Bizarre.

How to Prevent Aquarium Heater Disasters
Don't Let This Happen to You!
"Walked by the tank this morning and found everything laying belly-up. The thermostat for the heater got stuck and the water temp was 92.6F."  The general response to this "Everythings Dead" message posted in the forums by Paul (psedio) is one of extreme sadness, and we agree. It is heart-wrenching to loose everything in your tank from something like a heater going haywire, a situation that might occur with any aquarium heater, so here are some very simple things you can do that could help to prevent this same type of disaster from happening.

Consider an aquarium heater to be a critical piece of equipment, just as you would a filter or other piece of equipment that is essential to the livelihood of your tank inhabitants.

Purchase a top quality unit. Too often the heater is thought of as a simple and inexpensive device, and one tends to cheap out when buying one. What costs more, loosing everything in your tank, or spending a little more money on a better heater to start with?

Heater temperatures should be confirmed by using an accurate thermometer in the aquarium. Use a quality unit, such as one that has an alarm feature that warns you of high and low temperature changes to the water. A few degrees difference between the heater setting to that of the thermometer is acceptable.

Consider investing in a heater/chiller temperature controller, or other type of device that automatically monitors, controls, and alerts you to equipment and aquarium functions.

Follow instructions to make sure the heater is not only properly set up, but used correctly as well.

From Andy (darwindog): "I have the same one, they are a little susceptible to salt creep and burn out. You have to make sure you have all the proper drip loops as the manual says. Other than that mine is 2 years old and no probs."

Clean the heater and any other components regularly, particularly to keep it free of salt creep.

From Andy (darwindog): "My first one went after a week as I hadn't set it up correctly. When I unplugged the unit it was caked in salt on the control box. Luckily for me it just stopped working and didnt heat up."

To protect from overheating that can cause damage, always unplug the heater when doing aquarium water changes or removing it from the water, and maintain the level of the water in the tank to keep any particular type of heater submersed properly as instructed.

Don't try to repair or use a broken heater. Discard it and get a new one!
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/setupequipment/a/heaterdisasters.htm

Top Submersible Aquarium Heaters
By Stan & Debbie Hauter, About.com Guide
See More Aboutheater disasterschillersreef tank temperaturesToo often an aquarium heater is thought of as a simple and inexpensive device. An aquarium heater should be considered a critical piece of equipment, just like a filter that is essential to the livelihood of your tank inhabitants. One of the most efficient and popular types with aquarists are submersible, and here is our list of top pick units that have some of the best features one should look for when buying a heater for your aquarium.
Azoo Titanium Electronic Heaters
Photo by PriceGrabberVirtually indestructible titanium alloy heaters feature a remote electronic thermostat for convenient aquarium temperature control. Built-in sensor shuts off heaters automatically when heating element leaves the water's surface. Power and heating indicator lights allow convenient monitoring of heater operation. Azoo Titanium Electronic Heaters feature a temperature control range of 21º-33º Celsius (69º-91º Fahrenheit) with ±1.0° Celsius accuracy. Fully submersible. Includes suction cups and mounting clip. For use in fresh or saltwater aquariums. Temperature control dial is in Celsius scale.

Eheim Jager Heaters
Photo from PriceGrabberEhiem Jager heaters are submersible only to the water line mark on the unit. Ehiem Jager heaters feature an automatic dry run shut off, precise temperature control and temperature recalibration capabilities, are constructed of special Schott DURAN shatterproof glass, and have a heating function indicator. Available in sizes from 25 to 300 watts.

Fluval Series E Aquarium Heaters
Fluval E Series heaters employ a digital microprocessor to continuously monitor and display aquarium water temperature. The internal thermal sensor continuously samples aquarium water temperature for greater accuracy and reliability. Innovative color-coded temperature alert feature changes LCD screen color if aquarium water temperature varies from the pre-set temperature (Green = Safe Zone, Red = High Temperature Alert, Blue = Low Temperature Alert). Easy-to-use adjustment lever allows precision temperature settings in 0.5° increments and integrated heater guard offers advanced protection for fish and invertebrates.

