$#@! Stealth Heater!!! Long.......

I had one malfunction (big time) yesterday, which solves the mystery of why 90% of my sps (and some lps) had been dying/died off /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/sad.gif 
  Last year I put this $#@!% Stealth heater in the display portion of my 75g because I had shut off the sump portion of the system to do some plumbing work and so the display tank needed a heater, as the regular heater was in the sump.  I left it in the display tank, as it was behind things and sort on unnoticeable.  It ran fine for a long time.......last spring I turned off that heater and turn down the heater in the sump, as the summer temps keeps things warm enough-no heaters needed.  With things getting colder again, I turned it back on again about a month ago.  Slowly but steadily, I noticed some of my sps starting to struggle.  Parameters all checked out fine, nothing was out of line.  I thought maybe it was rtn or something like that, although it wasn't exactly rapid.......in hindsight, it was so odd how some things were affected and other things seemed almost to thrive.  Stuff like caps, which I always thought of as hardier coral, were the first to go!  Things that were higher up or lower in the tank were least affected.  Softies seemed to not be affected at all.  At any rate, I was doing some tank maintanance yesterday and thought the heaters were set too low, so I adjusted them.  Apparently, that was my mistake with the Stealth heater /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/sad.gif  The only fish that seemed totally unaffected was one of the clown fish, who was in his anemone.  The other clown fish (mate) seemed mildly affected (was breathing harder, but still upright and in the anemone).  I'm assuming he was the clown who swims a bit above the anemone to keep watch.......all inverts were, apparently, unaffected.  In fact, there were snails right on the heater as I pulled it out who were very alive and seemed fine.  Oddly, right after it happened, I noticed all the larger bristle worms emerge from their spots and they stayed out for a good 10 minutes or so before retreating again.  I swear, nothing can kill a bristle worm.........
So I'm assuming this @#!%$ heater has been giving off stray bolts of electricity since i turned the f***** back on and me turning the thing up somehow really messed it up and basically sent some really strong jolts through the whole d*mn tank /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/crying.gif  Totally amazing, but this morning I go in to look at the tank, assuming to see the rest of my fish dead.......I had flushed 4 of the chromis last night, and there was the hippo tang swimming in the back, looking pretty much ok.  The clowns both seem fine now.  I have also seen the yellow tang swimming inside the rockwork.  The other remaining chromis did die (all chromis died).  Hopefully what sps and lps I have left will start to come back now.  Of course, I will never buy a Stealth heater again and I will never keep a heater in the display tank /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/mad.gif  Lesson learned, the hard way I guess.......

 

Joe- I have carbon running since a few weeks ago. I've been doing weekly water changes, since I was unsure what was causing the sps's decline.......I think I will try and do another water change before we head out of town this week though. Thank God this happened while I was at home and could take the heater out asap! I'm sure all would have been thoroughly fried and worse if it had staying in. Looking through Stealth heater nightmare stories now on the web........I wonder if it would have exploded if it had been in there longer?

Stealth heater explodes

 

Yeah, I'm going to see what sort of reimbursement I can get from them. If its another Stealth heater as replacement though, think I'll pass, lol! I would only use one now to make saltwater..........there could have been damage much much worse from what I've read about them now exploding and breaking tanks etc. and even replacing a tank and the livestock doesn't make up for all the time and effort, not to mention the affection that I have for the creatures in my tank /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/sad.gif Plus, my husband would probably kill me if a heater blew a hole in my tank and 100g of water suddenly flooded the fishroom /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/wink.gif

 

I contacted Marinland CS via email, a very long one /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif If nothing else, I wish they would fix whatever the problem seems to be with these heaters. Someone may get seriously injured from one of these........

Looking at the surviving fish a little better, the blue hippo tang looks like he's been to hell and back /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/sad.gif One of his eyes looks like its not quite in the socket all the way and he has many scratches on his body......I suppose as a result of thrusting himself into the rockwork after being electrocuted, poor thing. He/she's acting normal though, just looks bad /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/sad.gif The yellow tang looks better, but will not come out of the rockwork at all. The clowns seem like their normal selves for the most part. Still amazed ANY fish survived!

 

The Stealth heater I was using wasn't glass, it was plastic......I do like the titanium Won heaters too. I have a smaller one I use to make saltwater and will probably buy a larger one......

Josh- Ask yourself if its worth it to risk possible catastrophe in your tank? Maybe they will work fine, maybe not. They have a poor track record, even the new ones. Even with a controller, they can still cause problems.....mine was apparently.

 

Received this reply today.....have they been bought by another company?
Hello,

I am sorry to hear this. We can help. There is a lot code on the unit

that would verify your warranty, if you no longer have the receipt. It

is located on the unit.  Please reply with that lot code, your name,

shipping address & telephone number.

Thank you for choosing United Pet Group.

Sincerely,

United Pet Group