Thought it couldn't happen to me

Post by **Silurus** » 01 Sep 2004, 13:47

Well, after reading the occasional post on tank mishaps, I thought that it would never happen to me, but it finally did.

A malfunctioning heater wiped out my entire collection of banjos ( I had no need of a heater previously, but I moved to a new place and put the tanks in the basement; coming from a tropical country, my experience with heaters has been next to none).

Now all I have to remember them by are a couple pics in the Cat-eLog.

The good thing is that my tanks are now nice and relatively empty just in time for the Convention.

kwalker · Post by **kwalker** » 01 Sep 2004, 14:30

HH

sorry to here about your mishap. it happens to all of us at one time or another. as you said however it could be a good thing for the catfish convention. so my suggestion is BRING LOTS OF MONEY

Ken

Post by **Shane** » 01 Sep 2004, 15:18

Sorry HH. Just backs up my advice that the single piece of aquarium hardware you should always spend the most money on is the heater. Nothing else can malfunction and kill your fishes as quickly. I noticed that Visitherm (whose heaters I like) has come out with a "stealth" heater that is encased in plastic. I have not seen these heaters in person, but it looks like they might have great catfish or violent fish application.
-Shane

combat welder · Post by **combat welder** » 01 Sep 2004, 18:15

where is the convention and when is it being held?????

Post by **Silurus** » 01 Sep 2004, 18:29

http://www.forum.planetcatfish.com/viewtopic.php?t=5887

jurassic_pork · Post by **jurassic_pork** » 01 Sep 2004, 19:25

Sorry to hear about your banjo's HH

Good luck with whatever you find at the convention though.......

Post by **corybreed** » 01 Sep 2004, 19:49

Sory to hear about your loss. Aquarium heaters no matter what brand are my bane of the hobby. Although I have had my share of sticking thermostats most of the time I just forget to unplug before water changes and you know the result. I wish my basement was a constant temperature.

Mark

Taratron · Post by **Taratron** » 01 Sep 2004, 21:56

My condolences, HH.....I have recently acquired some new banjos myself, and it was in fact due to your help that I ever thought of purchasing a cat I see once or twice a week!

I hope you will find what you seek at the convention.

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 01 Sep 2004, 23:35

This has happened to me in the past and it is why I have have two lower wattage heaters in my "important" tanks rather than one high one.

My sympathies, it can really smell bad too.

Jools

S. Allen · Post by **S. Allen** » 01 Sep 2004, 23:58

sorry Sil. So far I've been lucky.

Post by **medaka** » 02 Sep 2004, 00:19

sorry to hear HH
got to confess

happened to me not so long ago ..
now space heat

went in the fish house one morning every thing fine did water changes etc, went out for the day came back and later on went to lock fish house up for the night,,
thermostat had stuck on..lost some good rainbows..

but no hara's they were in other tanks

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 04 Sep 2004, 14:03

I've had this in the past too, sorry to hear HHl.....

long ago, though and not with a catfishtank, fortunately.

Since then I "underheat", wich means I add a heater that has a wattage of -at most!- HALF the amount of liters in that tank; this way, even when the bi-metal screws up, the water cannot get much warmer than 30'C or so.
The heaters have to "work harder", so they don't last as long, but heaters can be easily replaced; rare fish often cannot.

unfortunately similar things happen to me as well; I came home from Oz today (been diving for 5 weeks on the Great Barrier Reef) to find one of my 2 female Rhineloricaria latirostris dead; hot summer weather. (it's the orange one in the Cat eLog)

Alex

bronzefry · Post by **bronzefry** » 04 Sep 2004, 15:12

I'm so sorry to hear about your banjos. I recently got Stealth heaters, too, after my 10 gallon hospital tank cracked in the middle of the night....not pretty....

With so many plugs and changing the water so often, I sometimes forget one. Unfortunately, that time it was the heater. I was lucky to save my brother's 4-year old platties, barely. I'm sorry for your loss.

Kostas · Post by **Kostas** » 06 Sep 2004, 10:41

Sorry to hear that HH,
I too had a heater malfunctioning this summer but fortunately i was at home and unplugged the heater as soon as the temprature went to 29C.

retro_gk · Post by **retro_gk** » 08 Sep 2004, 15:49

Sorry to hear about that HH, just lost a tank of tangnayikan c******s myself last month...oh well, life goes on.