Note to self...... Or should I say lesson learned?

[asn-naso]

I've got a couple of fish in my QT tank, and have been changing about 30% of the water every other day. Last time I did a water change I used up all of my saltwater, so I took my rubbermaid trashcan down to the basement where the QT tank is, and figured I'd mix up the water down there. I empty my RO tanks into the trashcan (about 14 or so gals of water), then drop in my 150 watt heater and a power head. I turn them on, as RO water is now trickling into the trashcan, so the water could warm up. About an hour later I went down there to add some salt, just as water started to squirt out the side of the trash can. Either the heater is a tad bit too powerful for the situation, or it was leaning on the side of the trashcan and was partially exposed (out of the water).

Luckily I only had a couple gallons of water on the floor, and it was in my storage room, but on the down side, I need to find a new mixing container.

View attachment 14680

 

[CRW Reef]

Re: Note to self...... Or should I say lesson learned?

Ya yikes that's no good!!! I've put several ebo jager heaters in plastic tubs and never had that happen. Must of got pretty hot.

 

[jahmic]

Re: Note to self...... Or should I say lesson learned?

Any chance the heater somehow ended up above the waterline? Only time I've seen that happen.

Edit: must be Friday... you already mentioned that as a possibility

 

[asn-naso]

Any chance the heater somehow ended up above the waterline? Only time I've seen that happen.

Edit: must be Friday... you already mentioned that as a possibility

I am pretty sure that is what happened. Just not 100% sure. I'm now debating if I should use a smaller heater, or even use this heater again, as it still has some melted plastic on it.

 

[jahmic]

Re: Note to self...... Or should I say lesson learned?

I have a heater that my dog knocked out of the tank once and it melted some vinyl on a chair.

I used solvent to take it off...works fine

 

[jahmic]

Re: Note to self...... Or should I say lesson learned?

I should mention though...it was a titanium heater. Not sure if I'd trust a glass heater after getting that hot

 

[jda123]

Just wait until the water is in the container. You can heat up 14G pretty quickly with a 150W heater, even if you wait for 4-5 gallons to get in.

 

[asn-naso]

There was a good 10-15 gal of water in there, when I plugged in the heater. It must have been out of the water.

On a side note, why would a glass heater be bad after getting that hot? Especially if I am just using it to mix water?

 

[ReefCheif]

I wait until the container is full and then I tie the heater wire to the handle of my rubbermaid tub and then use a plastic clamp to hold it in place when mixing water.