Swedish fish - behind the scenes rebuilding a public aquarium

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Brew12

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We've had problems with these heaters before and have taken them out of our other tanks because they made the residual current breakers(?) go off a lot.
Sorry for your problems!
In the US we call these GFCI's.
I'm very surprised you are not required to use RCD's on your temporary tank systems. I would have thought that would be mandated for anything related to a public aquarium.

I'm also surprised you didn't throw the heaters away when they started tripping RFD's. Your biggest problem is probably the melted plastic, but I would do a copper test on the water if you can.
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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Thank you all for the support!

Unfortunately my laziness and lack of patience made me use two old Aquael Neoheaters instead of ordering and wait for proper titan heaters. Things were fine for a couple of days, then the heaters started a meltdown.. Both of them, but one more then the other.
IMG_7424.JPG


So now the whole room stinks. The water in the new system stinks. And the test corals are not exactly happy.
We added Triton detox today, plus a skimmer, and will start with activated carbon later this week. I hope we don't need to throw all 4000L of saltwater away because of this.
Luckily we haven't added more then a couple of live rocks and three test corals so far. So it could have been much worse! I'm mostly angry with myself for providing myself with more work, and not the fun kind of work :)

We've had problems with these heaters before and have taken them out of our other tanks because they made the residual current breakers(?) go off a lot. So this was just a stupid mistake from me.

I'll take samples and send to Triton lab tomorrow.

This was waiting for me when I came to work today :) It happened during the weekend.
IMG_7422.JPG
Bummer:(
 
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Sallstrom

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Sorry for your problems!
In the US we call these GFCI's.
I'm very surprised you are not required to use RCD's on your temporary tank systems. I would have thought that would be mandated for anything related to a public aquarium.

I'm also surprised you didn't throw the heaters away when they started tripping RFD's. Your biggest problem is probably the melted plastic, but I would do a copper test on the water if you can.
Thanks!

We do have GFCI's in the temporary Aquarium but somehow the heaters melted for a while before the power went down.

I looked it up, ground fault circuit interrupter. We use the direct translation, jordfelsbrytare(but we put the words together so it looks like one word).

The ones we had problems with we've thrown away. These were barley used before. But that's no excuse, the plan was to never use these type of heaters again. So like I wrote, I made a stupid move.
 

Brew12

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We do have GFCI's in the temporary Aquarium but somehow the heaters melted for a while before the power went down.
You probably didn't have a path to ground for any stray current to get out of the tank. This scenario is exactly why I encourage people to use ground probes with a GFCI. Titanium heaters with a ground connection can serve the same function.
In this case, the heater (or pump) can fail but it is unlikely to trip the RCD/GFCI unless someone sticks their hand in the tank or you have some salt creep built up. It can leach all sorts of nasty stuff before it finally trips the protective device.
The ones we had problems with we've thrown away. These were barley used before. But that's no excuse, the plan was to never use these type of heaters again. So like I wrote, I made a stupid move.
We've all been there. I hope that you can get things cleaned up without too much extra work!
 
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Sallstrom

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You probably didn't have a path to ground for any stray current to get out of the tank. This scenario is exactly why I encourage people to use ground probes with a GFCI. Titanium heaters with a ground connection can serve the same function.
In this case, the heater (or pump) can fail but it is unlikely to trip the RCD/GFCI unless someone sticks their hand in the tank or you have some salt creep built up. It can leach all sorts of nasty stuff before it finally trips the protective device.

We've all been there. I hope that you can get things cleaned up without too much extra work!
Yes, we use Titanium heaters as ground probes usually. And it is a 1000W Titanium heater in this system. A bit strange the GFCI didn't break the power earlier.
We might need to check the GFCI's in this room. Electricity is creepy.
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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Yes, we use Titanium heaters as ground probes usually. And it is a 1000W Titanium heater in this system. A bit strange the GFCI didn't break the power earlier.
We might need to check the GFCI's in this room. Electricity is creepy.
I have a hunch, but I had a titanium heater i plan to use as ground probe. I cut the controller and ohm wires at titanium heaters no continuity so didn't use. I think controller is grounded, not titanium, I think?
 
