Oh Xyz

[LauraFrog]

This was dumb... majorly thick of me.

So I'm in a huge hurry, change water, get fish tank fixed up etc. I start pulling out buckets of water (this is a 22 gal) and oops - I forgot to unplug the heater. Hear a sizzling noise - OMIGOD How could I? and yank out the plug. Some cold water splashed up on it - and the blooming glass is split. It's not rough, it's not coming apart but I don't know if it's safe to use again if I silicone up the glass. I can't risk putting it back in as is, I'm stuffed. It's the middle of winter, I have to get a new one tomorrow or bye bye fish I'd say.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

oooh nightmare, i've done that before though.

i wouldn;t try to bodge the old one back together, i'd just try to keep the tank warm until tomorrow when you can get a heater. Switch the tank light on, crank up the temperature on the heating in the room and wrap the tank up in a blanket (not kidding!!). Check the temp every couple of hours and do a water change with warm water if it drops too low.

 

[rabbut]

So long as the temperature drops slowly, there won't be an issue IME. I have also done that numerous times. You'd think I'd learn As Miss Wiggle says, wrap in a blanket and keep an eye on things. So long as the temperature doesn't drop below about 18c you should be fine. You can avoid this by keeping the room at about that temperature

HTH
Rabbut

 

[LauraFrog]

The worst of it is that the tank is outside and there's no light. It didn't get very cold last night (about 20 C) and it will have gotten the morning sunlight. There's nothing really sensitive in it (livebearers and a few small plecs) I'd say the thermo on the heater must have been dead for it to overheat like that, so I guess this is a blessing in disguise because it didn't cook my fish (being out of the water). I really need to get a new one soon or the temperature will go up and down crazily.

 

[rabbut]

I'd advise getting an electronic type heater. They are more reliable and when they do fail, they tend to fail off

 

[LauraFrog]

Yes, that would be a definite advantage The problem with Australia is that for most of the year it's so hot that if your thermo goes while the heater is on, you can have the tank over 30 C in less than an hour.