How dangerous are the thermometers?

Cobrasvt1999 · 04/27/2021, 03:24 PM

I had my generic floating aquarium thermometer from petsmart get sucked into my mixing pump in my salt mixing tank and shredded. Are they just alcohol? How worried should I be?

I am already rinsing and flushing the system, just trying to figure if I need to do more.

Sk8r · 04/27/2021, 07:52 PM

Alcohol. Dilution is the solution for pollution. So is carbon. Water change and carbon are step 1 when you;re worried. If a very small thermometer no worry.

cody6766 · 04/27/2021, 09:18 PM

I'm not sure how worried you should be, but I'd guess it's less than you are now. The 'mercury' in the tube is dyed alcohol, and it's a very small amount.

If it's in your mixing tank, purge the tank and start over. There's no sense in risking things if you can keep it out of the tank. If you got some in your DT, I'd do a proactive large water change, realizing that some people dose vodka (or at least used to) in their tanks.

Basically, I see the red dye as your biggest risk, and I bet it's not one at all. It's just an unknown.

04/27/2021, 03:24 PM	#1
Cobrasvt1999 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 141	How dangerous are the thermometers? I had my generic floating aquarium thermometer from petsmart get sucked into my mixing pump in my salt mixing tank and shredded. Are they just alcohol? How worried should I be? I am already rinsing and flushing the system, just trying to figure if I need to do more. __________________ 180 Gal main display with a 40(ish) gallon sump. Still getting it all settled in :P Current Tank Info: 180 Display W/sump and related parts

04/27/2021, 07:52 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Alcohol. Dilution is the solution for pollution. So is carbon. Water change and carbon are step 1 when you;re worried. If a very small thermometer no worry. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/27/2021, 09:18 PM	#3
cody6766 Super Best Friends! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: OKC, OK Posts: 3,772	I'm not sure how worried you should be, but I'd guess it's less than you are now. The 'mercury' in the tube is dyed alcohol, and it's a very small amount. If it's in your mixing tank, purge the tank and start over. There's no sense in risking things if you can keep it out of the tank. If you got some in your DT, I'd do a proactive large water change, realizing that some people dose vodka (or at least used to) in their tanks. Basically, I see the red dye as your biggest risk, and I bet it's not one at all. It's just an unknown. __________________ "The moral is the chosen, not the forced; the understood, not the obeyed. The moral is the rational, and reason accepts no commandments." - John Galt Current Tank Info: Cadlights 60G Arisan II mixed reef with 2x MP40s and 24" ATI