Safe metals for tank

[topc]

Hi,

I want to experiment making hollow shapes out of fine metal mesh in to which I'll put Riccia plants. It may be crazy, but if it works I'll post pics etc.

But first, I need some safe material. Copper, stainless steel? anything?

Can anyone say what metals are safe for a freshwater tank?

I'm looking for something that won't rust and certainly won't leach anything nasty in to the water.

Thanks,
M.

 

[babyfish]

Stiff plastic mesh is probably safest, any sort of metal will leach into your water

 

[De Plano]

Why metal? Is it so it will hold it's shape?

There are needlework mesh squares that are made of plastic. I am not sure if it is possible to shape them and have them hold the shape though.

I would think that copper would be bad. I have had jewelers in the studio on the property I live on who worked with copper and they wear a respirator and plastic jumpsuit.

SOmeone said earlier that a stainless steel or brass bolt would work for attaching driftwood to a piece of slate, but mesh would have a lot more surface area to have in contact with the water. If it is just a hollow tube then I would go with the needlework mesh.

Goodluck

 

[chunmak]

Stainless steel if u got the money and pure aluminium, it must be 100% pure alli because alluminium won't react if the water has a nutral ph.
And are u mad using metal u should only use metal if u can nutralize it in ur filtration and that could cost quite a lot use plastics or drift wood.

Drift wood + saw + drill = any shap u want and a very good planting material

 

[freshmike]

I don't know about the aluminum....it corrodes far too easily....but a surgical quality of stainless steel would probably be your best bet, although VERY EXPENSIVE!!! I would also just try using the plastic, to be on the safe side.



Chris

 

[Opcn]

If you keep you water super soft you can use brass if you keep it on the soft side you can use surgical steel but it will set you back a few bucks and If you are made of money you can use titanium which does not corode much at all. also falling into the "made of money" category are platnum and gold (not silver though) niether of which will corrode in a fw tank with out heavy electrical current.

Shy away from aluminum because it can fry the braind of your fish as it diffuses into the water (alsimers patients have 7 tmes the amount of aluminum in there brains on average).

Opcn

 

[topc]

Thanks for all your replies folks!

Perhaps I should explain a bit more. I had a rock with Riccia held in place with a hair net and it worked really well - the Riccia grew through it and covered it to make an attractive green ball.
It seemed to me that the gap between the rock and the net gave space for the plants to spread and grow well.

Unfortunately, with time the netting sagged in the water, so I tried tying the Riccia down with fishing line which holds it in place. But It doesn't look nearly as good as the hairnet (before it sagged) becasue it holds it down too tightly and the Riccia can't spread and 'fill in the gaps' to give total cover.

Now I want a better solution for the rock and also to make a shaped lawn effect for part of the front of my tank.

So, I thought for the rock some metal mesh fashioned with a gap would work well and for the 'shape' too.

If I could fashion and shape a piece of metal mesh that is perhaps a quarter inch deep (top to bottom) and custom shaped (looking at from the top, so to speak) to fit exactly in the bottom of the tank at the front I would get a good effect. It would fit the space exactly, give room for the Riccia to spread and be healthy and not sag over time so I could give it a haircut from time to time.

Plastic mesh might do but it would be hard to shape in the way metal can.

I'll keep looking.

M.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I asked a while back if I shoould put a copper scouring pad in my tank to prevent velvet. I had read it in a book and had wanted to know if it was true. I never got an answer though, so I'm asking here.