One of my 2 year-old Visi-Therm Stealth plastic heaters ruptured sunday, sending plumes of a black substance into the tank yesterday. Heavy losses.
I suppose it's possible a pump was dropped on it several months ago during cleaning, so I'm not blaming the manufacturer. But the problem didn't start until the heater came on for the first time this year.
I did two 35-gallon water changes sunday evening, and another monday. Two fish survived, a yellow tang and yellow wrasse. Yellow fish must be immune... One snail is still moving around as is a coral banded shrimp. The cleaner shrimp and everyone else has gone to the reef tank in the sky.
I dropped a couple of cuprisorbs into the flow. after a few days I'll try a hermit crab, if he lives I'll get another cleanup crew.
The tank had reached a balanced state - it has a chiller but no protein
skimmer for the last year or so, and water changes every 6 weeks when I remember. up till Sunday the livestock was well and happy. I attribute this to zero dosing, light feeding and Walt Smith
live rock.
so check your heaters! I may not replace mine, the
MH's keep things warm...
Any suggestions or additional info would be appreciated.
