Rockerpeller Posted October 25, 2006 Report Share Posted October 25, 2006 when it comes to pipe fittings etc, would it be better getting plastic or brass pipe fittings? i'm really not sure on the brass fittings as they may leech stuff into the water. is it fair to assume this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishman Posted October 25, 2006 Report Share Posted October 25, 2006 There are lots of stuff in our house plumbing that are made from brass. Taps, connectors etc. so if its safe for us it will be safe for fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockerpeller Posted October 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2006 sweet. thanks for that. now its time to pay a visit to some old workmates and raid their supplies 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted October 25, 2006 Report Share Posted October 25, 2006 Ordinary brass will corrode in acid conditions. You would be safer with plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 Plastic should be cheaper too. The water that is going through the copper plumbing in your house (if you even have much of it besides your taps) isn't in contact with it for very long, where as depending on where you are using it in your tank it could be in contact for long periods, giving it time to leach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockerpeller Posted October 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 how will it react in a marine environment? thats why i was leaning more toward plastic. i know there are traces of arsenic in brass from memory. found out about it at my last job. i'll see whether i can get plastic fittings thru my old mates... no harm in trying. cheers for that alan i was gonna be getting these fittings for free or extremely cheap suphew. :lol: thats why i thought it might pay to ask before i commit myself to completing the plumbing then having to break it all down and swap to plastic. cheers anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 If you are going to use them in marine then you definately can't use the copper/brass fittings. All inverts are very sensitive to copper and it will kill them quick smart. Also the PH in a marine tank will make them break down faster then normal fresh water. Have read/heard stories of people dropping brass screws and copper wire into their tanks by accident and killing everything, don't know if this is true but there is no way I would risk it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockerpeller Posted October 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 cheers for clearing that up. thats 1 mistake i don't want to re-enact... plastic fittings here i come... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 You get a type of corrosion called dezincafication where the zinc is corroded out and a honeycomb of copper is left behind then that is dissolved away as well. In corrosive conditions they use special alloys like bell metal. In the good old days they used to drop a penny or copper wool into a tank to treat for white spot and remove it when the snails try to climb out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoban Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 so if its safe for us it will be safe for fish And that is why we declorinate our water before adding to our fish tanks ?? Quite often I have my doubts as to what is and isn't safe in my "potable" water from the city.... Do a google on Walkerton sometime!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 That is not why we declorinate the water, but it is why the Local Authority will adjust the pH of the water supply so it is not corrosive. In the good old days when the water mains were galvinized pipe and fire places had a caste iron wet back there was enough iron in the system for the copper to be protected by a copper/iron amalgum in the first few weeks of its life. Now when wet backs are copper and pipes are plastic or ac it is corrosion heaven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoban Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 I was being a smart arse regarding declorinate the water.. Kinda pointing out the "hoops" we go through for our fish to have "safe" water vs. just filling a glass from the tap to give to our kids. (Side note I have a filter system on my kitchen taps as I don't want to drink or even cook with the water the town/city says is "safe") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 I guess we are lucky we are not somewhere like the mouth of the Danube where they say the water has been through six people before you get it. We have a completely untreated artesian supply so the fish and us love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 That is not why we declorinate the water, but it is why the Local Authority will adjust the pH of the water supply so it is not corrosive. The CCC don't adjust pH, it just comes as is out of the ground We have a completely untreated artesian supply so the fish and us love it Clorine is added every now and then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 Actually they did used to adjust the pH on some wells because the water was a bit acid, but I understand they have put in new deeper wells and no longer do. The chlorination would only be to sanitize the pipework after they have been working on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 Yeah the shallow wells are like 10m deep, they are mixing the water from the shallow wells with water from the deeper ones to balance the ph. All the new wells now are going to be 30m + so they won't have the same problem. The also use clorine on some of the resivors from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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