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Re: [APD] Caution with lead weights (was Re: Keeping Plants Rooted with MTS)



Did you eliminate the possibility that excess CO2 is what really  
killed those fish?  Vinegar is a weak acid, which will very slowly  
dissolve lead.  Vinegar has a pH of 2.4 to 4, depending on who you  
believe, but I haven't yet heard of an aquarium having a pH nearly  
that low.  My intuitive belief is that a  pH 5 aquarium will not  
dissolve lead nearly fast enough to ever be a problem, especially  
with weekly 50% water changes.  Am I really wrong?  I ask because I  
generally use a few lead weights, so there is usually some lead in my  
aquarium.

Vaughn H.

On Sep 27, 2006, at 9:46 AM, Wright Huntley wrote:

> I have accidentally killed whole tanks of fish with lead weights, so I
> urge caution with their use.
>
> If the tank goes acidic, and many softer-water tanks do (particularly
> with added CO2), the lead dissolves or is etched and becomes very  
> toxic
> in the water.
>
> At that point, the fish may show severe neurological damage, and swim
> erratically. A quick water change and raising KH can potentially halt
> the process, but the damage to the fish is already done, and many will
> not survive.
>
> As you may guess, I have been down on lead plant anchors since I  
> killed
> off a whole strain of particularly nice killifish.
>
> Wright
>
> -- 
> Wright Huntley - Rt. 001 Box K36, Bishop CA 93514 -  
> whuntley at verizon_net  760 937-2276 (cell) 760 874-2000 (CA) or 941  
> 866-0500 (FL).
>
> "You can hear a lot by listening"
> - Yogi Berra
>
> http://www.self-gov.org/wspq.html
>
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