Heater Killed My Fish!

[ITHURTZ]

I did a water change this morning temp read 72.6degrees. Never touched the heater. I just got home to see my Red top oranda floating on the surface, I lift up the hood and its like a sauna! Temp measured 88.7!!!! All the other fish seem to be fine except for the 1 dead one. The heater isnt even a month old, its a theo 400watt. Anyone have this happen to them, this is rediculous.

 

[idlefingers]

Sorry for your loss

Though it's not happened to me (yet - touch wood!), I've read quite a few stories of heaters getting stuck on. If you want to be really safe, you could use two small heaters, then if one breaks, it's not as effective as a large one at cooking your fish!

 

[gpgscott]

How large is your tank? I keep a 48 gal tank uniformly @ 78f with a 100w heater. 400w is huge unless you are 75 gal or more. Scott

Sorry just looked at your sig, unless your room is crazy cold 400w is way too much heater, sorry you lost the fish but 200w is max for 55 gal under most circmstances. Scott

 

[Tolak]

I had this happen with a cheap heater in a 20 gallon. The juvie angels were fine, the small bristlenose was a goner. It was just shy of 100F.

 

[ITHURTZ]

I got my tank lids open to help cool it down, this sucks I hope they all dont die going from 88 to whatever it will be at tonight.

I got the 400 to kinda prepare me for when I go bigger. I guess if I have balls, I will get a 200, otherwise they will have to enjoy 66-68 degrees when I am not home. This is some scary shiznit

 

[idlefingers]

I guess if I have balls, I will get a 200, otherwise they will have to enjoy 66-68 degrees when I am not home. This is some scary shiznit

 

[tmack]

Same thing happened to me about 2 months ago & I lost most of a tank of fish before I figured out what was going on. After that I also threw away the dang strip thermometer & got an accurate digital readout with a probe in the tank. The strip wasn't able to tell me my water temp. was off it's scale. To me those strip thermometers are next to useless - same as the strip water tests. By the way, some heaters can be adversely affected when they are plugged in, but not fully submersed in tank water. I made sure the next thermometer I got would not be affected if left "high & dry" during a water change.

 

[ITHURTZ]

I guess if I have balls, I will get a 200, otherwise they will have to enjoy 66-68 degrees when I am not home. This is some scary shiznit

The balls part or the 68 degrees? Balls part would be getting another heater and have it happen again and kill everything if these guys dont die by tmw.

68 degrees is what the house temp is at. 65 at night

Also, any heater brands I SHOULD look at? Theo is now marked off my list forever

 

[Tolak]

Ebo-Jager or Visitherm are the better heaters available. They're all I run now, cheap heaters are false economy.

 

[ITHURTZ]

ok thanks, I will be lookin at only those 2 brands from now on

 

[ITHURTZ]

Ok petco is open time 9pm so I went there and got a 200watt Visi-Therm Stealth. Its tuned to around 76 now so hopefully the temp wont drop to fast, then over the next few days drop it to where I originally had it. Also got some stress coat and some some in, just in case. Currently 86.5

 

[invader]

Ahhh Theo heaters have done that to me too... I hate them!

 

[Tolak]

I looked up those Theo heaters, they look like the All-Glass heaters. I got coupon for one, so picked one up. It stuck on after two weeks, real junk.

 

[ITHURTZ]

Ya I just ripped mine apart. Apparantly its a "paper" like heater. Ill take a pic of the peices and post in a bit. Only plus is I got a giant test tube!

Fish look fine though right now, all swimming around. I am sure the tin foils like it more than the goldfish. Any signs I should look for on the fish?

 

[invader]

I don't know if it will have too much damage, but ever since mine wonked out, my little debauwi cats have kinda rested on the bottom... but I'm not entirely sure if it is because of the heater problem or the fact that the other fish in the tank are getting a lot bigger and they are getting frightened.