# Heads up- I found a new way to kill 'em.



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Seems just when things are rocking along fine, I fall in a crack that I had never seen.  
I lost a fish and probably two more due to a simple thermometer hanging on the tank wall. Cheap little glass kind that you see all the time. I like them better for a more definite answer. Seems that my rowdy guys (or me) knocked the bottom off the glass container. Not the part that holds the red fluid but where the little balls of metal (lead??) are glued together. I didn't notice this until fish started acting strange. Not eating and such. It prompted me to look close and test often. Finally in the midst of yet another water change, I noticed the glass and metel balls laying in the sand. Most of the little balls are gone and since the fish love to pick up the small cichlid pellets off the bottom, I think I know where the metal is now. They will eat most anything. :roll:

I now have added a bit of plastic wire wrap material to all my glass thermometers. I think it will keep them from being as prone to breaking. It also fits quite snug and is cheap, easy to find and apply. I recommend you all think about doing it. :thumb:

Results: 1 dead, two not eating, 1 more acting strange, two larger fish act fine.


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## kjhydock (Apr 28, 2009)

I would strongly advise against using them as they are not designed the tell the temperature accurately underwater. That being the least of the issues with them...That "metal" is mercury, which is highly toxic to both you and your fish. I'm not trying to be mean about it, but this is a very bad idea. Wrapping the glass thermometer with wire isn't going to help much, other than keep the glass contained when it breaks, not the mercury. If you INSIST on using a mercury thermometer, use one house in a plastic case and put it somewhere it won't get bumped by you or the fish.


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## FSM (Nov 11, 2009)

Is it this type of thermometer?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3921

they don't have mercury in them.



kjhydock said:


> I would strongly advise against using them as they are not designed the tell the temperature accurately underwater. That being the least of the issues with them...That "metal" is mercury, which is highly toxic to both you and your fish. I'm not trying to be mean about it, but this is a very bad idea. Wrapping the glass thermometer with wire isn't going to help much, other than keep the glass contained when it breaks, not the mercury. If you INSIST on using a mercury thermometer, use one house in a plastic case and put it somewhere it won't get bumped by you or the fish.


I think you are confused. Assuming it is a standard glass aquarium thermometer, it is designed to be used underwater and doesn't have mercury in it.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

The red liquid is alcohol plus a dye, not mercury which would be a silver line not a red one on the thermometer. The litlle metal balls used as a weight, could be lead shot or steel ball bearings. Water changes should help remove any of the alcohol and dye that might still be in the tank.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Sorry . You've been using old info as well as misreading my message. One is the use of mercury in common cheap thermometers went out a long time ago. The wire wrap material is not plastic. For those not familiar with wire wrap, it is a plasitc that is used to wrap wires in to protect them from damage. As for the proposed use of a floating thermometer, I would have to ask what is it meant to float in if not water???? :-? There are some mighty big companies selling them for aquariums. Don't you think Wal-mart, Petco amd Petsmart would shy away from selling them???? Pet Solutions has them on page 46. opcorn:


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Sorry, guys. I may not have made it clear enough what was broken. The outer glass only, not the inner one holding the liquid. I'm thinking the little balls of weight (metal??) are now in my fish rather than in the thermometer. Either way, I propose to try to keep them from breaking any more thermometers...... :lol:


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## FSM (Nov 11, 2009)

It's possible they just got buried in the substrate. Generally fish can tell what is food and what isn't; they may have spit them out somewhere else in the tank.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

There is now a point and click electronic thermometer you can use with fish tanks and reptile enclosures. I was looking at it at the reptile show today and meant to grab one. Too much to see. Buy it when you see it or you get overloaded with the displays. No real need to put thermometers in the tank any more. I used to have an oscar whose favorite game was to take the floating thermometer to the bottom and release it. He could get it to shoot out of the water. One day it hit the center brace.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I'm glad at least I have not had any want to play games with the thing.  
I have had tries at using different thermometers but never found one I really liked as well as the simple ones. Electronics almost always are accompanied by a nice price tag. The little instant read types like AC guys use are kind of nice but never got into them long term.

