Electric shock help!

[DeSoDo]

Immediate help needed please! Long story short, on Saturday one of my double headed wavemakers fell for the umpteenth time blowing sand everywhere and burying corals, so I replaced it with a magnetic one that I had. It recently took it out of the tank that I broke down, cleaned with bleach, rinsed and let soak in rodi for 2 days before putting it in the tank. I switch them out, go to lfs to get some blue legged hermits, came home and ALL of my corals were closed. Realized the wavemaker head was no longer connected to the cord. I immediately unplugged it. My corals aren't looking good at all! Already lost 1 torch, the others aren't looking great. None of my goni have opened up since neither have my duncan corals, hammers, frogspawn frammer, or other torches. My mushroom corals, blasto and acans seem to have opened back up, but not completely. My SPS are all completely bleached.

HELP!!!

 

[AydenLincoln]

How are your fish? I would say do a water a change asap. But honestly the damage may have already been done and if you believe it was an electrical shock there’s nothing you can do to reverse it or go back. Make sure the bad equipment is removed. SPS is so fragile so honestly once bleached completely they don’t recover.

 

[TankYouVeryMuch]

At times like this, it’s important to ground yourself and stay positive. This is a shocking development, to be sure, but you’ll get through it if you charge ahead full steam.

I’m sorry about what happened—I don’t have anything more productive to offer but hope a little humor can help lighten your mood.

 

[exnisstech]

Typically stray voltage does not harm tank I habitants.

 

[DeSoDo]

How are your fish? I would say do a water a change asap. But honestly the damage may have already been done and if you believe it was an electrical shock there’s nothing you can do to reverse it or go back. Make sure the bad equipment is removed. SPS is so fragile so honestly once bleached completely they don’t recover.

Fish and inverts are completely fine. Corals are what's in bad shape. I'm wondering if the shock possibly killed a large amount of beneficial bacteria. Doing water test now and prepping 10g to do water change. 65g tank.

 

[Paul B]

Typically stray voltage does not harm tank I habitants.

I don't understand from the description if it is stray voltage, induced voltage or no voltage.

 

[W31Olds]

I don't understand, why do you think you had voltage present in the tank?

 

[KrisReef]

Immediate help needed please! Long story short, on Saturday one of my double headed wavemakers fell for the umpteenth time blowing sand everywhere and burying corals, so I replaced it with a magnetic one that I had. It recently took it out of the tank that I broke down, cleaned with bleach, rinsed and let soak in rodi for 2 days before putting it in the tank. I switch them out, go to lfs to get some blue legged hermits, came home and ALL of my corals were closed. Realized the wavemaker head was no longer connected to the cord. I immediately unplugged it. My corals aren't looking good at all! Already lost 1 torch, the others aren't looking great. None of my goni have opened up since neither have my duncan corals, hammers, frogspawn frammer, or other torches. My mushroom corals, blasto and acans seem to have opened back up, but not completely. My SPS are all completely bleached.

HELP!!!

A bare line cord may have put some copper into the tank? That could be a problem for corals. If this is what has happened, perhaps some Cuprasorb could improve water quality issues?

 

[DeSoDo]

I don't think I have a test for copper

I don't understand, why do you think you had voltage present in the tank?

Because it was plugged in when I left and working, and when I got back home cord was out of the wavemaker and the busted cord that looked burned was still sitting in the tank.

 

[theMeat]

The damage is done
Whether it was the sand or electric
A gfi paired with a ground probe will protect you from the later

 

[Red_Beard]

that could also have added a bunch of toxic junk from the cordage itself as it smoldered in the tank, or like Kris mentioned, copper. Do a large water change and add some activated carbon and cuprisorb if you have it.

 

[DeSoDo]

I don't think I have a test for copper

I don't understand, why do you think you had voltage present in the tank?

Because it was plugged in when I left and working, and when I got back home cord was out of the wavemaker and the busted cord that looked burned was still sitting in the tank

that could also have added a bunch of toxic junk from the cordage itself as it smoldered in the tank, or like Kris mentioned, copper. Do a large water change and add some activated carbon and cuprisorb if you have it.

Don't have curisorb, but did replace carbon. May do 20g water change between today and tomorrow.

 

[Red_Beard]

a big one all at once, the sooner the better, with parameters as close as you can get them to what your normal tank runs at. Alk, cal, temp (the others don't matter as much). Then a couple smaller ones to keep up if needed.

 

[MoshJosh]

Yeah big water change and cuprisorb (or other metal remover) I have done massive water changes without ill effects, so personally I go big with water changes!

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

Copper gets into the rocks, doesn’t it? May require some long term cuprisorb to go along with the more immediate need of a w/c.

Honestly I am still kind of wondering if the sand was the real problem. LPS despite even a little bit of debris settling on them. I’ve had them due off very quickly even from just falling into the sandbed and landing face first.

 

[W31Olds]

If you don't have a test kit, take a water sample to your LFS and have them test it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Did a gfi trip and stop the current flowing between bare cord ends? Still not sure on the description, but with electricity flowing between two copper wires in seawater, there will be large amounts of both copper and chlorine formed. Far more copper than a simple copper wire in tank that does not have electricity flowing.

 

[DeSoDo]

a big one all at once, the sooner the better, with parameters as close as you can get them to what your normal tank runs at. Alk, cal, temp (the others don't matter as much). Then a couple smaller ones to keep up if needed.

I'll do as much as I can. My foot is throbbing from surgery and few months ago, can't carry more than 30lbs at a time. But I'll figure something out.

 

[Red_Beard]

you can do a large water change in little chunks too, i have had mine low and drained for at least 45 mins before, coral out of the water. No issues. they snot and slime up a bit after but are no worse for the wear. then you could pull it in multiple trips and fill it in multiple trips, even sitting down for a break in between. It would be a good idea to order some cuprisorb too and let it sit in your tank for a while too. you can get it in a little media bag and just chuck it somewhere where it will get some flow. Like Randy mentioned, if there was electricity in that wire for any amount of time, electrolysis will have started pulling copper into your water.

 

[KrisReef]

Did a gfi trip and stop the current flowing between bare cord ends? Still not sure on the description, but with electricity flowing between two copper wires in seawater, there will be large amounts of both copper and chlorine formed. Far more copper than a simple copper wire in tank that does not have electricity flowing.

I once attempted to demonstrate the usefulness of GFI protection by touching a bare black #10 wire to the White wire in the same circuit, as I was previously under the impression that only a tiny electrical spark would result as the GFI tripped to stop the unbalanced current. A huge flash that instantly liquified a 1/4 inch of metal that flew randomly about (or bounced off my guardian angel) and the circuit didn't even trip. So, I get the source of copper metal into the aquarium in the OP's post.

Can you provide an explanation or equation for the production of chlorine gas(?) that happens in these kinds of instances? I am not questioning the production of chlorine but trying to help myself remember how/ what is happening with stray current inside of a saltwater tank. Would I be wrong to presume chlorine would also be expected from a leaking current from pumps and heaters also?

Thanks. Knowledge is power, and my batteries are really weak but possibly can be recharged? (I'm hoping.)