Hagen Tronic Electronic Heater
PriceGrabberA fully submersible unit with fast heat technology, while most heaters cycle on and off, the Tronic Electronic Heater by Hagen has a patented Thermo-Sensor that makes the heater's water sensor as accurate as a separate probe. Other features include a safety shut off, and solid state design that allows it to be positioned at any angle. Requires the use of the Tronic Heater Guard (not included) to safeguard the heater from damage, and prevent fish from coming into contact with it when in use.
Read Review
Hydor Theo Heater
PriceGrabberThe Theo Heater works with a heating technology patented by Hydor. The heating element is made of a special polymer that has been silk printed with special ink, the ink heats up with the passing of electric current, and the heat is transferred to the water. Other features include special shatterproof glass, a precise temperature setting knob that clicks in 1°F increments, an on/off indicator lamp, and it switches itself off if the heater is not fully submersed to prevent overheating and damage.

Marineland Stealth Heaters
Photo from PriceGrabberOne of the best features of the fully submersible Stealth Heaters by Marineline (Aquarium Systems) is the shatterproof plastic casing. Unlike other heaters constructed of glass, this covering not only protects the inside components against thermal and mechanical shock, but makes them extremely strong and durable. With a cylindrical core that distributes heat evenly throughout the heater, an easy to set temperature dial on top, and efficient overheat-protected operation, these units are at the top of our list. Available in 25 to 250 watt sizes to fit all freshwater or saltwater systems up to 75 gallons. If you have a large aquarium, just use two heaters.

Marineland Visi-Therm Deluxe Heaters
Photo from PriceGrabberThe water-calibrated thermostat of Visi-Therm Deluxe Heaters by Marineland are certified accurate to within one degree, ensuring precise temperature selection and superior performance. These advanced-compact design, durable glass constructed, double-sealed submersible aquarium heaters have a convenient temperature dial on top, a large, easy to read temperature setting window visible through the glass on the side, and an on/off light indicator. Available in sizes from 25 to 300 watts.
Read Review
Tetra Whisper & HT Submersible Heaters
Photo by PriceGrabberThe Whisper and HT model submersible heaters by Tetra are designed specifically for heating small aquariums of 2 to 30 gallons in size. Both models are durable and simple to operate, especially the HT units, because they have an electronic thermostat that automatically adjusts heat output to keep the water at a constant 78°F. All you have to do is put it in the aquarium and plug it in! If you need to heat a mini or nano reef tank, one of these Tetra heaters would be ideal.
Read Review
Titanium Heaters
Photo from PriceGrabberTitanium alloy heaters are virtually indestructible. They require a controlling device for operation, and although Azoo's Titanium Heater includes one, with other brands the controller is typically sold separately. Look for units that are designed to automatically shut off when the water level drops or they are exposed to air when plugged in. Most other types of submersible heaters only go up to 250 and 300 watts, but titanium heaters are available in higher wattages, such 500 and 800 watts, which are ideal for heating for larger aquariums. Titanium constructed heaters offer superior heat conduction and accuracy, are acid and corrosion resistance in fresh or saltwater.




http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/TPheaters.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/23/popular-tourist-spots-america_n_787306.html#s188575

17 Sights & Spots Around The Country That Scream 'America!'

Mysterious Missile Lights Up Sky Off Coast Of Los Angeles, Military Refuses To Comment (VIDEO)

AP/First Posted: 11- 9-10 09:13 AM   |   Updated: 11- 9-10 02:26 PM



WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon said Tuesday it was trying to determine if a missile was launched Monday off the coast of Southern California and, if so, who might have fired it.

