Magnetic Algea Cleaner smells bad - Can they rust?

[LiQuiD]

OK, I have added several new tanks to the house lately (3 more, I think I'm going nuts) and to cut some costs, I have been sharing the magnetic algea scraper between tanks. The Mag-Floats are rather expensive and kind of fat (hard to get between glass and rock in some areas) so I have been sharing between 3 tanks a cheaper thinner model ( with the string attached, old school). I do not remember the name of it but it is grey. Anyway, I took it out tonight to move it to another tank for cleaning and noticed a god awfull smell coming off of it.:x I opened the hood of the tank it was in and took a wiff, but there was no bad smell, just normal smelling salt water. I thought I should wash it off at least, before putting it in the other tank and while rinsing the pad I could feel an indention under the pad sort of like an indented frame around the perimiter. I did not want to rip off the scouring pad to see if the magnet was directly beneth it or not and am just very worried, because I as most, leave the magnet in the tank at all times except for when moving from tank to tank and don't want to start a dilema and kill off 3 reefs over a $5 scrapper.

 

If anyone has ever had anything similar happen, please fill me in and if you remove your magnet and it stinks like mine, you may want to leave it out of the tank. All my levels are fine (at least the ones I can check) I don't have a lead test kit, or steel or what ever a magnet is made out of, or rust for that matter.

 

Please tell me it is just stinky dead algea buildup...

[Dave ESPI]

It is quite simply the dead trapped algae cells in the pad. CLEAN the magnet right after cleaning the glass. All that dead algae will foul your tank. It is ammonia you smell and it will boost your bioload. ALWAYS always ALWAYS clean you pads after scrubbing a tank before leaving the magnet in it.

[LiQuiD]

Thanks Dave. That's what I was hoping was the problem, but you never know with these cheapo devices.