can a razor blade lost in tank mess with the water?

[CTaylor]

Hi,

I dropped a razor blade in my 65 gallon reef a few weeks ago during a water change. I can't find it easily. So I left it in. Since then everything looks like crap. My torch looks flat, my porites that have survived everything are almost solid dead rock. It could be attributed to other things, though, such as a big spike in alkalinity, or use of ESV salt, which it's possible I mixed in wrong proportions.

Anyhow, can a deteriorating razor blade be detrimental to a reef tank? I would think it's just iron, and how bad can that be lol.

Thanks!

 

[vashawn]

I know that it will start to rust

 

[Timfish]

As it corrodes it will bind PO4 to the rust. I would look at something else as being the cause.

 

[hkgar]

Personally I don't think it is the missing blade. They rust and GFO is basically rust that is used to eliminate PO4

What are your nitrate and phosphate levels. Are you tracking Alk as fluctuations with that can be harmful to SPS? What is your ALK level?

 

[tzylak]

Several months ago I dropped a stitching needle into my 50g hex.
At that, I dropped another needle into my sump to monitor its decomposition. Nothing happened to the second needle so I took it out and left the first one in.
Now needles have different metallurgical composition than razor blades. Create a test sample (half a blade?) and wait a while to see the reaction (if any).

 

[CTaylor]

Ok, I didnt think it would hurt, especially with the comments here!
The other thing is that I mis-read my Hanna Alk meter, b/c it give reading in ppm. I was actually at a fine level of 9 DKH. But I misread it, thinking it was half of that. So I kept putting in bicarb to pull it up.. all the way to 18 dkh :-/ . The corals looked fine during that surge. It wasnt until I let the levels normalize over a few days that things fell apart. I've been stable at about 8.5 or so for 10 days, Ca at 400 (could be better). Mg 1350-1375 . Phosphate 0 (ppb). Nitrate undectable.
But how can it be the alk surge when the corals looked unaffected until after, and they are not recovering at all?
thanks!

 

[lagatbezan]

not sure if the blade is your issue, but you can get a telescopic magnet from your local hardware store for a few bucks and use it to try to find the razor blade in your tank and remove it. I just wouldn't feel comfortable with anything sharp in my tank knowing my luck lol.

 

[Mrtickles]

I'd be more nervous about slicing my hand on a rusty blade months down the road.

 

[CafeReef]

one thing to consider, what kind of blade was it? A lot of blades come oiled to keep them from rusting. depending on what kind of oil the company used, it might be enough to cause issues.

 

[CTaylor]

Oh they definitely rust very fast... I know b/c when I leave one out to dry after using it in the tank, they just rust out fast.

 

[CTaylor]

i'm about to lose whatever corals I have left, mainly the xmas tree porite rock, so last ditch i'm changing all the water in my tank asap. And I'm going to find that razor, whether it's hurting anything or not lol.

 

[juniorrocketdad]

I have know people that have found rusty razor blades months later in there tank with no problems although be careful not to cut yourself lol, I stepped on an algae scraper which isn't even that sharp and had to get six stitches in my foot

 

[CTaylor]

OUCH!!!!! ... I will be careful! .. I was trying to use the strong magnet of my tunze pump holder to attract it, but didnt work. It was actualy the mag field of that holder that cause me to drop the blade. I might have messed my water up somehow by escalating the alk so fast. Also I remember my Ca was 550. SO it's possible I mixed wrong proprotions of the B-ionic salt. I know it's supposed to be a great salt, but with that room for error (at least with me), it's not for everyone.

 

[Lsufan]

I agree about the blade, I think it is more to do with your alk swings & other parameters.

 

[CTaylor]

I wish there was a way to target it for sure by some test that can analyze everything about the water so I dont have to do this major water change. I must have mixed the wrong proportions, though I was so careful not to. I'm definitely switching back to red sea reef salt.

 

[ca1ore]

I have dropped countless blades into my reef, none have done any harm. If you wish to convince yourself that it's a problem, just run a poly filter for a while.

 

[Dr. Reef]

i agree, there shouldnt be a problem but running a polyfilter/carbon will be a good idea.

 

[rocsec1]

I would try and find it. With my luck I'll reach in find find it unexpectly and then spend the next few hours in an ER getting stitched up

 

[SGT_York]

You run your luck with razor blades, some are zinc plated which will destroy your tank. So it depends if you have a plain steel razor or a zinc/galvanized razor.

 

[CTaylor]

will the zinc galvonized still rust? I know this type of blade rusts really easy.