Cobalt neotherm cracked.. Need help/advice

[J Rog]

Another neotherm crack story.. after they had supposedly have fixed the issue. Woke up around 5am on Friday to a smell of burning and chemical.. Long story short I discovered my 200watt cobalt neotherm had a hair line crack.. Heater was around a year and a half old.. A burnt out heater would have been not such a big deal.. but it leached what ever chemicals that are in the heater all in my tank. My whole house and the tank water wreaked of what I can only explain as burnt motor oil or something.. I immediately put in a mesh bag of carbon. Don’t have a reactor.. Then made 30 gallons of salt water to do a water change with (tank is 70 gallons). Ran to world wide Corals picked up a new heater and a product by two little fishes called metasorb that is supposed to filter out any metals that may have leached out of the heater.. So far all my snails died and one fish that I know of. Tank still smells like burnt motor oil but not nearly at bad as before the treatments.. Also, my pink lemonade acro looks like there is some STN at the base.. Anything else I could do to try to try to save this tank form utter disaster??

 

[EmdeReef]

I’m sorry to hear this. I had the same happen a few years ago with a neotherm.

You are doing everything right but some damage may have already been done. I would do more water changes, just make sure to match alkalinity.

Can also drop more carbon.

 

[J Rog]

I’m sorry to hear this. I had the same happen a few years ago with a neotherm.

You are doing everything right but some damage may have already been done. I would do more water changes, just make sure to match alkalinity.

Can also drop more carbon.

Did yours leach out any chemicals or oil?

 

[ingchr1]

What's the date code on the heater? It will be printed on the plug.

 

[EmdeReef]

Did yours leach out any chemicals or oil?

Not sure what got out of it but the smell was horrible, burning rubber or something... I did a 50g water change on a 75g tank right away and ran a lot of carbon then did another 50% water change the day after. Didn’t lose any fish but lost anemones and lps.

Really annoying they never issued a recall...

 

[wesman42]

Well it's safe to say that you actually got one that prior revision.

 

[lakai]

This is the 4th 200watt northern blowing up I’ve read about this year. Each one was specifically the 200 watt version.

 

[J Rog]

What's the date code on the heater? It will be printed on the plug.

June 2017

 

[J Rog]

Oh, never posted a pic of it

 

[Retro Reefer]

Water changes, Poly filters and carbon would be my advice.

 

[brandon429]

I believe it is time for a full blown article, shine all bright lights digitally and with thousands of views on neotherm and link in these threads and overwhelm them to do something compensatory and with all the units pending sale

Across only two or three forums over five years we can find at least twenty examples or more. Then link the article to reefbuilders for more steam

API might have caused a bunch of unnecessary bottle bac sales with their universal .25 but nothing dies from thinking your tank never cycles, it's just a bunch of more waiting

But these heater malfunctions are widespread, stat significant, and killing investments.

 

[samnaz]

I believe it is time for a full blown article, shine all bright lights digitally and with thousands of views on neotherm and link in these threads and overwhelm them to do something compensatory and with all the units pending sale

Across only two or three forums over five years we can find at least twenty examples or more. Then link the article to reefbuilders for more steam

API might have caused a bunch of unnecessary bottle bac sales with their universal .25 but nothing dies from thinking your tank never cycles, it's just a bunch of more waiting

But these heater malfunctions are widespread, stat significant, and killing investments.

I agree. Have you found instances with all wattages of neotherms? I have 100w. Guess it might be time to replace it?

 

[Geebs19]

I agree. Have you found instances with all wattages of neotherms? I have 100w. Guess it might be time to replace it?

I have read where to 100w have cracked as well. To me I wouldnt wait to replace it.

 

[brandon429]

Their fifty watt model ran my reefbowl for about three years no harm, even left it plugged in but out of water once

It's the number of posts online for the larger models I've noticed

 

[Retro Reefer]

It seems to be primarily a issue with the higher wattage units however I have seen reports of the 100 and 150 also failing.

 

[Salt1972]

Is there any chance the heater wasn't submerged?

 

[ingchr1]

I started a thread a couple of weeks back for documenting failures of heaters (any electronic heater). Would be great if you could post up your details in it, along with anyone else who has had one that's following this thread.

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?posts/5827109

 

[J Rog]

Is there any chance the heater wasn't submerged?

Not in my case. Heater was completely submerged in my sump

 

[J Rog]

I started a thread a couple of weeks back for documenting failures of heaters (any electronic heater). Would be great if you could post up your details in it, along with anyone else who has had one that's following this thread.

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?posts/5827109

I will definitely do so tomorrow. I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I did and still am.. Anywhere to warn people from these heaters I would be more then happy to post in.

 

[J Rog]

Just an update. Did another 30 to 35 gallon water change. Tank water sill has a lingering sent of oil. So far my zebra fish and yellow tang died. My clown fish has an eye infection of some sort, my short cake acro has some rtn as well as my pink lemonade. My birds nest is extremely light so I think it will completely bleach out. Bonsai went from great color to on its way to brownish. Zoas, acans, gold torch, frog spawn seem alright..