Anyone know what chemical is sealed in the pump impeller shaft?

[mikeoif08]

Here is the situation: (Wednesday this happened)

When I returned home for lunch on Wednesday I found my 125 Gallon aquarium (Established for 2 years) with a cloudy / milky hue. My Tangs were breathing really hard and in distress. My Yellow Tang was being hit the hardest and laying flat against the sand breath really hard. He occasional moved and very weak. All of my corals were still fully extended as usually, and it appears the non-tangs showed no distress. I tested the water and nothing showed out of the norm.

My return pump in my sump (Odyssea WP1000) was making a horrible loud noise. I turned this off and removed it to inspect. The impeller shaft plastic was tearing off exposing some type of substance that could be a type of grease (I attached a photo of this part).

To help rectify, I performed 2 25% water changed within a couple of hours of each other. Moved my carbon reactor to the main tank, since I had the sump off, adding new carbon. Added a air stone to the display, since the protein skimmer is in the sump, to keep the water oxygenated. I also went out and got a replacement pump.

I have inquired with all the LFS around me to see if they would have had any similar situations, but no one had an idea what was going on.

Whatever substance that was encased in the shaft of the impeller apparently only had a severe effect on my Tangs and made a the water cloudy/ milky. No effects to the corals or non-Tangs.

As of today, Friday, the water is clear and my fish made it.

Has anyone ever experienced this? Anyone have an idea what potential chemical was exposed to my aquarium?

Any thoughts or advice??

[Bretts05jeep]

Maybe with the pump badly damaged if the turn over rate from the sump was very low it could lowered the oxygen level in the tank. I believe tangs require higher oxygen levels.

Maybe an expert could confirm this theory. Its just the first thought that popped into my head based off the information you have.

I would hope a company that makes pumps for aquarium use would use food grade grease. You should try to contact odyssea to see if some one there could give you any information.

[tmz]

That's a magnet ,there wouldn't be any reason to grease the impeller . They work best when clean as they spin in respond to the magnetic charges in the motor (coi) surrounding it through the sealed well it sits in .It might be a slime buildup form the water or some precipitant. I never broke am impeller open ;maybe they use some type of filler inside those things but I don't know what that would be. IF it jammed I suppose there could have been enough heat to melt somwthing.

If there were a toxin involved invertebrates including coral are usually more sensitive.

I'd look elsewhere for the casue of the issue with the fish. Ammonia, bacterial bloom, parasitic infestation are possibilities.