Urgent Care :: EMERGENCY HEATER EXPLODED!!!!

[ch12ag]

Hi guys my heater has just exploded after i have done a water change and replaced 60% cold water now all the fish in my fish tank are dying very quickly is it the cold water or has something leaked from the heater?? any ideas???

[ch12ag]

Turtles acting fine, pls dont lecture me on fish and turtles together mine are kool with each other trust me, the fish we all fine one second then once the heater exploded n cracked few mins later all fish floating around but breathing

[Lantic]

You probably shocked your fish with the cold water. Second make sure your turtle is out of tank for clean up. Did it crack or explode?

[ch12ag]

ye have taken both turtles out and put them in another tank. I think so because now they seem to be acting fine thank god. it exploded as inthe glass casing cracked and flew off but dint see any liquid come out at all

[Lantic]

well, to be safe, i would do a full water change and buy a new heater. for the fish i would just replace them if you want. Keep an eye on the turtles for a couple days to see if anything weird or unordinary pops up.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I would take the fish out and put them in safe, room temperature water, even if they'll be cramped in a smaller tank for now. I would imagine you shocked them, there should be nothing in the heater besides the heating element and sometimes some small stones or sand.

[seanwb]

I seem to remember you are somewhere in the Uk. If so a 60% water change with cold water at this time of year will dramatically reduce water temperature. Fish will not cope with this well, and I would guess that the turltle will not be too happy. Plus if the heater cools too quickly it may crack as you have discovered.

Best solution is to have water in a big bucket / bin at the right temperature ready to go in. Alternatively, add the water slowly giving it time to heat up. You can add hot water to speed up the process, but it is generally recommened you warm the water in a microwave or on a cooker, rather than using hot water from a tap.

With sensitive fish, you should ensure that water temperature remains constant. It may be easier for you to halve the interval between water changes and do two 30% rather than one 60%. This way the temperature shock will be greatly reduced.

Always ensure the heater remains submerged unless switched off.

[ch12ag]

Hey guys took all your advice on board, did a 100% water change and cleaned the tank bout a new heater with guard and put it in all the fish n turtles seem happy now thanks a lot guys

[Lantic]

glad to see everything is back to norm.

[Sassamo]

I had a heater do the same thing with fish in my tank, I thought I got all the glass out but maybe 6 months later I cut my finger on a piece that was buried in the gravel.

When you clean your tank next time unplug and take the heater out before you add water. Mine broke because oit was left on and was hot when the room temprature water hit it and kaboom lol.

[papoopeepoo]

if the electric heater is physically cracked it most likely that your fish have been electrocuted. I hope you unplugged your heater before sticking your hand in the water.


aquarium heaters require that they always be surrounded by water when plugged in, or else they'll quickly overheat and crack.

[ilikeadabox]

I recommend buying a Marineland stealth heater. They are WICKED expensive (My 20 gal. heater was 40$) But they are not glass, therefore shatterproof(and Turtle proof) and they automatically shut off when not in water. It does a nice job heating my tank and has a lifetime warranty!

[ch12ag]

ye the heater did actually crack the glass bit but nothing got electrocuted thank god lol

[SpotsMama]

I second the recommendation of a Visitherm Stealth heater. Shop around on-line and you can probably find one for less. They are really nice.

Also recommend a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) electrical plug. I will protect you and your equarium from fatal electrical shock in the presence of water if, for instance, a light fixture falls into the water or your turtle bites through an electrical cord, etc. You can get a portable, plug-in one at places like Home Depot, cost around $20, or you can have an electrician install one in place of the regular wall plug. We have them whereever there's risk around the house due to use of electricity near water.