Almost had a big problem on my hands....

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JasonsPlecosCichlids

Goliath Tigerfish
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Jan 23, 2010
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So I was cleaning the 500 and 265 today, moving some fish around, etc. I had the lids off the 500 and when I added 3 new fish to the 500, the pike didnt like it so he went after them. While the 265 was filling up I heard a lot of splashing, etc. several times. Then I heard like a pop, crack and fizz all at the same time, best that I could describe it...then I saw light smoke coming from under 500, I got my flash light, fire extinguisher and then tripped the breaker. I opened the door and saw a small glow on one of the power supplies for my Beamsworks lights. I have all of my electrical items tied up on posts from where I thought they would have been fine. Turns out from all the water coming from tank from the fish fighting, made a trail, several of them down the back of my tank and then traveled on the bottom of the tank, floor obviously isnt level. So now I have to redo part of the electrical items. I have 90% moved out of the way to the side of the tank like a control center where I can just unplug one power strip and everything is off but I didnt want to do it to the lights but looks like I need to add the lights on there now. I was about to leave to a party with my GF when this happened, glad it happened when I was here, who knows what would have happened. All the lights are or were on a power strip. I looked at all the power supplies to the lights and only one was busted at the seams, very hot and smelled the worst. There could be more so I'm letting the other 5 dry out and will test them later on tonight or tomorrow.
 
Do you have a digital multi-meter? From the looks of it, your e-cap at the input (top picture, center right) leaked and a diode (top picture, upper left). But a multimeter will probably reveal if there is something more. And the fuse of course! If the PCB is not burnt (diode bottom picture looks baked), I will probably test the components and replace them. Otherwise, I will buy a new one for safety reasons. Why did you need to manually trip the circuit breaker? Seems you've got the AC supply shorted from water, this should have triggered it. Slow acting fuse?
 
Do you have a digital multi-meter? From the looks of it, your e-cap at the input (top picture, center right) leaked and a diode (top picture, upper left). But a multimeter will probably reveal if there is something more. And the fuse of course! If the PCB is not burnt (diode bottom picture looks baked), I will probably test the components and replace them. Otherwise, I will buy a new one for safety reasons. Why did you need to manually trip the circuit breaker? Seems you've got the AC supply shorted from water, this should have triggered it. Slow acting fuse?


Heck Im not sure, I saw smoke and wasnt sure exactly what was going on so I just turned everything off on that part of the apartment. I will just get a new one, hopefull they can send me one.
 
Heck Im not sure, I saw smoke and wasnt sure exactly what was going on so I just turned everything off on that part of the apartment. I will just get a new one, hopefull they can send me one.

Yup get a new one since it will be safer.

As for your circuit breaker, replace the fuses with ones that bust faster in cases like this. I would say replace the ones in that area of the aquarium only or else you will be constantly annoyed that when you turn on all your appliances simultaneously, you go into a brownout. You can also get extension sockets that each plug is fused in the lower limit but that will just make your wiring ugly.
 
Yup get a new one since it will be safer.

As for your circuit breaker, replace the fuses with ones that bust faster in cases like this. I would say replace the ones in that area of the aquarium only or else you will be constantly annoyed that when you turn on all your appliances simultaneously, you go into a brownout. You can also get extension sockets that each plug is fused in the lower limit but that will just make your wiring ugly.

I just ordered a new one from AQ :)

I live in an apt so I'm not messing with anything there.
 
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