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Get some damsels from lfs, see how they react to water. Carbon should do it.

Lasse going to work overtime on this one

Yes, he is already. He was working three days last week, two more than he should have according to his schedule:D
He fixed the wireless controls of the LEDs and the aquarium computer. So he will have some time off this week :)
We might need to call an electrician anyway soon, might as well do a check on the GFCI's when he's in.

Yes, carbon is on the way. I think the shipment will come tomorrow. Will leave the corals in the system this week. Fish maybe next week if the corals are looking better then. We got some damsels already :)
 

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Yes, we use Titanium heaters as ground probes usually. And it is a 1000W Titanium heater in this system. A bit strange the GFCI didn't break the power earlier.
That is strange. Mind posting the brand of heater?

I have a hunch, but I had a titanium heater i plan to use as ground probe. I cut the controller and ohm wires at titanium heaters no continuity so didn't use. I think controller is grounded, not titanium, I think?
The controller shouldn't need to be grounded. Most of them have plastic housings so they are "double insulated" and exempt from needing a ground. The only reason they all have ground plugs is to carry the ground through for the heaters they control.
Not good that yours didn't carry through. At least in the US, the titanium is required to be grounded unless it is covering a plastic insulator, which I doubt. I did check and both my Finnex heaters are connected from the titanium sleeve to the ground plug.
 

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You probably didn't have a path to ground for any stray current to get out of the tank. This scenario is exactly why I encourage people to use ground probes with a GFCI. Titanium heaters with a ground connection can serve the same function.
In this case, the heater (or pump) can fail but it is unlikely to trip the RCD/GFCI unless someone sticks their hand in the tank or you have some salt creep built up. It can leach all sorts of nasty stuff before it finally trips the protective device.

We've all been there. I hope that you can get things cleaned up without too much extra work!

And I put in a 200 W titan heater friday morning too (the whole thing happen during thursday night). But they was not on the same circuit but it should not be a problem. What I think happen was that they overheat, the plastic cover melt slowly - but no current into the water. After a while - enough plastic have melt and the circuit in the heater come in contact with the water and the RCD break the main circuit because we did have ground probes. If we should not have ground probes (titanium heaters) - the RCD should not have break at all before some of us put the hand in the water or we get a fire. Probably have the titan heaters save us from to much copper in the water.

Its good to test copper but I do not think it will be an issue - but as long as the water smell - there is gases we do not want in the water.

Sincerely Lasse
 

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What I think happen was that they overheat, the plastic cover melt but no current in the water. After a while - enough plastic have melt and the circuit in the heater come in contact with the water and the RCD break the main circuit because we did have ground probes.
That makes sense. I was thinking in terms of an internal electrical fault, not an overheating issue. I'll mark that down as another reason to not like plastic coated heaters.

Its good to test copper but I do not think it will be an issue
Agreed. Sounds like the titanium heaters and RCD did their job and should have prevented copper from getting in the water.
 
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Sallstrom

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That is strange. Mind posting the brand of heater?


The controller shouldn't need to be grounded. Most of them have plastic housings so they are "double insulated" and exempt from needing a ground. The only reason they all have ground plugs is to carry the ground through for the heaters they control.
Not good that yours didn't carry through. At least in the US, the titanium is required to be grounded unless it is covering a plastic insulator, which I doubt. I did check and both my Finnex heaters are connected from the titanium sleeve to the ground plug.

The smaller heaters, up to 500W, we got the Aqua Medic ones. We got 1000w and 2000W Titanium heaters from a Swedish pond shop, but I don't remember the brand at the moment. I'll check tomorrow.

