Regular Member Kissy Posted October 21, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted October 21, 2005 I ran a new aquaclear filter to make sure it was working, and when I took it off the tank, I set the impeller on top of the carbon bag inside of the filter. It got a little rust spot on top after about 24 when I removed the impeller. But now there are rust spots all over it!!! Is there a safe way to get rid of them? Will rust hurt my fish? It hasn't been used in a tank with fish since it got the rust spots, and I can replace the carbon bag if I need. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member LaurieP Posted October 22, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted October 22, 2005 Kissy I don't know, I would be scared to run it. Rust is bad news. Whether you can get it cleaned off enough to be safe I don't know. I am going to move your thread to the equip section. I think there you will find more of a answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted October 22, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 22, 2005 Okay thanks Laurie I wasn't sure where to put the question. Rust sounded dangerous but I wasn't sure because I don't remember ever hearing anything about it. I'll probably just toss it and use another. But...what about the sponge that was underneath it? I don't SEE any rust on it, but it was in contact with the rust spots. Could it still be dangerous? I didn't put any media in the filter, so that's at least safe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member LaurieP Posted October 22, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted October 22, 2005 I still don't know if I would trust it. Rust is going to contain some pretty hard metals. If it isn't a problem I would trash it and go new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted October 22, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 22, 2005 Throw away the sponge too? Should I wash out the filter as well just to be safe? How should I? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member toothless Posted October 22, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted October 22, 2005 Hi guys. Actually, rust in small quantities is not a bad thing when it comes to goldfish, koi and most tropical fish, even marine life. Most homes that are older than 20 years have some piping somewhere that is metal, and rusts. The larger, visible particles are removed by tapfilters and whanot. If I'm not mistaken, dechlorinators that claim to remove "heavy metals", have chlorine AND rust in mind when that statement is used. With the frequency at wich waterchanges are done, in a properly maintained aquarium, rust building up to toxic levels shouldn't be an issue. Sodium thiosulfate, the ingredient in Prime and Amquel+, is a well known rust stain remover. So, I would dare say that rust is one of the "heavy metals" removed Prime and Amquel+. I have times when the water here gets so rusty that you can see the water is an amber color. I never fret and do my waterchanges anyway. usually, within a few hours, the water begins to clear as the rust particles are bound together and rendered harmless. All in all, I wouldn't worry about the impeller rod rusting. Unless its so bad that it hampers the spinning of the impeller, that is. If this rust you see is superficial rust (wipes away easy), you've nothing to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted October 22, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 22, 2005 Thanks Paul I just tried to "wipe away" the rust, but its stuck. Do you think it would be safe to use the carbon bag with a heavy dose of prime? (I love Prime!!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member toothless Posted October 22, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted October 22, 2005 As long as the motor can still spin freely, I really dont thnk it will hurt anything . Prime (regular dosage) during regular waterchanges should be quite enough to keep this very low level of rust that is leeching into the aquarium...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Kissy Posted October 22, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted October 22, 2005 Okay thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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