[Tonz of fun]

Hey dudes,

As some of you know I had to leave my tank for about 10 days. I came home last night finally. Everything is good I havent been able to test for anything yet. I noticed my thermometer was broken. It broke on the bottom of the thermo, near the tip. All of the little gray balls were missing. I dont care to know how it broke I wanted to know if there could be some really bad effects from this? Has any of the senors had this happen to them before?

[prototypep2p]

I bought one of those types of thermometers before and one of my angels broke it I think, anyways I looked all over for those little silver balls and Im pretty sure my filter sucked it up I just watched the parameters and did a water change and I didnt loose anything.

[rlcline76]

Yikes. What brand thermometer was it?

[Tonz of fun]

Hagen Thermometers - Floating, Standing, Stainless, Aquarius & Nova

[Tonz of fun]

the floating one...

[rlcline76]

I've been googling for you a little. The idea is that most thermometers with mercury are hard to come by these days...which is what I am sure you are fretting over. I have not come by the mercury Salifert test yet! lol

Now, if you want to know specifically about this particular thermometer you can check via the manufacturer and find out if it was mercury based or if it was something else.

What I am seeing about what you can do to help you sleep tonight, is to do a water change.

[prototypep2p]

Im actually at work right now and I have that brand here i will check for you

[rlcline76]

I am betting it was an alcohol based red dye. When you read the temp, was the line red?

[rlcline76]

You can also consider running carbon filtration.

[prototypep2p]

I contacted my hagen rep. he told me that they dont use mercury anymore in the therm. but the red dye can still f*** your tank up. I would cklean your sump out

[Tonz of fun]

Well the red part did not break. It went a couple of days because the thermo was still working. I googled it as well and looked on marine depot. I was trying to figure out what the little gray balls were and if they were harmfull. Thanks guys

[mtfabel]

I found this. It was in a freshwater tank but I feel that this applies to your scenario also. Only the first couple of posts talk about it.
Thermometer Killed My Fish - The Freshwater Aquarium | Google Groups
Ive looked thru several forums about this. Everything I have read was related to fresh water. Some people have said that while the therm was still in the tank the fish were getting ill but after they removed it all the remaining fish got better and lived on. So if you got the therm out then I would venture to say that you are OK. Just do a couple water changes to be on the safe side.

[e_baer]

those balls are probable just some bearrings that had small imperfections. lots of companys will sell "bad" bearrings for simple purposed like a thermometer.

[Tonz of fun]

Hey Mike I read that same thread.

Big E I know its some sort of metal weight that holds the floating thermo upright. I have been looking for the little balls thinking they would have falling to the bottum of the tank with zero success. I was just thinking about taking them all out and putting them in the QT tank. The fish have tons of personality and I would hate to loose them. I think I maybe over reacting I dont know...

[mtfabel]

I read that you can use a magnet to pull them out of the sand. If you have a mag float just run the magnet across the top of the sand and it should pull them out. This is only what I have read I have never needed to try this personally. And for future references you can buy one of those Coralife digital therms for about 10 bucks.

[e_baer]

Originally Posted by mtfabel

I read that you can use a magnet to pull them out of the sand. If you have a mag float just run the magnet across the top of the sand and it should pull them out. This is only what I have read I have never needed to try this personally. And for future references you can buy one of those Coralife digital therms for about 10 bucks.

i just got one the them for myself, and i like it! it is so much easier to read than looking at those strip thermometers.

[Tonz of fun]

Originally Posted by mtfabel

I read that you can use a magnet to pull them out of the sand. If you have a mag float just run the magnet across the top of the sand and it should pull them out. This is only what I have read I have never needed to try this personally. And for future references you can buy one of those Coralife digital therms for about 10 bucks.

Wow never thought of that idea. I will try the magnet trick when I get home tomorrow afternoon. I always thought those digi-thermos were not accurate? I pulled the thermo from my qt tank and put it in my sump for now...I will look into the digital ones.

[e_baer]

supposedly it is accurate within .1 degrees

[Tonz of fun]

Ya going forward thats what I will do. Im not a fan knowing that there is broken glass and metal balls floating around in my tank.