Lead weights

[Tl52505]

my plants keep coming out of the rocks and my stepdad reccomended to use a lead fishing weight, I found some old ones in my garage and googled to double check and found mixed results. Some saying it was highly toxic but others saying it was a good option. Anyone know?

 

[Lynnzer]

You could always use superglue

 

[Oblio]

Elemental lead is not soluble in significant amounts in water that is not highly acidic.

Lead in drinking water is mainly introduced through corrosion of plumbing systems containing lead pipes and fittings, brass fixtures and lead compounds used in pipe jointing materials. Except in very low alkalinity waters, lead enters the water not so much from direct contact with the lead pipe wall as from contact with lead-rich corrosion products formed as a scale on the pipe wall.

Lead Solubility - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

www.sciencedirect.com

 

[enricosonic]

This has been brought up many times, but I think most "lead" weights made for aquarium use are actually these zinc/magnesium strips.

https://buceplant.com/products/lead-plant-weights

 

[Colin_T]

If the lead is shiny silver then it can release some lead into the environment.

If the lead is dull grey then it has oxidised and will not release anything into the environment.

I used old fishing sinkers in my tanks for decades and never had a problem.

 

[Lynnzer]

When I go sea fishing I invariably lose half a dozen 6oz lead weights. So I was devastated to see so many marine creature deaths locally. I put it down to the huge amount of lead I've thrown into the sea. BEWARE.

 

[BrianK]

This has been brought up many times, but I think most "lead" weights made for aquarium use are actually these zinc/magnesium strips.

https://buceplant.com/products/lead-plant-weights

Having just bought some of these a week ago, I can tell you that they are different from the previous "lead" weights I have bought. They are not the same material and I can only assume that the ones I used before had at least some lead in them. I don't think that they are all lead but I am pretty sure partly.

 

[StevenF]

I have used plumbing solder from the hardware store. it is mostly silver tin copper alloy. Then for a totally different reason I had a lab water test done. the only thing it showed trace of silver. Never had an problems with the shrimp or snails in the tank..