I dropped it in to test the salt of my salt water tank and it cracked on a rock! the little black beads came out but i got as many as i could out. i don't believe the red liquid came out cuz i would have seen it, but will my fish be ok???? i have a 10 gallon tank and i'm worried it will harm them....can I do anything??? i really don't want them to die!
help!!!!
2006-09-13 16:08:46 · 5 answers · asked by Jenna J 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
Do a 30% water change today, and one in two days to be on the safe side. You should also take a one liter (fresh) sample of water to your local pet store for a more thorough testing but I would hope that marine test hydrometers are made to be safe for marine inhabitants.
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2006-09-14 01:05:55 · answer #1 · answered by iceni 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those black beads are lead pellets. They won't do much of anything, but it is best to get them out anyway. Plant weights are usually made out of lead, so you may already have pieces of lead in your tank, and should probably get those out also, because it does go into the water. The red stuff is just glue to keep the pellets in place in the hydrometer. There is no liquid or moving parts in a hydrometer. Just scoop out where the hydrometer fell to get all the debris, most importantly the glass, and then you'll be done.
2006-09-14 12:22:58 · answer #2 · answered by craigrr929 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They will be fine. The little beads will not harm your fish. Just make sure you got all the broken glass.
Even if the hydrometer cracked all the way through, the red liquid is just alcohol and would dilute in the water to the point that your fish would not even notice it.
2006-09-13 23:17:32 · answer #3 · answered by searchpup 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not know if a Hydrometer has any mercury in it or not (like older aquarium thermometers used to), and I hate to say it, but if it were me - I'd get the fish out of there - empty all the water - clean the tank out with an Ammonia/Water mixture - refill - readd your rocks and corals, and start over.
You may experience another Nitrogen cycle, but I am not really experienced with Marine systems. Here is a good site to ask your question at for much better info...
Reef Central
http://www.reefcentral.com
Good luck!
2006-09-13 23:57:13 · answer #4 · answered by sly2kusa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No clue.... but I thought they floated!!! what brand did you use??
2006-09-13 23:12:17 · answer #5 · answered by enyates2002 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