Rust in new saltwater?

[Neptune 555]

I just made 30 gallon of fresh salt water to do a water change when I noticed that a metal clamp was in the bucket. When I removed the metal clamp I could see red stained water fall from the clamp into the water. I am ready to do the water change... Will some rust in a 30 gallon bucket kill my fish and/or coral in a 180 gallon tank?? I would hate to waste the new water for my water change. How dangerous is this really? I am over reacting? I only have NOW to do the water change so looking for some quick advice.

I have a reef: Coral / fish / crustacions: 3BTA's / leathers / candy cane coral / shrimp , mandarin, tangs, sea urchin / sea fan / sea stars / tangs /clowns and more

input requested please!

Neptune

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

30 gallons is what $20 or less? I’m sure others will chime in but me ....no way. I would discard.

I only do 5 gallons at a time for my nano but there’s been 2 occasions where I discarded the water because of film built up on the surface of the bucket I just didn’t trust. It’s expensive and I hate throwing money away but sometimes it’s just not worth it.

 

[lapin]

A little bit of iron will not harm your tank. If you can strain out any big pieces into a sock or just dont pump it all out of the bucket.
How many reefer have dropped a screw in the tank or sump and never found it?

 

[Neptune 555]

30 gallons is what $20 or less? I’m sure others will chime in but me ....no way. I would discard.

I only do 5 gallons at a time for my nano but there’s been 2 occasions where I discarded the water because of film built up on the surface of the bucket I just didn’t trust. It’s expensive and I hate throwing money away but sometimes it’s just not worth it.

It is more the time... I have 30 gallons of water ready now. It takes me hours to make 30 gallons of SW. If I don't do it today I miss my waterchange for 2 weeks : (

 

[rkpetersen]

The issue isn't the iron, it's whatever other metals might have been alloyed with iron and released by the rusting steel.
Given that it's a single clamp and a sizable water volume, you're probably ok, but no easy way to know for sure.

 

[Neptune 555]

The issue isn't the iron, it's whatever other metals might have been alloyed with iron and released by the rusting steel.
Given that it's a single clamp and a sizable water volume, you're probably ok, but no easy way to know for sure.

maybe not so small a clamp....

 

[ahiggins]

I wouldn’t risk it. Fish could stand it probably but inverts and coral are extremely sensitive to iron. I remember an lfs owner had a crazy ex and once she dosed his shop with copper and killed most the coral, all the inverts and made the fish sick.

 

[ScottB]

Not sure you are going to get a high conviction answer on this, but I will share an anecdote.

I can go a while without vacuuming my sump. Last time I did, I found a nice rusty conduit fastener in there. It matched the one my electrician had (successfully) installed inside my cabinet maybe 3-4 months prior. Dunb*** dropped one and didn't bother to tell me.

It had zero noticeable effect on my mixed reef. Of course, had I KNOWN it was in there, I wouldn't have slept for 3-4 months. Your call.