Tank smells, fish dying

[saltwater4life1]

Thanks, but i think i got it, probably not the safest method but turned off the power strip with my heater and powerheads put my hand back in the water no shock, So i knew it was ether the heater or powerheads plugged each in one at a time and my koralia 2 was the only thing that shocked me... Put my hand in a few times since and still not shock, plugged the bad koralia 2 back in ZAP! so that has to be it. Will keep checking though, now to get this powerhead out... I wanted to try the new ones guess now is the time... In a way i hate that this has now happend because i may never know for sure what caused death to so much... But hey it happens... Will keep you guys updated. Any ideas on the back spots in the sand?

 

[saltwater4life1]

Well to add to this mystery my digital thermometer has been off for who knows how long. I did raise my heater about a week before it broke and today found out my water is 86f! while the coralife digital thermometer was showing 80f. Ugh so many this have happend i just hope that i have replaced and solved enough things that everything starts to improve!

 

[KeMo]

Did you replace the sand bed ? If you were getting that rotten egg smell from the bed I would try and switch out the sand bed if you can. Also always have at least two thermometer's in the tank.
The power head that was leaking would not cause the dead black sand bead. You also prob need to get more snails and things that live in the sand bed and keep it clean and so it has NO dead spots. If you do not fix the sand bed I feel that you are going to have this prob again and this time it will take out the tank..
Good Luck. Bud

 

[sslak]

Well to add to this mystery my digital thermometer has been off for who knows how long. I did raise my heater about a week before it broke and today found out my water is 86f! while the coralife digital thermometer was showing 80f. Ugh so many this have happend i just hope that i have replaced and solved enough things that everything starts to improve!

That was my first lesson in this hobby. Never trust a cheap thermometer, or a heater thermostat. Controllers are crucial, Ranco makes a nice one on the cheap side, or for a bit more the ReefKeeper Lite is a good choice as well.

 

[travis32]

I just lost everything in my 55g tank a few weeks ago due to my bright idea of putting a powerhead in my limewater top off to keep it mixed. I didn't realize that was toxic and would escalate alk and PH to the point nothing could live. I killed all my corals. I rescued my fish, and some hermits and snails survived, only a fraction of what I had though.