Dropped my thermometer (with its battery) in my aquarium

[Karen B.]

I found my digital thermometer knocked over in my betta aquarium.

 

I don’t know how long it has been in the water.

As soon as I found out, I removed the thermometer and the fish (put it in another betta’s water).

I drained about 90% of the water. I threw away the filter floss and rinced the other media in another tank’s water. But now I don’t know what to do.

Remove everything, plants, substrate, etc and rince it?

Fill the aquarium back up and let it run with some carbon filter? I don’t have purigen, should I go get some?

It’s a 10 gallons, planted, with a HOB and a sponge filter.

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/10/2022 at 3:21 PM, Karen B. said:

Remove everything, plants, substrate, etc and rince it?

Fill the aquarium back up and let it run with some carbon filter? I don’t have purigen, should I go get some?

I would change 50% water and run carbon.  Should be ok, but it's to remove the trace elements of whatever from the PCB and what not.

[Flumpweesel]

To be honest you have done far more than I would have done. If the battery hasn't leaked (looked fine in the pic) I would just have thrown away the thermometer. 

[Robert Keeney]

I don't use thermometers in my aquariums. I use a laser/infrared thermometer. Point and shoot.

For example: https://www.harborfreight.com/121-infrared-laser-thermometer-63985.html

Not only can you check you temperature in all of your aquariums rapidly but you will find many other uses for it as well.

[gardenman]

On 6/11/2022 at 8:27 AM, Flumpweesel said:

To be honest you have done far more than I would have done. If the battery hasn't leaked (looked fine in the pic) I would just have thrown away the thermometer. 

I agree. Any small residue on the PCB in any volume of water should have no real impact. I might have even tried drying out the thermometer and reusing it. Low voltage devices like that can often survive a dunk or two. Especially in fresh water. Saltwater gets a bit trickier for electronics, but a device dunked in freshwater can often be revived.

[Wrencher_Scott]

On 6/11/2022 at 5:27 AM, Flumpweesel said:

To be honest you have done far more than I would have done. If the battery hasn't leaked (looked fine in the pic) I would just have thrown away the thermometer. 

Exactly. 👍

[Wrencher_Scott]

On 6/11/2022 at 6:02 AM, Robert Keeney said:

I don't use thermometers in my aquariums. I use a laser/infrared thermometer. Point and shoot.

For example: https://www.harborfreight.com/121-infrared-laser-thermometer-63985.html

Not only can you check you temperature in all of your aquariums rapidly but you will find many other uses for it as well.

yes, those are great. But it is also nice to be able to glance in there to see what the temp is at.

My heater has one built in. 

[Tanked]

On 6/10/2022 at 6:21 PM, Karen B. said:

I drained about 90% of the water. I threw away the filter floss and rinced the other media in another tank’s water. But now I don’t know what to do.

I think you have already done too much!  I have rescued tanks that contained far worse than a digital thermometer for months,  The fish are fine.