FSM may be correct in where the little balls went but then I would be faced with a sudden loss of fish with no obvious reason. Bummer. :x Almost as bad is the thought that I could have little metall balls scattered all through the sand poisoning the tank until I change the sand completely. Double bummer. :x :x It would seem they would know not to eat the things but then fish do swallow a lot of things that they should know are not good to eat. Ever catch a perch on a lure small enough for him to swallow? Definitely not good for their diet but they do it anyway. Point of my posting was to give you other folks a chance to look for a hazard I had never really thought much about. Had it been the inside with the liquid broken, I'm sure I would have seen it when checking temperature. The little metal balls are not checked very often. :wink:


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

infra red thermometers do not work, they are no where near accurate, they measure temerature as the surface, and not interal temp or atmospheric temp, if you point it at a rock in a reptile tank it will read higher than the substrate surface because the rock will absrb and retain more heat than the substrate

in an aquarium, the thing will read the temp at the surface of the water, and the surface is usually hotter than the bulk of the water itself, due to heat loss, water releases heat into the atmosphere, and it's that release of heat that the infra red thermometers will read, same as the on glass ones, but at least it's a constant reading you get with those and it's more accurate than an instant shot

a digital probe is the best way to go, even if you just buy one and test each tank a few times a day


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I try not to overwork this whole thing as it is just a hobby. Part of that is going with a certain amount of ignoring all the complications I can. For me temperature is not a really critical thing as long as it remains stable. Whether I read it on top, bottom, or end does not matter as long as it is somewhat close in all areas and I get the same reading at the same spot any time I read it.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I few years ago a similar topic came up on this forum. Myself and at least one other person emailed the manufacturer of our thermometers and we were both told they use steel balls and the glue/wax used to hold them in place was also inert.

So I donâ€™t think the fish eating the balls or the glue/wax would have hurt them. At least nothing worse than a little constipation, though this could kill yaâ€¦ I donâ€™t think the balls would be enough to stop up a fish, but the glue/wax may.

Eating the glass could do a real number on the insides of a fish. But I broke a 4â€™ bulb over a fish tank several years ago and I still pick glass out of my sand. Iâ€™ve never once had a situation that could be explained by a fish swallowing glass.

Mercury hasnâ€™t been used in typical thermometers in a looong time. The sure way to tell the difference is mercury ones are silver/grey, â€˜safeâ€™ ones are redâ€¦ though as you said, the actual thermometer didnâ€™t break, just the glass bobber brokeâ€¦

Quick note on the infrared laser style thermometers, it is true they read surface temperatures, and you must take this into account when using them. I do not agree that they are not accurate, I just think you have to use them per their design. I used to have a lab grade one that was certified to read within .1*F I compared my professional grade laser thermometer to a friends pet grade laser thermometer a couple of times and they read the exact same.

As for aquarium grade digital thermometersâ€¦ Iâ€™ve used about 6 different brands and every one of them failed me in the long run. Coral Life did the best, and I bought 10 of them. At the 6 month mark all 10 of them were offâ€¦ I do not suggest anyone trust aquarium grade digital thermometersâ€¦

I have the bobber style thermometers in all of my tanks. In tanks with rougher fish I stick them in the HOB. It adds a step to check the temp, and I admit I check the temp on these tanks less often, but it keeps them from breaking.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> I have the bobber style thermometers in all of my tanks. In tanks with rougher fish I stick them in the HOB


Simple, effective..what a good idea :thumb:


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## kjhydock (Apr 28, 2009)

In that case, I apologize for the tone of my reply. I'm glad I was wrong.

Still, I haven't use that style thermometer since I was very young with my first 10 gallon tank. All I use currently is a Marineland digital thermometer that I picked up used at a LFS for about $5. Only qualms I've had with it is trying to find a replacement battery. It's also stuck down in my sump so the fish can't destroy it in anyway (as I'm sure they would.)


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Sticking the thermometer in the HOB would work well except make it a bit less apt to be checked. That would work unless a can was being used. The digital would most likely turn out like my small quick read AC thermometer did. It seems to work until I really had a question and thing when I pulled it out it was not working. :x I really like the idea of a stick on digital but they never seem reliable and easy to read at all temperatures. I don't like to have to determine which color even on test kits. Seems for multiple tanks , the only reliable, easy read is the glass bulb type. I have a hard time thinking of getting lucky enough to find a bargain thermometer for each my tanks. If I considered myself that lucky I would assume fish would never die... :lol: Quess I will have to try wrapping and protecting them for a while. Maybe that works until I find something else to screw up.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

I had one of the glass ones with the red line in my turtle tank...one of the turtles would always mess with it and try to bite it. Every time he would bite I could hear his mouth hit the thermometer glass...I have had it for a while now and since my turtles died I have been using it on my aquariums with no problems to this day!


