55 Gallon Aquarium Disaster

[Darth Wyndisis]

So, the heater in my 55 gallon African cichlid tank just failed epically.  It cooked all but two (a synodontis catfish and a red zebra) of my nine fish.  At least I had them for a good amount of time; the oldest one in there was about five years old.  Looks like I'll have to go home for the weekend and restock the tank (after I get a reliable heater).  Luckily I have two fish set aside in an isolation tank, because I had trouble with them fighting in the big tank.  But damn, does this ever suck.

[Hi no Seijin]

Or:  Why Fish Make Bad Pets

[Pyrgusfinn]

I am deeply sorry for your loss.   

[Gamefreak]

Don't make fun of African Cichlids.  They're awesome fish to watch.

They're downright mean to each other.  One of mine is missing most of his tail right now.

[Darth Wyndisis]

Or:  Why Fish Make Bad Pets

They are good pets for the most part.  I've been keeping fish for a long time, and this is the first time something this bad has happened.  At least they weren't saltwater fish. *shudders*

I am deeply sorry for your loss.  

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Don't make fun of African Cichlids.  They're awesome fish to watch.

They're downright mean to each other.  One of mine is missing most of his tail right now.

I love them.  Even if there were no survivors, I don't think I would make the switch to anything else.

[Gamefreak]

Yeah, if they were salt water fish, that'd really be some financial damage.

[MagmarFire]

Man, that sucks, DW... Have you any idea how it malfunctioned?

[Darth Wyndisis]

I've been reading around and a common cause of heater malfunction is the bimetalic strip getting worn out.  When it gets too cool it coils up and completes a circuit.  With the temperature fluctuations associated with Spring and Fall, that strip wears from expanding and contracting too much.  So when it wears the heater is either stuck in the "on" or "off" position.

[MagmarFire]

Ah, the expanding/contracting jazz... How long has it been used?

[Darth Wyndisis]

Not long.  Maybe two years.

[MagmarFire]

Geez... Sorry, man. Hope the next one you use is more reliable.

[Darth Wyndisis]

Yeah, it worked pretty well... until this happened.

If anyone is interested, this is what my aquarium used to look like.  I think I posted this video on here before, but that was a while ago.

[Gamefreak]

Why did you come into my house and film my Cichlid tank?

Seriously, my tank looks almost like that.

Although I added a bubble wall in the back of my tank.  Closest thing they have to a toy when they try to swim against it.

[Darth Wyndisis]

That's cool.  I wish I hadn't used the colored gravel though.  Too artificial looking.

[Vaati]

That stinks! I'm so sorry. D:
Reminds me of in 8th grade science, we made a terrarium/aquarium (plant was on a separate layer on the top, and the fish lived off it from a string leading from the plant down into the aquarium).
And since I wasn't able to feed it over the weekend and I couldn't take it home, the fish died and the smell was nasty! (shudders)