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So I get home from work today and find the glass thermometer at the bottom of the tank. I think "hmm! that's strange!" Upon further inspection I discovered there are little silver dots in the the water. I know that is not mercury as it was just for keeping the thermometer upright. I am going to clean it out right now but does anyone know what those little silver balls are in case I miss any of them?

I think they are teeny tiny ball bearings. My thinking is that they would be non corrosive as they are in a liquid medium when encased in the thermometer.

Similar in size to small gravel pieces...and fish spit those out when they detect that they aren't food. So I think you should be in the clear if you miss any.

Good luck hunting for them....

(I have a stick on the glass thermometer because the suction cup on my trad themometer kept perishing, I'm happy with the new sort.)

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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

Thanks for setting me at ease a bit. I couldn't suck them up with the siphon so i just pullled out a patch of gravel with the net. I have an electric thermometer but i was doing water changes yesterday and must have put that one back in. At least none of them were hurt when they broke the glass (and how they did it, i'm not quite sure).

What kind of fish are in the tank? That might tell you how it got broke Could be the fishies were using it as a toy and having a good time...

What was the liquid medium in the thermometer, that is what is bothering me...I'd hate for something to go wrong because it wasn't good for lack of wording

Glad you noticed it at least and got it cleaned up, keep an eye on the fish just in case
heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Maybe you could have fished them out with a magnet.


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The liquid in the thermometer is intact. I inspected it when i took it out. Everyone is behaving normally today as they were last night. I did a major cleaning the day before this happened and didn't put the plants back in right away. I noticed that my fish were a little wild with nowhere to hide so I'm thinking that they probably knocked into it while flying around the tank. I have an oscar, green terror, yellow lab and several blue jewels in the tank. The jewels were the ones going all crazy. I have since added the plants back in so they have calmed down. Good idea with the magnet! I will give that a try. Thanks again for the help!

Jason LEGEND of the week award. Good idea.

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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~