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## fox (Jun 11, 2009)

There was an all out war in one of our tanks throughout the day yesterday. This morning the thermometer was shattered with glass shards sticking in the substrate and the deadweight littered below where it was suctioned to the tank. Gonna stick its replacement in the fuge.


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## scales77oi (Apr 17, 2009)

Coralife digital thermometer!! thats all i can say!! about $8 :thumb:


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

scales77oi said:


> Coralife digital thermometer!! thats all i can say!! about $8 :thumb:


I tried one of these and it worked great... I was so happy I bought 12 of them...

6 months later I had 12 innaccurate worthless digital thermometers in the bottom of a box and found out coral life does not honor their warrantees...


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## FSM (Nov 11, 2009)

I suppose you could make a little shield for the thermometer out of PVC. It might not be pretty though.


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## scales77oi (Apr 17, 2009)

Toby_H said:


> I tried one of these and it worked great... I was so happy I bought 12 of them...
> 
> 6 months later I had 12 innaccurate worthless digital thermometers in the bottom of a box and found out coral life does not honor their warrantees...


 :lol: Live and learn......*** never really had a prob with mine, every now and then ill test with diff therm. seems to be accurate....for now! What do you use now?


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## scales77oi (Apr 17, 2009)

the metal balls are steel shot, couldnt harm the fish really. alcohol is whats in the thermometer and with the dilution of water it wouldnt be enough to do anything. broken glass ingestion? not likely.......i think you got something else at play here. i dont think the thermometer breaking is what caused your fish to die/wig out :?


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## Riceburner (Sep 3, 2008)

Just had mine break in one tank this weekend. Used a turkey baster and sucked out most of the lost shot...I hope. Couldn't find the bits of glass though...hard to see clear glass in water...lol. Hopefully it got sucked up in the vac.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Toby_H said:


> scales77oi said:
> 
> 
> > Coralife digital thermometer!! thats all i can say!! about $8 :thumb:
> ...


I had the same experience, bought several and threw them all out in disgust. Not even close to accurate or reliable.

I now use this one. They cost more, but I have 5 in use and have been very happy with them.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

I had the Lifegard digitals Prov356 likes too and they worked great for a long time, but when they needed new batteries, they never seemed the same and ended up in a drawer. I want to try the point and click digitals that I saw at the last reptile show. You just need one for a fish room.


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## kmuda (Nov 27, 2009)

I use the stick on the glass outside the tank strip thingies, not for accuracy, but just to detect a "change". They are easy to see so whenever I walk by a tank I can glance at it. The easier they are to see, the better the chance of catching a temperature shift. If I detect a change, then I drop in one of the floaters to get a better reading, removing it afterwards. In the past, I've also use human thermometers (hopefully an Oral one) :wink: and meat thermometers.

The stick on the glass outside the the tank strip thingies, I place at the top of the glass, so when I perform a water change they fall below the water level, which should result in them registering a drop in temp (the air is cooler than the tanks in my house). If they fail to register the drop, I rip it off and replace it for all of a buck and some change.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Mcdaphnia said:


> I had the Lifegard digitals Prov356 likes too and they worked great for a long time, but when they needed new batteries, they never seemed the same and ended up in a drawer. I want to try the point and click digitals that I saw at the last reptile show. You just need one for a fish room.


I had a lab grade lazer thermometer for work for a while. It was fun to play with but not something I would use to replace water thermometers...

They detect surface temperature, not air/water temps. So if you shoot the waters surface directly below the light it will read considerably higher than the vast majority of the water actually is... if you shoot the water elsewhere it will read cooler than the water actually is (assumign the air temp is cooler than the water temp). Shooting the glass on the side is the most consistent, but it's also going to read a lower temp than the water actually is due to heat loss intot he air.

If the air temp in the room is consistent, and the tank doesn't ever get direct sun (direct sunlight will warm up the glass)... I sure you could regulate an equation that suggests a water temp... but there with the variables in place I found it was just easier to look at the floating thermometer...

But they work great for reptiles, as the surface temperature in different areas aer important to know...

Thanks for the suggestion on the digi... I'll have to check them out...


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