Stainless steel impeller shafts etc

[chris_pull]

I run a small aquarium on an Oase canister filter. Things have been going really well and the way I have it set up means I rarely have to open the canister itself. Yesterday I opened it up for the first time in about 6 months to give it a clean and it was really interesting to see the diversity of life inside – I had baby trochus snails, spirorbid worms, tube worms and sponges all over the biomedia and minimal detritus.

However, I noticed that the impeller shaft is metal and that there are also metal screws inside the canister head itself that are in contact with water. Moreover, I am pretty sure the rotor itself is just one big exposed magnet (see photo)? I didn't notice this when I first set it up/wouldn't have realised it could be a problem back then – it's advertised as saltwater safe, so as a novice I didn't think anything of it.

Now I am a bit concerned about it. There's no sign of rust or pitting and from reading some other threads it seems it may or may not be a problem depending on the type of stainless steel that it is. However, I am concerned about the impact long term and it's making me wonder if I should switch to a different model/some other form of filtration, like a HOB, though I imagine many of these types of filters have steel impellers and magnetic shafts.

I guess I should get an ICP test done and see if I have elevated levels of metals.

 

[chris_pull]

Actually, I should clarify that when I say things have been going really well, I mean that it is not a nitrate factory nor a detritus trap. I do however have issues growing Coraline and SPS though I cannot say for sure what the cause of that is. I think it may be due to my lighting, though now I am concerned about heavy metals.