AHHHH! Broken Thermometer! Please help.

[eakatank]

Dunno how it happened but my thermometer somehow broke open in the sump. Any ideas on what I need to do (other then the obvious water changes). I’ve skimmed off as much of the red stuff as possible but the sump still smells like gasoline. The only good news is it looks oil based so it’s not mixing with the water very well. Has anybody had to deal with this before? Any recommendations? Please help….I’m kinda freaking out.

 

[Woodstock]

What type of thermometer was it? Siphon out as much as the 'red stuff' as possible and run some fresh carbon.

 

[burning2nd]

hopefully not murcury.

(they dont use them anymore)

but consiter a digital (2 or 3)

 

[sasquatch]

Eakatank, unless thats Grandma's thermometer your in luck,they are people friendly now so no mercury, its just coloured alcohol(I refuse to open the topic of putting vodka in the tank) your algae will eat it up and theres probably not enough red dye #7 to trouble anything else, my guess is a trip to the lfs for a stick on thermometer would be in order. Steve

 

[Witfull]

xut off the pumps and let the water settle. when the red stuff settles on the surface lay a paper towel over it and it will be sucked up into the towel.

i second the recommendation of a digi therm.

 

[aquaman3680]

If its a murcury thermometer your in some trouble

I it is i would deain the sump and clean it out best you can

Im not sure what it will do to your tank but i know it is bad as my boss has advised. I work in a fish store.

I would never get a mucury one again just because of what happend

Just my opinion

Matt

 

[eakatank]

Ok well it's not a mercury thermometer so I guess that's good. I used a Styrofoam bowl to remove the droplets on the surface and siphon for those on the bottom. The odor has dissipated so I think I’ve removed most of it. All my critters look like they’re doing fine right now, but I’ll keep a close eye on them tonight.

I guess the scent of aviation fuel in my tank freaked me out a little bit.

 

[Boomer]

Witt

xut off the pumps and let the water settle. when the red stuff settles on the surface lay a paper towel over it and it will be sucked up into the towel

One of those old Mr Wizard trick's That is the original tv Mr. Wizard. Should we next explain how to measure the height of a tree with a pan of water

That little bit of alcohol won't hurt anything, I mean we have people adding Vodka to their tanks