Spokesmen for the Navy, Air Force, and other military organizations said they were looking into a video posted on the CBS News website that shows an object shooting across the sky and leaving a large contrail, or vapor trail, over the Pacific Ocean.

The video was shot by a KCBS helicopter, the station said Tuesday.

"Nobody within the Department of Defense that we've reached out to has been able to explain what this contrail is, where it came from," Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said.

Lapan said that "all indications" are that the Department of Defense was not involved within the mystery object, and that the contrail might have been created by something flown by a private company.

Normally any missile test would require notification so that mariners and pilots could be warned or air space closed, but that may not have been done in this case, Lapan said.

"It does seem implausible, and that's why at this point the operative term is 'unexplained'," he said. "Nobody ... within the Department of Defense that we've reached out to has been able to explain what this contrail is."

Missile tests are common off Southern California. Launches are conducted from vessels and platforms on an ocean range west of Point Mugu.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, issued a statement jointly with the U.S. Northern Command, or NORTHCOM, saying that the contrail was not the result of a foreign military launching a missile. It provided no further details.

"We can confirm that there is no threat to our nation, and from all indications this was not a launch by a foreign military," the statement said. "We will provide more information as it becomes available."

NORTHCOM is the U.S. defense command and NORAD is a U.S.-Canadian organization charged with protecting the U.S. from the threat of missiles or hostile aircraft.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/09/missile-launch-los-angeles_n_780858.html

Well, that sucks.  Don't worry, it will probably be up again later on, it is probably just a server problem.

Has any Constitution Party member ever been elected to any office, Volitzer?

How to Clean Scale From Drain Pipes

By Bertha M. Chambers, eHow Contributor
updated: June 7, 2010
Certain chemicals and minerals in water often form hard and crusty, chalk-like deposits, or "scale," on surfaces such as the openings and interiors of drain pipes. The amount of cleaning required to remove scale depends on the amount of mineral and other particles in the water and the amount of drain pipe cleaning you perform on a regular basis. Cleaning drain pipes of scale, requires that you treat the pipes at least once monthly with a homemade cleaning solution or commercial drain pipe scale removal product that contains ingredients that break up or dissolve deposits.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
Water
Pots or dippers
Gloves
Baking soda
White vinegar
Mask
Commercial drain pipe scale remover
1
Boil 4 cups of water in a pot or dipper.
2
Put on a pair of gloves and remove any debris such as food or hair from the drain pipe opening.
3
Pour the first pot/dipper of boiled water down the drain and wait 10 minutes.
4
Heat 2 cups of white vinegar in a pot.
5
Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda into the drain opening, put on a mask and then pour the white vinegar into the opening. Wait 20 to 40 minutes. While waiting, boil another 4 cups of water.
6
Flush the drain with the boiled water.
7
Repeat a second time if necessary.
&&&&&&
Tips & Warnings
If the hot water, baking soda and vinegar solution doesn't dislodge the scale after two attempts, pour a commercial drain pipe scale remover into the drain opening. Wait 20 minutes, or as directed on the product packaging, and flush with cool tap water.
If a commercial product doesn't remove the scale, hire a plumber.
To reduce the amount of cleaning needed to remove scale from the pipes in the future, consider installation of a water softener system that can break down the minerals in the water before use.
Always wear safety gear when cleaning drain pipes---whether using homemade or commercial solutions---as cleaning the pipes can release hazardous fumes from interactions between the cleaners and/or hot water and grease, food, microorganisms or other debris. Flushing pipes with hot rather than cool water when using a commercial scale remover can also release toxic fumes.
Never use any method outlined in this article if attempting to clean a kitchen drain pipe that has a garbage disposal in the drain opening without first consulting the garbage disposal manufacturer as any chemicals or boiled water may cause permanent damage to the disposal.
Always consult with your doctor before installing a water softener system if you have a sodium restricted diet as softened water can contain high levels of sodium.


