Strange accident. Think I'm okay?

[Zucker26]

So today I was doing some routine maintenance in my sump (adjusting heaters to compensate for winter, rinsing pre-filters, etc). While I had my pre-filters out for cleaning, a huge sheet of that black mesh coating on my heater peeled off. Before I could catch it, it got sucked into my return pump and now tiny pieces of it are floating around in my display. Obviously it's reef-safe or else it wouldn't be on an aquarium heater, but my polyps have all grabbed little pieces of it and occasionally a fish will grab a piece thinking it's food. I threw in some extra mechanical filtration, but there is still a lot floating around. Anyone else ever have this happen? Can anyone think of any disastrous consequences, or am I probably fine here?

 

[rcmike]

Is it a plastic mesh? or stuff kinda like paint? I'm not really sure exactly what you are talking about. I wouldn't think it would be harmful really. I would just try to get as much out as you can just to be safe.

 

[Zucker26]

It's hard to describe. It's an old Tetra submersible, but the newer ones don't have this coating anymore. It's like a black paint that coats the outside of the cylinder, but it's in a mesh patern. It basically just peeled off in an entire sheet and got sucked up. I slowly picking pieces out as I can reach them, and the filter sponge I threw in is grabbing some of it.

 

[rcmike]

I think I know what you are talking about. I doubt it would be harmful to anything really. That is unless the heater was made in China and they used lead based paint.

 

[Rewd]

This happened to me too in my QT tank with a cheap old walmart heater. Didn't hurt anything.