View Full Version : EMERGENCY!! My Glass Thermometer broke!!
hitman12131976
06-05-2007, 9:22 PM
I don't know if I should be worried. But the little glass thermometers that can be used inside of a tank broke from the bottom. It broke into three pieces (the part that holds the little weights). The part of the thermometer that is red is still in tact. The part of the thermometer above the red wax part is still in tact. Just the bottom part of it.
I cleaned up the three glass parts out of the tank, but the little round weights went ALL THE WAY down under the substrate. I tried to vacuum them up but they seem to be too heavy. They've disappeared into the substrate and there is no way for me to get them out unless I take all the water out of my tank, plants, fish, etc. and clean it out completely.
The fish cannot reach the weights as they are under at least 1 inch of substrate.
Here are my questions:
1. What are those weights?
2. Are they harmful to the fish? (yes if they are eaten, probably, but they can't be as they can't be seen by even my eyes)
The little balls are most likely little lead BB's I don't think they would be bad because people use lead to hold plants in place.
enrique4jc
06-05-2007, 10:34 PM
Sound like you were lucky, as you didnt get any mercury in your tank. That stuff is toxic. I would agree, the weights are probably just lead and shouldnt cause a serious problem.
NinjaPirate
06-05-2007, 11:39 PM
I don't think they actually use mercury in those anymore. They started phasing them out (atleast in the US) some time ago for the stated toxicity issues. Most of the glass thermometers you get now are alcohol based afaik.
hitman12131976
06-06-2007, 12:57 AM
Yeah, the thermometer that I had as made by TopFin and it has NO MERCURY. Phew! I'm gonna get a nice clean magnet and see if I can get those little lead beads to come out of the substrate. Thanks for the info guys!
tanker
06-06-2007, 1:16 AM
Sorry but lead is not magnetic...
Mgamer20o0
06-06-2007, 1:34 AM
one of the reasons i use digital ones.
hitman12131976
06-06-2007, 2:41 AM
Sorry but lead is not magnetic...
Darn, well, I guess I'll take them out in a year or so when I do a complete clean of the tank.
enrique4jc
06-06-2007, 10:31 AM
I learned something today!
Squawkbert
06-06-2007, 11:01 AM
The balls are probably stainless steel, so don't sweat it. Just try to remove all the glass you can.
The thermometer part contains alcohol, probably not enough to harm anything in all but the smallest of tanks.
Digital thermometers rule. You can get a pen or keychain type one for <$20 at any scientific supply place online (Fisherscientific, VWR etc.), probably even less on ebay.
Weezer
06-06-2007, 11:24 AM
one of the reasons i use digital ones.
Exactly..Can you scoop the area that the bb's are in, or did they scatter..........:)
Squawkbert -- Digital thermometers rule.
:headbang2:
severum mama
06-06-2007, 11:35 AM
I believe the Coralife ones are less than $10 from the major websites, like Petsmart, the Drs., etc.
Hitman, I tend to err on the side of caution, so I'd do a water change just to be safe, and maybe run some carbon if you have some.
OgreMkV
06-06-2007, 11:37 AM
1) I got a digital thermoe for about five bucks at my LFS.
2) if it was red, then it was alcohol. If it was silver, then it was mercury.
hitman12131976
06-06-2007, 1:50 PM
Hitman, I tend to err on the side of caution, so I'd do a water change just to be safe, and maybe run some carbon if you have some.
Yeah, I did a 65% water change just to be safe. I run carbon all the time in the filters and switch it around every month so I'm covered on that angle.
As for the thermometer, the main 'stick' that's red didn't break. So no alcohol leaked. Phew.