Rust = bad. But how bad?

[graihg]

Is any bit of rust anathema?
For example, if I had tweezers with some rust on them, and used them to grab something in the tank, is that enough to cause a problem?
Or is it more along the lines of magnet failure is needed for levels to get out of whack?

What is the threshold for toxicity in practical terms?

 

[Timfish]

Rust = GFO. Since you don't know what other metals might be present it's best to remove stuff as soon as possible.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Depends on the metal that is rusting. Rusted iron is akin to GFO, but no metal we use is pure iron.

 

[graihg]

So it is not the rusted iron that worries us, but other metals bonded to the iron. Maybe nickel or cobalt or neodymium and the like?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So it is not the rusted iron that worries us, but other metals bonded to the iron. Maybe nickel or cobalt or neodymium and the like?

Yes.

 

[PapaFishRocks]

Tweezers with rust on them.

Were you a victim, like me, of the “stainless steel” tweezers from TEMU?
LOL

 

[graihg]

Tweezers with rust on them.

Were you a victim, like me, of the “stainless steel” tweezers from TEMU?
LOL

I was a victim of the $6 BRS scissors.

 

[PapaFishRocks]

I was a victim of the $6 BRS scissors.

In the grand scheme of things, you likely didn’t hurt anything. The contact time with the tank water and the small amount of rust shouldn’t have hurt anything

 

[coreytrv]

My tank is fallow, but realized the magnet I used, wasn't rated for saltwater, and it started going on me pretty fast. This was about a month.

I need to order a new one...what's the best way to protect them from corroding? Plasti-dip or other?