Ok well my heater burnt up over night, tank hit 72...looks like I lost all my fish. Was stupid but 1st thing I did was put my hand in water I didn't feel any current. What I'm worried about now is any release of toxins? I'm going to do a 50% wc. How bad could could the melted plastic be? Any help greatly appreciated.
Colbalt Neo-Therm just melted over night!!!
- Thread starter PolackoTaco
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This exact issue happened to me in October. I contacted cobalt. They said it was a known issue with the 150 watt heaters with a manufacturer date in late 2013. According to them, the resin used inside the heater is inert.
I lost a couple pieces of coral but there have been no long lasting affects.
-The resin used in Cobalt heaters, both the formula used prior to 2015 and the one used today, are biologically inert and nonreactive with human or animal cells. Although I would not recommend ingesting it, it is considered a "food grade" plastic for health purposes, and contains no known carcinogens or other dangerous substances. Inhaling a large amount of any smoke, from any burning material, could cause lung or throat irritation.
Here is their right up on the issue:
I lost a couple pieces of coral but there have been no long lasting affects.
-The resin used in Cobalt heaters, both the formula used prior to 2015 and the one used today, are biologically inert and nonreactive with human or animal cells. Although I would not recommend ingesting it, it is considered a "food grade" plastic for health purposes, and contains no known carcinogens or other dangerous substances. Inhaling a large amount of any smoke, from any burning material, could cause lung or throat irritation.
Here is their right up on the issue:
AForys
Active Member
It sucks the fish in the tank I e had for over 2yrs looks like the only survivors are a rose goby and my mandarin, the others are still breathing but I'm thinking the worse for them. A kole tang, a m/f pair of anthias, a m/f pair of yellow coris and my sps and gold Indo Torch colony look to be taking it the worse.
Valkyrie
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I'm so sorry that this has happened! I think there needs to be a support group for those who have lost livestock to malfunctioning heaters. It's such a tragic issue.
Can you move them asap into a bucket with an air stone and a working heater? I say asap, but I mean drip acclimate. That way it's one less adjustment. Where there is life there is hope. You might be able to save them.
Can you move them asap into a bucket with an air stone and a working heater? I say asap, but I mean drip acclimate. That way it's one less adjustment. Where there is life there is hope. You might be able to save them.
Midrats
Valuable Member
Plastic heaters have always made me nervous. I have a few Cobalt heaters that have worked fine but in my latest tank I installed an Eheim. Good old thick glass and a much beefier cord. Sorry for your losses.
Your tank hitting 72 probably wasn't the culprit of the fish dying. It was most likely the heater releasing something in the water when it exploded. Joey's ray's died when his cobalts exploded and release some black stuff in the water.
