Help Heater Exploded

[bosmith27330]

my heater just exploded i got gray stuff everywhere from the heater what should i do the tank is about two years old is it going to kill all my stuff

 

[kfisc]

Get ready to do large water changes; siphon the gunk, get all the broken pieces asap; do the water changes in series, like 25 percent one morning, another in the evening, depending on whether you notice any damage; every once in awhile these things look much worse than they are and you can escape with few casualties.

 

[kfisc]

Also- I don't know if it's mecury, but if you're concerned about the gray material, watch your livestock very carefully and do even larger water changes.