ryannn

I was cleaning my oscars tank when all of the sudden,the tank exploded!Does anyone know how it could have exploded

atmmachine816

If you mean heater, you're supposed to turn if off when you drop the water unless it's a fully submergible one that stays under the water line. Besides that I don't know why it does that besides it's not supposed to be plugged in during water changes and operated outside of water.

ryannn

Oops I posted tank on accident.Also,I didnt turn it off.Thanks for the help.

Butterfly

Also if the water you were putting back in was a different temperature than the water in your tank the heater might explode or at least crack.
Your fish could have gotten a severe electrical shock when the heater broke. You could have been hurt also. Its best to unplug the heater when doing maintenance and not lower the water off of the heater.
Carol

Isabella

A heater CAN explode if - as everyone has said above - you leave it on while performing a water change (i.e. if it is exposed to air and it is turned on). It's best to always turn your heater off during a water change AND still keep it submersed. When I perform a water change, I turn my heater off, and I keep it underwater all the time during the water change. I basically never take my heater out of the water. It is safest to take your heater out of the water when the water's temperature is the same as (or very similar to) the air temperature in your room. It is the sudden changes of temperature that cause the heater to explode.

Stradius011

Were any fish in there? If they were, are they okay?

ryannn

There was an Oscar fish in there and it died a few days later.

Stradius011

I'm sorry to hear that.

gammerus

oh that's scary, I didn't they could explode...

AlfaBetta

If you must use a glass heater find one that has a built-in safetly auto turn off and one that uses Pyrex type of glass that doesn't crack/break/explode from thermo-shock.