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Lead in fish tanks (was Re: Suction Cups Re: Cork for Mops)



Jay-Scott Moylan wrote:
> 
> Hi All.
>         I was once told not to use lead in aquariums as it eventually causes
> lead poisoning in the fish, just like it does with us.  I was also told it
> was especially bad if you use salt in your tanks (which I do).  Is this just
> false info?  It seemed to make sense, so I have avoided lead ever since.  It
> sure seems like using simple fishing sinkers would be handy for bottom mops,
> sinking peat tubs in annual tanks, etc.  Is lead safe?

I thought so for years, and was a great sceptic about the dangers of lead.
Then I let a tank, containing lead plant weights, go a bit acid with lots of
peat and softened (low KH, actually) but salted water. The FIL in that tank
slowly turned into berserk devils, as their nervous systems were destroyed.
The lead weights were all corroded and covered with whitish lead oxide when
I cleaned the tank for the final time. There were no survivors. It was
quick, once it started.

Lead, copper, and other toxic heavy metals are soluble in acid water. Salts
may help and can really speed up the corrosion. Look at what happens to
metals in sea water. I no longer use any lead in any tank for fish.

For mop sinkers, I buy those beads on a short elastic band intended for
fastening little girl's pony tails. The solid ones work for me and are
pretty inert. I use marbles in my (usually ceramic) peat bowls, because it
gives the males something to push the girls up against when spawning. Small
stones work as well or better.

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679  huntleyone at home dot com

"People constantly speak of 'the government' doing this or that, as they
might speak of God doing it. But the government is really nothing but a 
group of men, and usually they are very inferior men." --H. L. Mencken

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