HELP!HELP! MAJOR ER!

[Calypso mermaid]

Hi,
I've been checking in periodically because of a sick little loach I brought home and had treated with Maracyn 2 and now II. I was down to the second to last day of treating the tank and while doing my major water change, my heater broke! It just cracked in two and I quickly shut off the power strip and pulled it out of the water. I think I've collected all the broken glass out of the tank, but I'm kinda shocked. I mean the water I was pouring in was only room temperature and I didn't think it was so much colder! I can't find a pet store around here that is open and I'm worried about the water temperature dropping. I've turned the heat on and trying to keep the place warm....but we live in a big drafty space. I've only had goldfish for years that actually did better when it was chilly, so I'm clueless on this issue.
If they don't outright die.....won't this screw up all the medicating I've been doing? I'm turning up the temperature in here, but what else can I do? Should I set a space heater up facing the tank? Anyone ever have to deal with this? Please help! I don't want my fish to die....I would just be heartbroken!

[shari2]

First of all what kind of loach?
What size is the tank?
What temp do you normally keep it at?
What other fish are involved, if any?

Did you pour the water right on the heater? Do you see any immediate effects on the fish? Like shock, for instance?

Failing any other option, you could try changing a decent amount of water and adding in water a degree or two warmer before you go to bed. If you can get a heater early in the day tomorrow you shouldn't have much problem if it's a largish tank...

[Martin Thoene]

Measure the ambient air temperature first to determine the difference. What temp was the tank?
Wrap it in a spare duvet or blankets. Leave the light on because it will create some heat, but don't cover the actual light unit with the blanket.
Got a spare pop bottle or a clean, sealable plastic bottle of some sort? Tupperware? Before you go to bed fill it with very hot water and plonk it into the tank overnight. Refill it in the morning if the temp is down substantially.
Get yourself another heater tomorrow and things ought to be ok.

Don't panic

Martin.

[shari2]

yeah, what he said...

[Martin Thoene]

Yeah...what she said

Martin.

[Calypso mermaid]

thanks so much for your quick responses.....it's a 30 gallon tank with four small loaches, two rainbow fish and one pleco. Will everyone be okay? I had the temp at 76-78 degrees and didn't think it was so much cooler in here. The water had sat out overnight, but earlier my husband burned something and opened the windows to clear the smoke out. While it's not a normal Jan in Chicago, it's cool and so it must have cooled off the water.
So the fish won't die if the water temp drops? How low is okay? Like I said, I'm new to tropical fish. I'm turning the heat up and the space heater says it's around 72-74 degrees in here. Still 74-78 doesn't seem like such a big difference. Maybe the heater was just a piece of junk?
Also, on another note, while I've been doing these medications and was almost finished, I noticed yesterday, a white spot on the top of my dominant loaches right eye. The whole tank is being treated with Maracyn and Maracyn 2, so I don't know if that's the reason or if I should be worried or not? I've been doing these large water changes for the past 3 days and wonder if there was a problem with the heater yesterday and that's the cause of her eye problem?
Can loaches tolerate salt in the tank? Is it fungus?

[shari2]

A picture would really help if you want us to try to figure out what it is.

And if it is getting cold tonight (and I think it may be) you may want to use Martin's idea of a hot water bottle before you go to bed. A 30g is not that large and will lose heat overnight. If your loaches are clowns they are highly susceptible to ick if the temp drops too low, or too rapidly. They also prefer water closer to 80F. Try to keep the tank warm tonight and get a better heater tomorrow.

Post back with more info when you have it.

[cybermeez]

Martin's suggestion is a good one. I unplug my heater before doing a water change. If the water level drops below the heating coil during a change and sits out in the air for a couple of minutes the glass will get really hot. As soon as the water level rises again and makes contact with the hot glass, it will crack or shatter. It has something to do with the molecules in the glass moving really fast when they're hot and then slowing down dramaticaly when they are suddenly cooled by the water causing the glass to fracture.

[Calypso mermaid]

Thanks for all the advice. I managed to buy a heater that is completely submergeable and has automatic shut off if it leaves the water.....my husband gave me the big "duhh....doncha know?!" about the coils heating up! I'm just not used to using a heater.
I'm really surprised my fish haven't died. First I broke the heater and nearly electocuted them (and myself), then I overcompensated and kept them too warm, the temp was over 80 when I woke up this morning. Then I put the new heater in but set it at the "usual" temp which was lower and my little sick guy who was just getting better and eating, now is covered in ick! So I've slowly started to raise the temp. I really don't want to dump more chemicals into my tank right now.
Oddly the meds really didn't effect the nitrates or nitrites when I tested them. I've got the tank really planted (well, planted when those little bastards are busy pulling everything up no matter how many big stones I use,) and there's lots of algea, so it must help?
And last....I've tried over and over to get a good picture with my very nice digital camera and the darn fish seem to know exactly when I want to shoot (I must have a tell,) and ALWAYS manage to turn or swim or move in some way that while it's not blurry.....you can't see a anything! The only fish I've gotten decent photos of is the supreme piggie, my big hambone red rainbow fish. There's like a 100 of him. Sorry, I've tried.

[cybermeez]

You're gonna have to deal with the ich on all the fish. I believe Levamisole will kill ich as well as other nasty critters. It's the only thing I can think of thats safe to use in a planted tank, but it will kill any and all snails you have in the tank and that will present a pollution problem. Shari is good at dealing with ich so I'll let her advise you from here.

[sully]

i'm not sure Levamisole will get ich. Really good with nematodes--but ich is something different.

[mikev]

Levamisole is specific to worms. Roundworms (incl. nematodes), Tapeworms, SomeOtherWorms.... -- anytime. Any other lifeforms -- no.

This is actually an advantage: narrow targeting tends to make drug safer.

The specific reason on why it does not affect ich is that levamisole works on the nervous system -- and ich is too primitive an organism to have one. For the same reason, levamisole would not do anything to the biofilter.

hth