i have one that has little silver beads at the bottom with like a red wax looking stuff above it and a red liquid that rises. i accidentally broke it and i am concerned about mercury, is this a mercury type thermometer or something else? what are the little silver beads?
2007-11-18 15:10:32 · 1 answers · asked by None 4 in Pets ➔ Fish
If it's anything bought recently, there wouldn't be any mercury used (mercury is a liquid at room temperatures, so it wouldn't be the beads). The beads at the bottom may contain lead, however - these are only for weight so the thermometer orients properly in the water. These may slowly dissolved over time, so they should be removed. The red stuff at the bottom is just some type of sealant to keep the beads in place.
The red liquid is usually alcohol based (again, not the best thing for your fish, since it will irritate the gills).
2007-11-18 15:19:56 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