Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

When i was cleaning the glass in my soon to be cherry shrimp tank, the magnetic algea scrubber fell off and landed on the gravel. When i lifted up the cleaner, some of the gravel was stuck to eat so i picked it off thinking it was just attached because of the rough texture but i checked it by moving it across the gravel and some of the gravel stuck to it again. After a few more tests i was sure some of it was magnetic, not alot of it is but some is, what should i do? will it harm shrimp if i put them in there? Anyone help me please...thanks

I think what happened is due the gravel having some iron in it. Where did you get it from? Was it comercial gravel or natural gravel you collected?

I would try running the magnet through the gravel a few times to get most of the iron containing gravel out of the tank just in case. You can also have your water tested if you like.

I bought the gravel in a seeled bag and not something that i collected.

I am not sure if there will be any adverse effects due to the gavel being magnetic. To think that you would not even know about it if your magnet did not fall in. Is the bag of gravel from a popular manufacturer?

Im not sure as the bag it came in didnt have a label on it, just a sticker saying 'aquarium gravel'. The gravel is small and black in colour too if that helps with anything. It was in a clear plastic packet, like what most gravels are sold in so i asume it was put in the bags in a factory or something. Would it be a good idea to take it out and put it in my fish tank and take some of the regular gravel out of there so use in it?

Would it be a good idea to take it out and put it in my fish tank and take some of the regular gravel out of there so use in it?

That is an idea you can try. You can also begin by placing a few shrimp in the tank with the magnetic gravel to see how they do. Let us know how it goes either way.

It is likely magnatite iiif it is black. I would avoid it with shrimp. Iron can be toxic to them.

It may be safe, most bags of 'Aquarium Gravel' have been coated with a marine epoxy to seal any toxins into the rock. All high grade gravel I've purchased has been sealed.

But then I've also never had gravel stick to my magnetic scrubbers, which fall to my gravel frequently. I let my kids do the glass cleaning since they get a kick out of the 'magic' cleaner. They tend to be very energetic.

Ok guys, thanks for all the advice. I will think about it and let you know what i do. I will most likely swap it with some from my fish tank because the black would suit that tank as it is full of slate and the natural gravel from there will go with the soon to be shrimp tank.

There is a sand-like substrate also known as "black beauty" that is often sold in pet stores. It is very high in iron, and occasionally even magnetic.
It looks almost identical to "Tahitian Moon Sand" if you've seen that stuff before.

Magnetite and other iron minerals are often found in volcanic rocks, dust and sand. This black gravel is probably volcanic.

Does this mean that these iron containing material are still safe to use in aquariums? I see these items sold in stores and used in desplay tanks.

It depends on the material and how leachable the minerals are. One can't generalize. Magnetite as a mineral is not a good idea, but magnetite contained in volcanic glass or lava is likely fine.