help i just loss a razor blade in my tank

[donpachino1983]

Am taking the biggest crap ever I just loss a razor blade in my tank this is how it happened last night I started cleaning my tank and remember placing razor on one of the cross bars then continue to clean change water feed and maintenance tank when I finally remember were is the razor I looked everywhere no sign of it anywhere here is the problem I have lots of rock and fish its a 15o reef with coral and a deep sand bed I looked in sand but started stirring up so stop using a magnet am 100%t sure it fell in just were? What do I do I really don't know to take down I realize it will rust over time may this cause a problem

[billdogg]

Step 1. Calm Down! it's just a razor blade. Yes it will rust. GFO is .....rust.
Step 2. DO NOT look for it bare handed! (duh?)
Step 3. Any nice rare earth magnet will find it for you. just tape it to a length of pvc and use that to slowly go through the sand bed.
Step 4. Discard old razor - should be single use anyway, IMO
Step 5. Go to HD/Lowes and pick up a plastic scraper handle to hold your new razor blade - I have one that I've had for about 20 years - it even floats with the blade in it - very hard to lose.

HTH

[donpachino1983]

Say by any chance not able to find cause have a lot of rock now what massive water change carbon or tank break down?

[StaghornE]

Be careful. If you have any Caribbean fish. They may be hiding it. And they will cut you!

[PAnanoguy]

if it were me I'd do a thorough search through the tank. large bucket on the floor with water from tank. Start removing rocks until I found it. also a good way to get a tank clean up in the process. this should be done from time to time anyway so here's your chance. pain in the a$$ yes but necessary anyway.

[donpachino1983]

Guess just being stubborn and want to hear its ok no problem with rust :p:p

[donpachino1983]

Be careful. If you have any Caribbean fish. They may be hiding it. And they will cut you!

I do atlantic blue tang is a mean one too hopefully I find I doubt I will have done all as advised no luck just wondering isn't there rust in water anyway and wont skimming just pull out:p

[donpachino1983]

Maybe scientist out there with answer am looking for and wanting to hea:lol2::lol:r

[DownwardDawg]

Say by any chance not able to find cause have a lot of rock now what massive water change carbon or tank break down?

The very 1st response from billdog answers your question. Nothing will happen. I would certainly try to find it, but it's not a big deal IMO. So many people use ty-wraps (zip ties) in their tanks. A lot of these have stainless steel in them that holds the tie.

And as billdog stated, most of us use GFO in our tanks. GFO = rust.

[donpachino1983]

The very 1st response from billdog answers your question. Nothing will happen. I would certainly try to find it, but it's not a big deal IMO. So many people use ty-wraps (zip ties) in their tanks. A lot of these have stainless steel in them that holds the tie.

And as billdog stated, most of us use GFO in our tanks. GFO = rust.

Ok a little bit of relief am literally have stomach pain as of last night:lmao:

[Meanmike]

I would also imagine it will disintegrate pretty quickly.

[donpachino1983]

I would also imagine it will disintegrate pretty quickly.

Ah more relief keep it coming :lolspin:n

[Digitalelectric]

McGuyver time. Glue/tape a small magnet to the end of a clotheshanger and get in there between the rocks. Youll find it.

[sirreal63]

I would find it, a rusting razor blade is not GFO, it will have other metals in it and these have the potential to cause issues. I agree with not freaking out, but I would still use a magnet and get it out of the tank.

[WillM]

Lowe's has a telescoping magnet for relatively cheap if you really want to get it out of there. It looks like a car antenna with a magnet on the end of it. If you can't find it running that thing slowly through the places you can reach, then once you pull the rocks you can keep looking with it. It will find it. I lost a finishing nail in my tank and it pulled it out of the sand no problem. And I doubt that thing will disintegrate very quickly. I'd rather have it out of my tank if for no other reason than safety concerns over cutting my hand when I forget it's in there and go digging in the sand 6 months down the road.

