Help! Heater Not Working!

[AGrimes89]

Hi there my heater is built into my external filter however it is powered with a different plug. My socket trip switch keeps blowing when i plug the heater in and i believe this is due to a puddle of water i found around the base of my filter ( earlier water change ) anyway bit of emergency, will the heater element have shorted out? Have changed plug fuse to no avail. Just worried im going to lose my silver shark, the only fish in it at the moment.... 275l tank, eheim pro 2 filter. Please help with any info u can.

 

[CezzaXV]

I can't give you any advice on the electrics of your heater, but I will tell you how to keep your tank warm for tonight until you're able to get hold of a new heater tomorrow. If it's not the fuse, it's unlikely you can fix it without breaking its watertightness, and a new heater is probably your best course of action.

First of all, get some towels and wrap them around the tank to help keep the heat in. Tin foil would also be great - I'd recommend having this under the towels. I'd also suggest polystyrene but I'm doubting you have much of that lying around

If and probably when the temperature starts dropping, fill a bottle or two with hot water and pop it into your tank to float. The heat will radiate out and heat the tank slowly and gradually, which is gentler for the fish. You will have to keep an eye on it though and make sure the tank water doesn't get too hot. If it does, remove the bottle.

If you're able, have the heating on in your house tonight. Silver sharks can live comfortably in temperatures of 22-28 celcius. 22 degrees is a nice cosy temperature for human beings too so it should slow the temperature drop down if the outside temperature is reasonably warm too.

 

[AGrimes89]

Thank you i will get that all sorted out now

 

[Zikofski]

i would recommend try using hot water either by boiling water or using hot water tap to raise the temp slowly as you go to bed there for it has less to decrease gd luck let us know how it goes, i am dreading the day my house gets a power cut or a heater problem

you would be surprised how quickly a tank drops in temp i was shocked when i forgot to turn my heater back on, on a water change lucky no loss of fish , also i would personally recommend having a spare heater around the house to compensate there not expensive only £20-£30 would recommend incase things happened again

again gd luck

 

[balajake]

putting the central heating on overnight cant hurt