Nymox Posted June 25, 2010 Report Share Posted June 25, 2010 I've been using the lead strips that come with plants to help keep them on the bottom when fish like the eels come through and dig everything up. Are there any ill effects long term? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 25, 2010 Report Share Posted June 25, 2010 Not that I have ever experienced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 No effects long term. None at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted June 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 Thanks Any idea where I can buy it? I dont get enough through plants I get from the lfs. Is the lead used for the plants in tanks treated in any way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 I've seen plant weights for sale at Hollywood fish farm , they're a bit different to the ones that come with bought plants but still do the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 Thanks Any idea where I can buy it? Pet shop. Is the lead used for the plants in tanks treated in any way? Some seem to have a plastic coating on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 Copying from another post that is going at the same time: There is quite a lot of research about the detrimental effects of lead fishing weights on the health of aquatic species. Lead poisoning is cumulative (builds up over time) and some of the first effects are behavioural/mental/cognitive. Would you be able to tell if your fish was starting to go a bit nutty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 define long term :lol: we use..what lead 202? that's a half life of 53000 years? All heavy metals carry the risk of poisoning because they don't leave the organic bodies and finally can cause cancers, tumours etc etc. The risk of your fish tank fish being negatively affected by a stable form of lead, not by ingestion of the metal but because it some how misbehaved and dissolved in water is NIL in my opinion. especially with all the water changes that we tend to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 i saw a fish die of lead poisoning it involved a large rainbow trout and a 303 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted June 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 Ok well what I gather it there should be no problem using it in tanks that have fish with shorter life spans, but to be careful Ill avoid it in tanks that have fish that live a while longer. The Bala sharks are already nuts enough without behavioural/mental/cognitive problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie841 Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 If you are changing your water regularly there would be little to no build up in the environment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 yeah, that and if you never ever do water changes to removed the dissolved lead seriously... mountain out of an ant hill problem here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 [quote name=livingart]i saw a fish die of lead poisoning it involved a large rainbow trout and a 303 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 [quote name=livingart]i saw a fish die of lead poisoning it involved a large rainbow trout and a 303 I remember when I went for my firearms license the officer showed us a rifle with a barrel split like a lily flower, he asked us how much water we thought had caused this to happen, someone said one drop - he said try a whole river, the guy had tried to shoot a fish with it by sticking the barrel in the water to get it closer to the fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 All metals have an oxide on their surface, a very thin shell around a bulk metal body. Dissolution and corrosion occur at this interface. Depending on what ions and acid conditions the metal will dissolve via the oxide or via the bare metal if the oxide have been compromised (oxides are a passivating layer - stopping corrosion). In truth, there is such a small amount of lead corroding at a very slow rate, and regular water changes should help keep the levels low but a tank is an otherwise closed environment and the living body cannot excrete lead so any contamination just accumulates, however slowly that might be. Regardless, there is quite a it of research out there debating the detrimental effects of lead poisoning in wild aquatic species due to lead deposits from lost fishing weights, bullets, paint, etc. Remember the Siamese fighters ill from being kept in lead crystal bowls? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 Lead is pretty insoluble and that is why it has been used as flashings on roofs for such a long time. Idon't know about fish but humans can excrete lead but only at a very slow rate. It becomes toxic when we absorb more than we can excrete. I never leave the lead on the plants as it chokes the roots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted June 26, 2010 Report Share Posted June 26, 2010 When lead metal is exposed to air it forms an oxide compound which is more soluble in water (hence my previous post). That was the problem with old houses with lead solder and lead pipe which leached into the water supply and made people sick. I just did a search for a good link. If anyone has any further questions about lead in water, this should help: http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/water/ ... -water.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted June 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2010 As far as lead poisoning goes im not concerned, thanks for all the help. Now, as for an alternative, I pulled up a few plants last night that I had weighed down with lead, and they were very choked. Im wondering if there is another way to keep them on the bottom long enough for the roots to be well established. Birchirs, specially the bigger ones dont dig but they go blundering through everything and unless its well rooted its floating by morning. I thought about trying something like clay, cover the roots and chuck a stone in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted June 27, 2010 Report Share Posted June 27, 2010 I usually just put the stalks under a rock, I usually forget to take the rock out when the roots are established as well :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted June 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2010 Ill give that another try but the ornates will just power through held down by rock or not, I kind of need something that allows them to move but stay sunken. The other thing is I cant really get my hand to the bottom of the tank, at least deep enough and delicately enough to plant. Damn huge tank, maybe I should just get plastic plants (EW!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 27, 2010 Report Share Posted June 27, 2010 If putting rock on the plant or tying a rock to it doesn't work then might I suggest putting a rock on or tying a rock to the fish instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted June 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2010 aww lol no way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted June 27, 2010 Report Share Posted June 27, 2010 If putting rock on the plant or tying a rock to it doesn't work then might I suggest putting a rock on or tying a rock to the fish instead? Remember, this is from the guy who had a fish swimming around in his tank with a bucket on it's head... viewtopic.php?f=16&t=46007&start=45 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymox Posted June 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2010 hahaha yeah I remember that one it was a classic. What is clay like in tanks? Im wondering if I can squish clay around the roots, stick some of the sand to it so it looks the part and drop em in. I wonder if it would stay together though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted June 27, 2010 Report Share Posted June 27, 2010 Probably not with bulldozer fish, then it would make the water cloudy. What sort of plants we talking about, you may be better off with java fern and anubias tied onto driftwood rather than trying to plant things. How deep is your substrate - what about putting plants in little terracotta pots, I have crypts like this in my hillstream setup and in bare bottom tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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