I need help please

[dawncollette]

I hoped I would never have to post a thread like this but here I am.....yesterday I was doing a water change on my QT tank which houses a few angles I grew from babies and my gold nugget pleco.....they abide there when all is well with the discus. The angels were in with discus and started bullying them...so they got moved.
My thermo broke and all the mercury went into the water. I managed to get the fish out pretty quickly and the gold nugget and angels have survived so far but the mercury got into the filter etc....Is there any way to clean this tank, filter, etc... and reuse it??? Or should I ditch the filter and everything and start over.???\
Also another question, I am getting ready to move some of the juvies I have in one tank to the other as they are growing rapidly and I will be very over crowded if I don't move them. They are going into a tank with a 3.5 inch blue diamond and white diamond and 3 cobalt... blue juvies.....PLEASE any suggestions on putting them from one tank to another without stressing all the fish involved out. I just got over major issues with both tanks and am dreading....doing this with the.....fear of resulting in having to start medicating again due to something I caused and the stress related to it. Any advice or suggestions would BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
thanks,
dawn

[AmberC]

Dawn,
As far as I know.. the "mercury" is not mercury anymore. I've known people to have those thermometers break in the tank before and a good thorough water change was enough. I would just buy new filter media and scrub the filter out well and do a good water change.

Amber

[Polar_Bear]

Amber is correct. Mercury was replaced by ethyl alcohol and dye at least 50 years ago. People continue to say "Mercury" even though that is really not what is in a thermometer. Your fish should be fine Dawn. I would do a major, as in as much as you can, water change, clean the filter, and replace the fish.

[devonpond]

Mercury would be visible as tiny silver droplets in the bottom of the tank. If you haven't seen those, you don't have a mercury spill.

[dawncollette]

hey everyone thanks for the replies..., it was red liquid and had a horrible smell. I have very little gravel in the bottom and I took all that out and ditched it. I will clean as recommended.
Also any suggestions on moving the discus to their new tank and the way to make it less stressful on the fish!???
thanks gang for the quick response, this forum rocks!!

[dawncollette]

hi all, all of the angels died so whatever the contents of the thermometer it was poison and killed them. I've had them a long time and they were babies when I got them. Thanks all,
take care,

[Ryan Smith]

Dawn,

I am very sorry to hear about your angelfish :( That is terrible.

Ryan

[Kindredspirit]

Me too:(

[AmberC]

I'm so sorry Dawn :(

Amber