haven’t cleaned the tank in awhile and noticed this stuff while scrubbing the heater. it’s crusty and grainy and starts dissolving when i rub it with my finger. just weird looking mineral buildup or what?
tank contains kuhli loaches, a few shrimp and a couple of rosy red minnows (a bit odd i know)
Posted by bubblegum_dumdum
9 Comments
Bro, that’s corrosion of the heater itself. Toss thst thing away before it cooks your fish.
Get rid of it fast. I just did lots of reading about aquarium heaters this week and that’s one of the worst signs you can have that it’s about to fry your tank.
I got the same heater. Is it the one that they sell at walmart? Anyways how long have you had it for? I’m thinking of buying a couple extra brand new heaters and just having them in case. Actually I should probably just take it out and not use it and get a more higher quality heater. Thank you for posting this by the way because you’ve made me aware that I have the same kind as you and maybe I should look into getting something different
that’s a Top Fin heater yea? I have the same one. I did notice a little of buildup too.
Yeah, definitely toss it.
I would get one that is enclosed, for added safety to your tank inhabitants.
Had this happen to one of mine in a Fluval 57L.. suddenly noticed temps were nearing 30c. Luckily I caught it just in time before anything really bad happened lol.
My bet is that it’s calcium carbonate. Caco3 precipitates at high temps so that probably means there’s a hot spot on your heater. You could probably soak it in vinegar to remove it but it may be time for a new heater.
You possibly had it resting on or in the substrate
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