What is this on my magnetic algae scrubber???

**serion** · 10-03-2012, 4:48 PM

Went to clean my tank and found this stuff on my algae scrubber magnet and found these things.

The tank as a 3 black neon tetra, 3 glow light tetra, and 1 small gold fish (yes I know...my kid brought it home from the fair). There were a few snails but the bigger ones died and I haven't seen the small ones in a long time.

**0tto** · 10-03-2012, 6:48 PM

this could be completely wrong...but it looks to me like your magnet attracted dissolved metals from the water column, as well as iron (the reddish brown stuff). just a guess though

**shloken38** · 10-03-2012, 7:25 PM

That's some funky stuff....kinda gives me the creeps! And I have no idea what the blazes that is.

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**Kaosu** · 10-03-2012, 7:39 PM

..has the magnet ruptured some how?..the casing of the magnet i guess it would be?..looks likes its coming out of it not from your tank but i could be wrong.

**oo7genie** · 10-03-2012, 7:54 PM

Have you had a thermometer break in that tank? The tiny, perfectly formed balls of metal look suspiciously like the contents in the bottom of an aquarium thermometer.

**shloken38** · 10-03-2012, 7:59 PM

Originally Posted by oo7genie

Have you had a thermometer break in that tank? The tiny, perfectly formed balls of metal look suspiciously like the contents in the bottom of an aquarium thermometer.

I would agree with this. But that would be an aweful lot of mercury, no? I could be though. Nice observation!

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**Kaosu** · 10-03-2012, 8:05 PM

Originally Posted by shloken38

I would agree with this. But that would be an aweful lot of mercury, no? I could be though. Nice observation!

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..they dont use mercury in thermometers anymore...

**serion** · 10-03-2012, 8:13 PM

Originally Posted by Kaosu

..they dont use mercury in thermometers anymore...

After checking this was exactly right! A thermometer burst and it was the little metal balls from inside of it. No clue how that happened.

Thanks everyone!

**oo7genie** · 10-03-2012, 8:25 PM

If the thermometer broke recently, I'd do a large water change, just to help get rid of the dyed alcohol from the thermometer that has leaked into the tank. There's no worry as far as mercury is concerned though, as it's no longer used in aquarium thermometers, nor most other thermometers.

**serion** · 10-03-2012, 8:27 PM

The actual thermometer part of the thermometer part didn't break. The glass around it with the metal beads broke, so only the metal beads and some glass actually fell into the tank.