[DownwardDawg]

Lowe's has a telescoping magnet for relatively cheap if you really want to get it out of there. It looks like a car antenna with a magnet on the end of it. If you can't find it running that thing slowly through the places you can reach, then once you pull the rocks you can keep looking with it. It will find it. I lost a finishing nail in my tank and it pulled it out of the sand no problem. And I doubt that thing will disintegrate very quickly. I'd rather have it out of my tank if for no other reason than safety concerns over cutting my hand when I forget it's in there and go digging in the sand 6 months down the road.

Great idea. This is what I would do. That telescoping magnet would work great.

[WillM]

Great idea. This is what I would do. That telescoping magnet would work great.

Thanks! This also works if you have one of those cheap suction cup thermometers that gets busted and the little steel balls in the bottom fall into your sand. Picks them right up. Plus it's handy of you are working on your car and drop a screw or whatever. As long as it's ferrous it will grab it.

[jlobes]

Buy a flipper..

[etepperman]

Had one in my tank for several months year before I even knew about it. When I did find it, it was about half decayed.

Nothing happened in my tank.

-E

[donpachino1983]

Ok I have tried all just got back from auto part with telescope magnet and no luck

[donpachino1983]

Had one in my tank for several months year before I even knew about it. When I did find it, it was about half decayed.

Nothing happened in my tank.

-E

Any others with good news out there

[deepstar]

As stated above, the telescoping magnet is a good idea. I have one for just such occasions.

Any automotive store should also have a telescoping magnetic device for retrieving dropped nuts and bolts in hard to reach places. It is also a good tool to have around for other reasons besides retrieving dropped razor blades.

[GrandPa_J]

Are you sure it went in the tank! I had a similar problem a long time ago and thought I dropped a nail in the tank, several years later when I took my tank down and moved the stand, I found that nail under the stand next to one of the legs. Don't know how I missed it but it was there. Run you magnet around the stand in places you can't see our reach, you might be surprised. Just a thought, good luck.

[disc1]

Just to restate this since it seems to be a recurring thought. GFO and a rusty razorblade aren't even close to the same thing. Sure there is mostly ferric oxide on the rusty blade but there are also a lot of other metals oxidizing there. GFO is pure iron. Razorblades are not. Don't fool yourself into thinking that just because GFO is safe that other rusted metals are too.

[biocube14g]

How big is your tank

[hllywd]

IME I wouldn't get super upset if I lost a razor blade in my 210. I'd certainly try to find it since there is always the possibility for contamination, but I wouldn't tear the tank down over it. Way more chance of causing problems rearranging an established system than the blade might do IMO.

[donpachino1983]

How big is your tank

150 gals other options with tank tear down

[BigAl2007]

Buy a flipper..

Ditto :)

[donpachino1983]

Are you sure it went in the tank! I had a similar problem a long time ago and thought I dropped a nail in the tank, several years later when I took my tank down and moved the stand, I found that nail under the stand next to one of the legs. Don't know how I missed it but it was there. Run you magnet around the stand in places you can't see our reach, you might be surprised. Just a thought, good luck.

100% was on cross bar that runs down the center

[donpachino1983]

Ditto :)

What's a filper

[Reeferz412]

I was putting a picture above my reef tank a few months back, and I dropped a screw into my tank. I grabbed one of those algae scraper sticks and zip tied a broken marineland impellar on it. Luckily I knew where it was and the magnet instantly got the screw.

[WillM]

I was putting a picture above my reef tank a few months back, and I dropped a screw into my tank. I grabbed one of those algae scraper sticks and zip tied a broken marineland impellar on it. Luckily I knew where it was and the magnet instantly got the screw.

Finally someone finds something useful to do with anything Marineland makes!

[Orm Embar]

I'd be more concerned with something sharp in the tank to be honest, but I wouldn't go ballistic. If you wanted to be paranoid, you could run a PolyFilter or whatever people use nowadays (do they still sell PolyFilters?) or some mesh that traps heavy metals until you find it and then run it for a day or three. I don't know that you need to do anything beyond find the darn thing and don't cut yourself or anything else, though.