What can I do?

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Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 10, 2007
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Elsinore
Ok, yesterday was a bad day. While I was at work, my blood parrots broke the thermometer in their tank. It was one of the floating glass ones with the metal beads/weights in the base. I came home and they were both super pale and huddling together very close, which they haven't done since they were tiny. I thought maybe they were washed out because it had been dark in the room until I came home, but now I can't help but think they ate the beads which are probably toxic if ingested. All of the other fish are fine.

Does anyone know what the beads are made of? Anything I can do? Also the bps won't eat but they don't look bloated or anything, so I guess they may pass the beads on their own if they make.

Another question. We also got new sinks in our bathroom, and the threading is up inside the faucet thing and I can't get the white thingie to attach my python onto the sink because it's too wide. Is there something I can get so I can attach it? I want to clean the gravel out to get any remaining beads, but obviously I can't until the python is functional.
 
I think most thermometers have mercury or alcohol in the bottom. Mercury is the silver stuff...very toxic

As far as your Python, I remember when I bought mine they had a couple different options for hooking up to your faucett (male and female connectors). I know they have what you need, you just have to go to their site to find it. Once you see what you need (thread size) you can probably save some cash by going to your local hardware store and find the attachment in the plumbing section

Good luck!:headbang2
 
The liquid part of the thermometer was that red (glycerin based?) stuff. Nontoxic. That was all still in the thermometer. What the parrots ate were the little metal balls in the base that all came out when they broke the glass. I'm thinking they were probably lead.

Yeah, I thought of going to the site right after posting. Oops. But I looked around there, and I think I need a "universal connector." I think I'll have to buy it from them, because Ive never seen it around here and it's ridiculously priced for what it is. Plus I don't want to wait for it, as this is somewhat of an emergency.

Ok, forgive my femaleness, but I'm trying hard to describe this in a way that makes sense without knowing much terminology. I know I have male threading, but the way the sink is designed, after I take off the aerator, the area with the threading is very short and it's up inside the metal part that's just there to cover the threading/faucet and make it look pretty. If I could just get something to somehow extend the threading of the sink so that it's not so short, I could attach the python with what I have. Does something like that exist?
 
I don't believe the metal balls are made of mercury. Mercury is basically metal with the consistency of thick water so I don't think that the metal balls are mercury because mercury wouldn't be able to hold its shape. The balls I think are just like steel shot and not lead because there's no reason to use lead. They are just use for weighting the thermometer down. Maybe the fish ate a couple of the balls and might be stuck in their intestines. That might be a serious problem if the fish can't poop them out. The Doctor
 
Thanks guys. I pretty much already figured the ingestion of metals balls was a serious problem.:shakehead lol

But seriously, is there anything I can do? Epsom salt? They won't eat, so a pea won't work... This thermometer was probably made in China, so there's a reason to use lead right there. If they have eaten something toxic, would euthanasia be the only option?
 
Man i just had the same problem, my oscar broke my floating thermometer the other night. Thanks to him i was late to work cleaning out broken glass and the little steel balls. I'd start by doing atleast a 50% water change and putting in a new filter with activated carbon to remove any kind of impurities in the water. After that i guess only time will tell and maybe euthenizing them might have to be an option, i hope you dont have to. Best of luck.

Jimmy
 
Thanks.

I just moved them to a hospital tank, added a half-dose of salt, and I have like 6x the filtration the tank needs. Maybe I'll toss in an air stone, too, but I think with the current from the filter already plus the bubbles, they may be too weak to take it. They colored up a little, but I don't know. They could just be curious about their new tank but no healthier. They're trying really hard to explore and stuff, but it doesn't look too good. Could they have eaten glass? It looked like I got all of it, as it was just one chunk, matched the cracks on the thermometer perfectly. Damn flimsy thing, these fish are pretty small, they shouldn't have been able to break it.
 
Well, as some of you already know, these are some of the fish I'm trying to find homes for. I plan to give away the others (an oscar, two tinfoil barbs, a redfinned shark, and a gourami) clear out the tank, put in black gravel or sand, plant it, and put the fish from my thirty gallon tank in it. Either that or get a few discus. So, breaking down the tank is not a major concern, I'm just scared these little guys may die. And, if the other fish stay in the tank too long, I'm afraid they'll get sick, although they look ok now, and I'm being vigilent.
 
I highly doubt anything will happen to them, they are probly just scared atm. This has happened to me a few time which is why I switched to a Digi Thermo.

give them some time and they will come around, try and clean up what is left but you dont have to be super clean about it; no need to start the tank over again...
 
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