Tomorrow two new 500W Titanium heaters will arrive, together with the carbon :)
 

Mortie31

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You probably didn't have a path to ground for any stray current to get out of the tank. This scenario is exactly why I encourage people to use ground probes with a GFCI. Titanium heaters with a ground connection can serve the same function.
In this case, the heater (or pump) can fail but it is unlikely to trip the RCD/GFCI unless someone sticks their hand in the tank or you have some salt creep built up. It can leach all sorts of nasty stuff before it finally trips the protective device.

We've all been there. I hope that you can get things cleaned up without too much extra work!
Sorry to highjack this thread, are these the ground probes you recommend? I’ve never used one in my tanks, maybe my aqua medic titanium heaters do this for me as my circuit breaker tripped when I had a broken wire on a pump. Do you think one of these is worth buying just in case there only £20?
https://marineaquatics.co.uk/shop/aquarium-extras/vertex-titanium-grounding-probe-1/
 

Brew12

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Sorry to highjack this thread, are these the ground probes you recommend? I’ve never used one in my tanks, maybe my aqua medic titanium heaters do this for me as my circuit breaker tripped when I had a broken wire on a pump. Do you think one of these is worth buying just in case there only £20?
https://marineaquatics.co.uk/shop/aquarium-extras/vertex-titanium-grounding-probe-1/
Yup, that should work well for you if you don't trust that your heater is grounded.
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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That is strange. Mind posting the brand of heater?


The controller shouldn't need to be grounded. Most of them have plastic housings so they are "double insulated" and exempt from needing a ground. The only reason they all have ground plugs is to carry the ground through for the heaters they control.
Not good that yours didn't carry through. At least in the US, the titanium is required to be grounded unless it is covering a plastic insulator, which I doubt. I did check and both my Finnex heaters are connected from the titanium sleeve to the ground plug.
I tested heater 1 year ago. Threw away. I remember buying from marine depot 1989. Brand had to been no name brand, China item. But surprise that titanium not grounded. China stuff never know what your getting.
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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And I put in a 200 W titan heater friday morning too (the whole thing happen during thursday night). But they was not on the same circuit but it should not be a problem. What I think happen was that they overheat, the plastic cover melt slowly - but no current into the water. After a while - enough plastic have melt and the circuit in the heater come in contact with the water and the RCD break the main circuit because we did have ground probes. If we should not have ground probes (titanium heaters) - the RCD should not have break at all before some of us put the hand in the water or we get a fire. Probably have the titan heaters save us from to much copper in the water.

Its good to test copper but I do not think it will be an issue - but as long as the water smell - there is gases we do not want in the water.

Sincerely Lasse
I buy carbon cubic foot at $67, free shipping, pretty sure you get for cheaper.
 

d.fast

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Bad heaters!

How are you doing with the native fish? No nice deluxe treatment of those? Or have you rehoused them during the rebuild? I can imagine that they would be harder to house temporarily because of the cooling needs(though the chillers would heat the room a bit preventing the need for evil heaters) and many of the specimens are a bit larger and more predatory than your tropical fish. Though it seems your budget for the tropical tanks exceed the cold-water during the last years... ;-) You need to tell mister Jens that he needs to step up his game aswell!
 

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Sorry to highjack this thread, are these the ground probes you recommend? I’ve never used one in my tanks, maybe my aqua medic titanium heaters do this for me as my circuit breaker tripped when I had a broken wire on a pump. Do you think one of these is worth buying just in case there only £20?
https://marineaquatics.co.uk/shop/aquarium-extras/vertex-titanium-grounding-probe-1/

It sounds like it did its work as a ground probe too. Your circuit breaker should not have tripped if it not did the job as a grounding probe.

Sincerely Lasse
 

Mortie31

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It sounds like it did its work as a ground probe too. Your circuit breaker should not have tripped if it not did the job as a grounding probe.

Sincerely Lasse
Yes my thoughts, but a ground probe is only £20 so might as well make certain I’m safe
 
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