My aquarium heater broke in my nano reef tank how does it affect my tank chemically?
I have a 12 gallon nano tank. The heater popped out of the glass encasement and made bubbling noises. I unplugged and removed it but there seems to be a black chemical in the tube of the heater. Also my anemone and all my coral shrunk and all my fish are in shock. Is it a chemical problem and do I need to replace the live rock and live sand?
The fish were probably shocked by the electricity when the heater cracked. The black chemical may be residual carbon from the interior if it burned, which is probably did. I don’t think it is a chemical problem, but the fish being harmed by an electrical current.
Keep a close eye on everything. I don’t suggest removing the live sand or rock until you know the tank will not survive. It is possible the inhabitants may bounce back. Was the heater UL listed? What type of heater was it? If I was topfin…it was only a matter of time until that happened. Visitherm, Aqueon, and hydor are good heater brands. I know visitherm has a lifetime warranty and they WILL replace a heater with a problem.
Sorry that happened, I hope everything turns out alright