My pleco just hit my thermometer with his tail and busted it. There are little balls of mercury? in my substrate. What do I do now?
Help! Emergency!
- Thread starter Larissa
- Start date
Mercury? Is it red? I thought most newer aquarium thermometers were filled with alcohol? Or something else besides mercury...whatever it is, I'd try to siphon it out pronto. I guess you gotta replace it now, maybe one of those stick-on ones on the outside will be better.
Ohhhh...yeah...I wasn't thinking about those little metal balls in there! :idea:
I'd still get them out ASAP. I also just thought about another way to prevent this happening again, if you don't like those stick-on thermometers, use on of those indoor-outdoor ones with the probe to go outside, just dip that probe into the tank. Mr. Pleco won't be able to break that!
I'd still get them out ASAP. I also just thought about another way to prevent this happening again, if you don't like those stick-on thermometers, use on of those indoor-outdoor ones with the probe to go outside, just dip that probe into the tank. Mr. Pleco won't be able to break that!
. I have a friend with a couple of cichlids and a big pleco who has broken a couple of heaters 
So those little silver balls are not mercury? I've tried siphoning them out but they are too heavy. I think I got all of the glass out though. I've already stuck my hand in there a couple of times to get my gravel vacuum started but didn't know if it's toxic or not and I'm like 7 months pregnant. So you don't think there's mercury in those anymore.
If they don't siphon out try scooping them out with the net and picking out the gravel if you want to save it. Do you know what brand it is? Maybe their website would say if its mercury? :huh: Maybe you should have someone else do it just to be safe...I'm pregnant too, and already got scolded by my husband that I better not hurt myself screwing around with the fish tank :argue:
lol
lol
I don't believe they are toxic, but just to be on the safe side put on some gloves if you scoop it out with a net, or just pitch it all in the trash if you have no gloves.
Murcury is REALY TOXIC imo, just the vapors it releases is toxic if exposed to long with it, i suggest you ask somone else to clean it out for you since your pregnet...
thanks for all the advice everyone. I scooped out as much as I could with a net, but the tank is 55g and it has a UGF so there are still little balls in there. hopefully it's not mercury. I got some aquasafe at wal-mart, the only place open this time of night, it says it neutralizes heavy metals. don't know if that will help or not. Guess for now I'll leave it be until husband comes home and I'll see if I can find out more about those thermometers.