Disaster Struck Tonight

mep

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Apr 20, 2010
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I was sitting on the couch watching the six o’clock news about all of the tornadoes that touched down today in Indiana 60 miles from my house when all of a sudden I heard a pop, and tons of smoke started rolling out of the top of my wife’s fish tank. One of her pumps had shorted out and it dumped a bunch of acrid smoke into the tank and our great room. I jumped up from the couch and unplugged it right away, but the damage was already done. Her fish went into immediate distress. My wife immediately did a 5 gallon water change, but I expect all fish to be dead. This will be the end of the tank I’m afraid.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I was sitting on the couch watching the six o’clock news about all of the tornadoes that touched down today in Indiana 60 miles from my house when all of a sudden I heard a pop, and tons of smoke started rolling out of the top of my wife’s fish tank. One of her pumps had shorted out and it dumped a bunch of acrid smoke into the tank and our great room. I jumped up from the couch and unplugged it right away, but the damage was already done. Her fish went into immediate distress. My wife immediately did a 5 gallon water change, but I expect all fish to be dead. This will be the end of the tank I’m afraid.

Oh am so sorry to hear :(
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Thanks-me too. My wife is mega-bummed. She took awesome care of that tank. It was always spotless and that's hard to do with a marine tank.
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Lee-Nothing more than a funky smell that has permeated throughout the house.
 

RogerD

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May 23, 2010
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Mark,

Wow,sorry to hear that. Hope things work out even though what you describe it might not,bummer.
 

treitz3

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 25, 2011
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The tube lair in beautiful Rock Hill, SC
Lee-Nothing more than a funky smell that has permeated throughout the house.
Hello mep, I am sorry to hear of such bad news. Of the hundreds of gallons of tanks I have had, this is something that had never happened to me. I can only hope that this particular tank did not hold your most prized fish, that would be like pouring salt over the wound.

Anyhoo, here's a tip to help with the smell. Take the activated charcoal that usually goes into the filter [fresh, not used] and spread it out over a cookie sheet or two, then place it in the worst smelling rooms for a couple of days or until the odor is no longer noticeable. The activated charcoal, using this method, will be an extremely effective absorber of foul smells. You do not need to use a cookie sheet. You can use any kind of object laying around that will keep the charcoal from spilling but you have to make sure that the charcoal is spread out as much as possible. The more surface area the charcoal has, the more absorption.
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Thanks guys. All of the fish died and now she is going to take the tank down. The only local shop that sells salt water fish and corals won't take the corals so everything is going to die now. This is a tremendous wast of money that my wife invested in this tank.
 

flez007

Member Sponsor
Aug 31, 2010
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terrible event map, I know from some friends who are into fish tank the level of caring it needs to enjoy a nicely set tank and fishes.... maybe let the event pass for some time and re-think starting all over again. (double check your mains....)
 

MilkMan

New Member
Feb 9, 2012
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Mark, what is acrid smoke?

Sorry about your fishes loss.

Bob, that means odeur acerbe, goût âcre.

 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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We just finished taking the tank down. That was over $5K that just went in the trash. The only bright side to this is that we can now take a vacation without having to find someone to take care of the tank and feed the fish while we are gone. Having a marine tank ties you down like a boat anchor. I hate it that it happened the way it did, but it's over now.

Fernando-thre is nothing wrong with my house wiring. A pump motor just shorted out. Salt water is a very hostile environment.
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
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www.pugetsoundstudios.com
I feel for you Mark... I know what it's like to put your heart/soul into something and lose it. I'm just glad it wasn't much worse. Those tornados are awful close.
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Thanks Bruce. I just feel sorry for my wife. That tank was her baby and she loved her fish. I think her plan was that when the last fish died, she was going to be done with it. She just didn't get to end it on her terms. She is moping around like there was a death in the family and I guess in a way there was.
 

treitz3

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 25, 2011
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The tube lair in beautiful Rock Hill, SC
Mep, I feel her pain. I had an Oscar that stayed with me through thick and thin. This particular fish LOVED to be petted on the head every chance he had. He was about a foot or more long and was considered part of the family. He would greet me with enthusiasm when I walked in, shaking the 55g tank to the point to where I got worried and absolutely loved attention. The day he passed, it was as if we had lost a family member. We buried him next to the Koi pond he never knew and tears ran down my face as I dug the hole. It's not about the money spent sometimes. It's about what they meant to you and the family. In your case, it seems as if it is what they meant to her, which is family...
 

flez007

Member Sponsor
Aug 31, 2010
2,915
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435
Mexico City
We just finished taking the tank down. That was over $5K that just went in the trash. The only bright side to this is that we can now take a vacation without having to find someone to take care of the tank and feed the fish while we are gone. Having a marine tank ties you down like a boat anchor. I hate it that it happened the way it did, but it's over now.

Fernando-thre is nothing wrong with my house wiring. A pump motor just shorted out. Salt water is a very hostile environment.

Good you are OK with AC mep, sorry again for your wife's fish...
 

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