Great scott- busted thermometer!

[SallyWho]

I was doing a water change in one of my QTs and noticed that the thermometer had come loose from its suction cup and was wedged behind the filter intake. As I pulled it loose, I noticed the end looked funny. It was totally busted, almost melted looking! I always keep those floating suction cup thermometers on the opposite side of the tank from the heater, so I don't know what happened, or for how long it was in there, for that matter! There hasn't appeared to be any adverse effects, though. Talk about lucky! Anybody else ever have a thermometer like this bust its butt off?

 

[Brew12]

I was doing a water change in one of my QTs and noticed that the thermometer had come loose from its suction cup and was wedged behind the filter intake. As I pulled it loose, I noticed the end looked funny. It was totally busted, almost melted looking! I always keep those floating suction cup thermometers on the opposite side of the tank from the heater, so I don't know what happened, or for how long it was in there, for that matter! There hasn't appeared to be any adverse effects, though. Talk about lucky! Anybody else ever have a thermometer like this bust its butt off?

Thank goodness, no!

Fortunately, most aquarium thermometers use colored alcohol instead of mercury so it "shouldn't" cause any issues.

 

[Even Further]

I just put that exact same thing on my external glass overflow box.

 

[dugthefish]

Had a very similar thermometer shatter when I tried to move it along with the suction cup. Cheap.