 hours.  The corals that you are keeping do not require that long of a light cycle so I would shorten the MHs to 8 hours and leave the actinics where they are at.  Also try having a fan blow across the top of the water. You do not have the glass lid on top right? >>
Is there some way to keep the water cooler? Thanks a lot for your
help. I hope I've provided enough info. Tait <<Thanks for all your support :) EricS >>

Water temperature 06/08/05
I'm having some problems with temperature in my salt water tank now that the hot weather has come.  I have a ceiling fan on in the room and windows open and tank lights off.   The tank temperature seems to stay around 87 F.  I would like to know if there's anyway to cool the tank down or is there just nothing I can do?
<< You can setup a small computer fan to blow across the top of the water.  A sump is a great addition too because it helps to naturally cool the tank.  Some people have taken plastic zip-lock bags, filled them with ice and floated the bag in the tank. Good luck EricS>>

- Tank Temperature Too High? -
Hello, I have a 39G FO tank with one Cleaner Shrimp. The room that it is in is hot in the summer, and moving it to another room is impossible. Anyway the tank seems to be holding at about 86F. Is this too hot? <Well... it's on the high side of what is sustainable, and considering that summer is isn't here yet, you're going to run into problems if you don't try and bring that temperature down.> If so what would you recommend to try to lower the temperature short of buying a chiller?
<A fan blowing across the surface of the water will help.> Also I plan to get live rock and corals, etc.... in the near future if this temp is ok for the fish will it ok for corals? <Will accelerate their metabolism and will result in shorter life spans. In the case of the corals, almost certainly you will need to get that temperature down by six degrees or more unless you only want to keep them for a couple of weeks to months.> Thanks BTW I have a Current-USA Lunar Aqualight.
<Cheers, J -- >

Temperature Problem
I have a newly cycled 100g corner FOWLR tank with 1 Yellow Tang, 1 Hippo Tang, and 2 Yellowtail Blue Damsels. I'm using power compacts lights. The temperature is 79.5 during the day with the lights off and 82 at night with the lights on. The lights are on for 5 hours each night. The heater is set to 77 and never comes on. I just added a fan and it did not help. It seems like the lights are doing all the heating and I can't bring it down. I also just started using my protein skimmer. Does this increase the heat? My fish seem non affected. Please help. 
<Is this a wood canopy you have your lights and fan mounted in? Pumps will increase the temperature of the tank slightly. You might try blowing the air from the fan across the water and see if that helps you. James (Salty Dog)>

Fluorescent to MH blues... too much heat, vacillation in temperature in a SW 55
Hello all,
I just purchased a new light