# Contamination from broken thermometer?



## Rogue9 (Apr 21, 2010)

So a bit of careless cleaning yesterday, I put my hydrometer/thermometer in the mantis part of the sump and forgot about it. I gues he didn't like the intrusion cause he went to town and shattered the bulb on the bottom. The rest of thermometer part is intact, but the metal beads and whatever else is on the bottom fell out. I think I got most of it out. Do I need to worry about anything?


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

bruce lee strikes again!

i hope everything turns out ok


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## davefrombc (Apr 21, 2010)

No need to worry Rogue. Even if the beads are lead , it would take a very long time for them to react with the water. Not only would there be a miniscule amount of lead in the system at any one time, but water changes will remove dissolved compounds of it.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

I believe the beads would be mercury. They probably pose more of a health hazard to us than to the fish. I personally would try to remove as much as I can with something like a turkey baster. It's highly toxic.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

its not mercury or itd be liquid at that temperature


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

Most thermometers don't use mercery anymore for that very reason


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## Rogue9 (Apr 21, 2010)

Thanks for the reasurance. 
He's been very agressive lately eating a clam every couplebof days.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Ah I see. Just thought that since the OP mentioned metal beads, I couldn't think of whatever else they would use in a thermometer that would form metal beads. Perhaps there's other materials out there that would resemble mercury.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

hagen thermometers use iron pellets in the bulb, and the liquid is likely an alcohol or citrus oil dyed red but i couldn't find what it really is. You always can email the manufacturer to ask.


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## 182 (Apr 21, 2010)

Yeah, the beads are simply there to weigh down the bottom of the thermometer.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Ah, that makes sense. Thank goodness for electronic temperature sensors!


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