Thermometer broke!

Thanks for the replies! i got out as many of those little silver weighted balls as i could, but im sure there's still more in there...:headshake2:

Did a water change, rescaped the tank, and now my whole morning is gone! Im relieved to hear that it wasnt a disastrous turn of events. just some metal balls and glass. (luckily the skinny glass tube on the inside of the glass thermometer didnt break, thats where the liquid alcohol part is. but the metal balls had some "fake" red hard stuff i think they use to resemble mercury, however I dont think any liquid got in the tank)
 
fishorama said:
Broken glass is scary, did you scoop out some substrate? Not sure what I'd do.
Click to expand...

Yes, I scooped out all the gravel from the area it occurred. I then laid it all out on my kitchen bar counter, grabbed a lamp and stool, and sat there picking through it about 3 rocks at a time looking for glass and silver weighted balls. About two hours later, I was about half way thru, and tossed the rest of the gravel away. Nevermind that noise i will go buy more gravel.

I now have myself a lovely digital thermometer! :headbang2:
 
The newer thermometers use alcohol in them. Your aquarium thermometer was definitely filled with ethanol. The little balls are most likely lead that they use as weight. The only risk to your fish is the glass in the gravel now. As you have gravel if you pick up all of the larger pieces and vacuum very well you should be fine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_thermometer
 
i had a pacu once..and it broke the floating thermometer in there and everything seemed fine after. I just removed what i could and did a water change. more then likely it was a kind of alcohol in the thermometer.
 
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