So What's the Deal With Rust?

[SanClementeEric]

How bad is rust in a saltwater aquarium? I've heard everything from it does nothing to it kills everything in the tank.

I was setting up a skimmer and a shrimp in my sump that seemed fine that day, although just molted, died and I noticed a rusty "stainless steel" screw and bolt that water was flowing over. Could that have killed it?

 

[Tropical Reef Fish Store]

GFO is Granular Ferric Oxide (Fancy name for rust ) so rust has ZERO negative affect on yr tank.
Granular = granules
Ferric = steel
Oxide = rust
so '' small pieces of rusted steel'' is gfo
hope that hepls

 

[BeanMachine]

It depends on what is rusting

 

[Adrock]

+1 Cody , not all rust's are created equal and there are different grades of steel so I would be careful since GFO is the end product of the process I wouldn't consider it out right rust

 

[cowboycove]

I'm not sure either. I've heard both bad and harmless as well. But one day I noticed my LPs looking bad. Flesh down to the bones. I looked in my sump and found a rusted screw driver. Probably been in there for a week to 10 days max. I assumed the rust caused the issue. But I also neglected my tank with no water changes for about 6-8 weeks. I had someone hold all the bad looking corals then did a big water change. Corals came back in his tank.

My son likes to throw everything in the sump so I used a crank tie to keep my doors shut. Looks pretty ghetto. Lol

 

[BeanMachine]

From what I know some metals have all sorts of other heavy metals etc so stainless may not be a problem but cheap magnets for instance would be leaching these metals into your tank. Bad news

 

[BeanMachine]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal_(chemistry)