Read more: How to Clean Scale From Drain Pipes | eHow.co.uk http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6598148_clean-scale-drain-pipes.html#ixzz0wtB2G3aJ

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6598148_clean-scale-drain-pipes.html


Soften Water & Remove Scale From Your Pipes Automatically
 
 


Click to enlarge and view additional images.
 Clearwave Electronic Water Conditioner
shp-3260
Availability:Usually ships in 2-3 business days.

Sale Price: $159.00



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Use less soap, and remove scale from your pipes - continuously, automatically and for only about $5 in electricity a year. Clearwave is the most advanced computerized anti-scale device available today. Its computer chip is programmed to bombard water passing through your pipe with over 200 different electromagnetic low frequency pulses. These electromagnetic pulses have been scientifically proven to increase the electromotive attraction potential of the water to mineral salts. The result is that the mineral salts (mainly calcium bicarbonate) stays dissolved in the water instead of converting to insoluble calcium carbonate and attaching itself to the inside of pipes as scale. Existing scale in pipes, water heaters, toilets and faucet's begin to soften and dissolve away. Recommended for dishwashers, washing machines, coffee makers, and boilers.

Clearwave can even replace base exchange softening systems and the associated maintenance costs.

Installation of the Clearwave is simple. Mount to the main incoming water pipe to the home with pipe clips, wrap the antenna leads around pipe and then plug into a 110V power supply. One unit handles incoming supply pipes up to 1" in diameter. For pipes 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" use two units in series. Works with all types of pipe including: copper, PVC, galvanized, and stainless steel.
 http://www.rewci.com/clearelwatco.html
 
Products for Cleaning Scale From Drain Pipes
By Dan Navarro, eHow Contributor
updated: December 31, 2009
I want to do this! What's This?
Limestone scale is a hard, chalky deposit found primarily in hot water heaters, bathroom pipes, kettles and any other areas where hot water flows regularly. The most common cause of scale is so-called "hard water," water that contains large amounts of calcium and other minerals. Scale exists in areas where cooler water flows as well (air-dried kitchen utensils, sink taps, tiles around kitchen sinks and in bathrooms), but it is much more common in heated-water areas due to the hard water evaporating and attaching to surfaces.
Vinegar
The most common non-chemical way of removing scale is to use a 1:1 mixture of water and vinegar. This method is effective, however, it can easily damage bathroom and kitchen fixtures if not washed off frequently during cleaning.
CLR Removal
CLR (Calcium-Lime-Rust) removal products are advertised as a safe, non-abrasive formula that will remove scale without harming bath tub enamel, porcelain or other kitchen/bathroom fixtures.
Water-Softening Systems
Water-softening systems are a filtration system designed to remove the majority of calcium/mineral mixtures before the water reaches the pipe system. These systems are easy to install and maintain, but are primarily used in laboratories and business due to their higher cost.
&&&&&&
References
EnvironmentalExpert.com: Water Softening System
IVE.org.UK: Removal of Limescale From Vitreous Enamel
Resources
ShopCLR.com: Calcium-Lime-Rust Removal


Read more: Products for Cleaning Scale From Drain Pipes | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_5813517_products-cleaning-scale-drain-pipes.html#ixzz0wtBhm1FD

http://www.ehow.com/list_5813517_products-cleaning-scale-drain-pipes.html

"Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance " Includes Shipping and Handling from BuzzFlash.com. Up to Date Account of the Calculated Demagogue Molotov Cocktail Who is Having His Way with America Courtesy of Rupert Murdoch.
By Alexander Zaitchik
BuzzFlash.com's Review (excerpt)
He's the demagogue of hate and vitiol, a seemingly deranged agitator of fear and rebellion against "liberals" who he declares have sullied the Disneyland Main Street fantasy of America. Glenn Beck has skyrocketed to fame among the FOX/Tea Party crowd and the media because he represents the ultimate merger of entertainment, politics, faux populism, and calculated demagoguery.

