Electrical shock from heater

[Mikef1]

I just came home and found my heater had bursted and the glass cracked. All my snails are laying in the sand and my lt plate that has been doing great shrivled up and is letting off a slime. My racordia mushrooms are also shrivled up. Please somebody help!!!!!!!!!

 

[JTW]

mikef-

#1 Don't panic
#2 (if you havn't already) unplug the heater and pull the pieces out.
#3 Try to figure out why it poped. Is your sump low?
#4 Go to your local fish store and pick up a new heater. If you have a little extra money and you want to prevent this from happening again, consider a stainless steel heater. Companies such as ViaAqua and ProHeat make them. Also pick up a good thermometer if you don't already have one.
#5 Make up a batch of salt water for a water change, just incase your corals don't pull through. You wan't to clean out anything that dies so that you don't get a nutrient spike that could give slime algae etc. a foothold.

good luck! J.

 

[JohnD]

Mike,

Too bad about the heater. I use Ebo-Jaegers and never had one break.

Without sermonizing, your experience is a good reason for:

#1. a grounding probe

#2. GFCI.

Hopefully, other folks can learn from your experience.