Holy freakout!

[spawn2]

:mad2:So just sitting there watching a movie, one of the glass shields on one of my halides just burst!!!? What the!? I was able to get to the tank room and shut the main lights down before anything else happened. Luckily I had a spare fixture and was able to swap them out quickly, but Has anyone else ever had this happen before?
The lights have been up for about 14 months already with no issue? Bizarre to say the least but happy I was home and able to act quickly. Picked glass of the sps directly under the lamp. But I have a long job of picking the rest out of the SB on the weekend.
What could've made that happen? Are there any ill effects that could come from this?

 

[Acronic]

if the glass was hot and some water splashed on it (fish etc) it could shatter

 

[spawn2]

Yes the glass was hot, and yes they occasionally require cleaning from mist, but its not like they're getting splashed I don't think. Unless my naso kicked up a big splash? the lamps are about 9" above the surface.

 

[Acronic]

its just like when an ice cube hits the water or soda.. sometimes they crack and pop, sometimes they dont. its a crap shoot

 

[spawn2]

How do you post pics on here again? Its been a long time since Ive been on. Any similar situations shared would be appreciated.

 

[spawn2]

Fair enough. Now to try and find another appropriate piece of glass for replacement. Always something….

 

[Reefnub]

Happened to me before, cracked after a little bit of water splashed on it. It was difficult to pick up some of the glass. I still have tiny bits in the sand, but they're as fine as sand. Don't replace the glass with regular glass or it will crack right away, I learned that the hard way. The glass should be tempered.

 

[spawn2]

Yes, Im aware it is tempered, thanks. Is going to be virtually impossible to get it all out. Not that there are millions of fine pieces. Most look to be about 1/4" x 1/4" but lots went into about 5-6 colonies and went down inside the branches so it"ll be impossible to get them all out. It won't hurt the corals will it?

 

[spawn2]

In a month or so hopefully whatever I can't get out will just get covered in coraline.

 

[Volcano1]

I've had it happen with DE fixtures. They seem to get hotter than SE fixtures. I've been picking glass for 5 years.The sand gets moved by clean up crew etc, and I find more.

 

[spawn2]

How far off the water surface are you guys running your lights? 250w de?

 

[Reefnub]

How far off the water surface are you guys running your lights? 250w de?

Your corals will be fine, just try to remove as much glass as possible. You don't want acros encrusting on that stuff either. I currently have it 5inchs above, it use to be 3 inches above. I moved it higher so water wouldn't splash on it, I also did it to give a better light spread.

 

[reefsahoy]

It happen to a friend of mine. In his case a fish jumped and hit the glass causing it to pop, he later realized he was missing a fish finding it on the floor dead.

 

[spawn2]

I currently have it 5inchs above, it use to be 3 inches above. I moved it higher so water wouldn't splash on it, I also did it to give a better light spread.

Which type of halides are you running, how many fixtures, and Photoperiod length? Thanks

 

[alten78]

My dumb@ss was repositioning a clam from one side to the other and because of the middle brace and not thinking, took the clam out over instead of under, needless to say it spit water and POP - glass everywhere.

 

[Chicago]

Yes happened to me. Dd not knw until coral below bleached died.

 

[dvanacker]

My dumb@ss was repositioning a clam from one side to the other and because of the middle brace and not thinking, took the clam out over instead of under, needless to say it spit water and POP - glass everywhere.

I actually LOL'd a little when I read that.