Well, I would just like to add another question just to spur conversation of this topic a little more.
I guess first would be a little background. I am running a 30g FOWLR with 45lbs of rock, a prizm skimmer, a HOB filter, heater and power compact lighting. This was originally a nanoreef but when I moved in August I decided to go FOWLR just for simplicity. Also my lights run from 5pm to 3am on this tank, because that is when I am home.
When I came home yesterday afternoon after work my temperature in the tank was higher than 90 degrees. I only say higher because my thermometer wasn't giving a reading it was so high. Also I noticed that my heater was on even at this hot a temp. Needless to say both fish and the cleaner shrimp I was keeping in there were dead. Obviously such a temp change from a normal of 80-82 is tragic. My heater has a temperature guide on it which is always set to 78 but for some reason it was still on. Since all inhabitants had already fallen victim they were removed. I turned the heater down by 2 degrees, it clicked off and I went ahead and floated some icebags in the water to cool it quicker so that hopefully my bacteria and anything living in the LR would not perish as well. Well the temp went down and the I so far have left the suspect heater in the tank and it seems to be working normally again.
What suggestions, if any, does anyone have with regards to prevention measures for this type of catastrophe? Any ideas of why this might have happened...Really any thoughts would be great...