LeftHookGary Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 Are plastic storage drawers from bunnings or mitre 10 mega safe to keep fish in as a temporary thing or will it leech plastic or something? Can you safely put a heater in it? Has anyone keep fish in them before? livingart 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colour_genes Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 Yes, I have kept fish ( guppy and gourami fry mostly) in clear / transparent 'hobby box' type containers for a year or more, with heaters, quite safely. Also used some of the darker plastic tote boxes outside for mini fish-ponds. I washed mine out well with detergent and rinsed thoroughly several times to make sure there were no manufacturing residues. I suspect some of the lower-grade plastics with bright or fluoro-colours might be a bit dodgy, but clear plastic, food-grade plastic or better quality plastics I think are pretty much fine. I have fairly neutral water here, acid water conditions might be different perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverdollarboy2 Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 I would make sure they are "food grade". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilo Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 I use one those ones from the Warehouse with small wheels on the bottom as a quarantine / hospital tank, haven't had any noticeable problems. Cold water though & if I used a heater I would make sure it was kept away from the plastic (a lot of plastics soften at 60C). Also only keep it 2/3rds full to prevent any bowing of the sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftHookGary Posted March 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 Thinking that getting a tall one is going to be a waste of time since it will just bow does 55 liters sound like a good size? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishyNZ Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 http://www.3reef.com/threads/reef-safe-plastics-leaching-myths-facts.57828/ I also bought and used the clear ones on Warehouse, but no more than 60L. I used them mostly with fry and juveniles. With heater and no protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 9, 2017 Report Share Posted March 9, 2017 The late Alan Wakelin, killi breeder of renown, kept many of his in plastic drawers, all nicely labelled. I think he heated the fish room, not the drawers themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nays Posted March 10, 2017 Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 I recently cycled a sponge filter in a clear(ish) lidded 60 litre Taurus one from The Warehouse and have some gouramis in it now while I get their tank set up. The heater is stuck to one long side horizontally using the suction cups; even when it's heating, I can't really detect any temperature difference between the plastic beside the heater and the rest of the bin, so it's certainly not going to melt. I cut a couple of slots in one end of the lid with a hot knife for the air line and power cords. Think I put about 50 litres in there, no substrate. The sides and bottom are bowing but it's holding together fine (I wouldn't use one that has seen any UV though). I just rinsed it out with hot water in the shower. Fish haven't died yet :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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