If you drop a high dollar electronic device into your aquarium, it may quit functioning temporarily, but all is not lost. As quickly as possible, remove the device, open it up, remove any batteries, and dry up as much water as possible. From there, clean the circuits with rubbing alcohol, making sure to use plenty of it, and let the device sit out for a few days in order to completely dry. Some folks have also suggested burying the device in a pile of rice and placing it in an air tight container, as the rice will absorb a great deal of moisture. After things have dried, re-check the circuitry for salt buildup (cleaning with the alcohol if necessary), reassemble the device, and give it some juice. If it powers up, great. If not, chances are it’s fried. The moral of the story is to not give up though. There are a few solutions that you can try to salvage the equipment, and there’s nothing else to lose at that point, so why not give it a shot?
This tip is inspired by Marc Levenson, aka melev, who recently posted his experience with a submerged fish feeder over on his site Reef Addicts.
And for the record, this is our 3000th article here on the AquaNerd Blog, and it took us just a little over three years to reach this milestone. Fitting it should come as one of our regular “Tip of the Day” articles, as they’ve been a staple of our writings for the duration.
