Massive Bleaching Event

[jrnannery]

That's right, but it didn't happen in Australian waters, or around Fiji...it happened a little closer to home.

I noticed a couple corals were distressed, and checked params, did water change, and the like. The next day, they were gone. Some were pretty special to me, one in particular from Mr Cobs. I thought it might have been just a fluke, so a week later I bought a really really nice blue tort from BSJF and set it in my frag rack. It looked decent for a couple of days. The next morning, it was gone...complete RTN, the same as the other acros. Next to suffer were my Monti caps, then the brains, and even zoas and palys, although they held out the longest. Candy canes went somewhere in between.

I checked all parameters, did massive water changes, altered light cycle, everything.

Last night I cleaned my pumps, something I do about monthly. I noticed that the glass felt a little warm. After cleaning and reinstalling everything, I cleand my little glass thermometer...you know, the kind that come off the glass and float over to your overflow?

NINETY-TWO DEGREES!!

92.

I'm ashamed and other emotions I can't say out of good taste. What an idiot. Turns out, the heater failed, apparently in the "on" position. As of this morning, temps were back down to 79.x, and holding.

The good news, if there is such a thing, is that while I did lose seven acros and a nice pink birds nest, the montis, two of three candy canes, most all zoas, and my pallys, all three Hollywood Stunners, and even the brains, while bleached, are still hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Also, I did lose a McCoskers Fairy Wrasse, who was a real jerk believe you me, and my red firefish, but all the other fish are alive and well, with seemingly no harm done.

I don't think I could recommend a reef controller highly enough after this slaughter. Next purchase, guaranteed.

[Texreefer]

Sorry to hear that... a controller is one piece of equipment I love and as soon as I have the cash i will be getting another one

[phippsj]

I had a heater malfunction last November. My tank hit 88 degrees. I didn't have anything die except emergald crabs. However, my coral are still working on getting their color back.

[allan]

Dude, lmk if your pink doesn't pull through. I've got two mini colonies doing well. I can frag one and get you a healed frag in no time.

[ShAgMaN]

Sucks...I pulled my heater plug out for the summer this year cause its getting older and something was telling me to pull the plug. Even with lights out, without a heater my tank doesn't drop under 78, and my fans don't let it go over 80 during the day.

92 degrees, man your lucky to have anything left. You must have caught it just in time.

[jrnannery]

Thanks, allan, that's really cool of you.

ShAg, I'm really hopeful this stuff'll pull through. A heater is pretty much useless in a BioCube anyway, what with the pumps, the PC lights, etc. I only had it because I was worried about the two or three degree swing you see at night. Well, forget that.