Toxic metals from exoded heater?

[pdxmonkeyboy]

So I had some cheap heaters I was using in a tank full.of cycling rocks. The top blew off the heater and was in there for maybe 3 or 4 days until I noticed it.

Any advice on what of anything I should do? I was thinking of putting an absorbent pad in there. I know that when I had a heater explode in a nano the corals were hating life for quite awhile afterwards.

 

[Drysea]

Bummer. The good news is that it is in cycling rock. A good large water change will likely take care of it.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Roger that. They were aqueon SS heaters. We have had THREE explode yes in the last 3 months.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think a metal binding material would be a good idea. Some metals will have bound to the rock and you may want to pull them off.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Hey randy.. what about a muriatic acid bath? I have some rocks that were in copper, was going to get rid of that outer layer of rock with a good acid dip

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hey randy.. what about a muriatic acid bath? I have some rocks that were in copper, was going to get rid of that outer layer of rock with a good acid dip

yes, that can help remove anything bound to the rock surface.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Thank you sir.