BuzzFlash has reviewed an advance copy of this deftly written book into Beck's "career," fueled by ego and opportunism at a time that the corporate mainstream media has arrived at a precipice where the movie "Network" has become the reality of anything that will bring in ratings, even if it is a threat to our democracy and an incitement to violence.

The fault doesn't all lie with the Republicans and FOX. (Beck was first on CNN after a checkered, over the top radio career). The Democratic Party has too longed ignored the needs of the working class and done the bidding of the corporations, even if in a less consistent manner than the Republicans. As a result, since Nixon the Republicans have cultivated a sizable portion of the working class through scapegoat propaganda.

Murdoch is not the only corporatist who knows the value of using the media to blame "liberals" for the plight of the ever-declining white middle class. Yes, the downward fate of the middle class is due to the machinations of debt and other financial strategies hatched on Wall Street as well as multi-global corporations based in the U.S. who have moved their plants and accounts offshore.

That is why FOX and the corporatists need the likes of Glenn Beck: to divert blame from the global corporations who have no allegiance to America to the "liberals." If the Democrats had become populists instead of corporatist "liberals" this would have never happened, but that's another story.

Buy this full-fledged revelation of the odious but skill-showman creature that is Glenn Beck now and get a pre-print discount. BuzzFlash can vouch for the value of the book in understanding Beck's assent to the circus world of contemporary television in which a small time radio personality becomes a lie spouting performer who appears on LSD, but can still put the White House on the defensive.

You advance progressive books, help pay progressive, and help support BuzzFlash.

And you learn the importance of creating more of our own progressive media to keep anymore Becks from rising to infamous celebrity and influential prominence.

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Nelson Mendela (Morgan Freeman) Unifies a Nation Through Sport (Matt Damon). Discount: $25.75. The Much-Heralded "Invictus." An Ironic Counterpoint to America Today, When Race is Tearing us Apart. Release Date, May 18th, 2010. Lock the Discount in Now.
BuzzFlash.com's Review (excerpt)
"After South Africa elected Nelson Mandela president, the racially divided country could've easily erupted into civil war. In Clint Eastwood's determinedly populist, yet heartfelt look back at that time, the director examines one of the more ingenious steps Mandela (Morgan Freeman in a performance of sly charm) took to prevent that from happening. Knowing that his country was set to host the Rugby World Cup in 1995, Mandela believed the national team could provide an example of reconciliation in action. Led by François Pienaar (an unbelievably buff Matt Damon), the mostly white Springboks inspired devotion among Afrikaners and disgust among native Africans. Instead of changing their name or colors, Mandela encouraged them to win for the sake of their homeland. During the year leading up to the event, the team learns to work together as never before, just as Mandela's newly integrated security detail, a combination of cops and activists, finds a way to bridge their ideological differences. By the time of the big day, the poorly ranked Springboks are well equipped to hold their own against New Zealand's All Blacks (so named for their uniforms, not their racial composition). Drawing from John Carlin's Playing the Enemy, Anthony Peckham's script takes its title, Latin for "unconquerable," from a British poem Mandela held close to his heart during the 27 years he spent in prison. If Damon's accent is more convincing, Freeman serves as the film's heart--and as a timely reminder that reconciliation is never easy, but that it will always trump revenge."

America has much to learn from Mandela and South Africa as a Neo-Confederacy rises again in the U.S.

"Mandela has never received credit for the job he did in keeping South Africa's peace, while trying to encourage foreign investment. He saw that merely seizing white-owned businesses and infrastructure would only be looting of a fixed amount of wealth. No growth could result from the types of activities that were occurring in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, where white minorities had been ousted from power.

As the new President of South Africa, representing an overwhelming black majority, Mandela took a long term view of what was needed. He alienated a considerable portion of his own party to implement his program of racial reconciliation.

The movie provides an exceptional, well integrated blend of sports and far-seeing political strategy."

****

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