Sealing decorations to make them tank safe?

[madmark285]

I wondered about resin, but have been hearing things about potential health risks from working with resin, people suffering with lung damage after getting into making resin keychains and mugs and things, in unventilated rooms without masks... I wonder if resin might be more dangerous than we realise.

Resin such as epoxy is a chemical reaction when completed, become inert. So while the part A & B is nasty stuff, they are very safe after they setup up. Of course if you mix them wrong ie; not equal parts, you could have a problem. I would not use polyester resin like Bondo.

I have read from numerous sources that Krylon Fusion paint is safe for fish and they do make a clear coat. Not sure if they sell the stuff in the UK.

 

[kwi]

This may help.

More Decoration DIY: Materials and Aquarium Suitability

DIY Aquarium Decoration series: Common materials & their suitability for aquarium use - Written by Marine Biologist Eileen Daub for That Fish Blog.

blogs.thatpetplace.com

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

This may help.

More Decoration DIY: Materials and Aquarium Suitability

DIY Aquarium Decoration series: Common materials & their suitability for aquarium use - Written by Marine Biologist Eileen Daub for That Fish Blog.

blogs.thatpetplace.com

Oh wow that's brilliant, thank you!
Finding out that enamel paints are safe is brilliant, those hand made wooden items look a lot more possible now, since you can easily get small tins of enamel paint for things like model painting, and the decor could be a tank safe material and painted with tank safe paints!

I hope you'll join in too, @AilyNC Plus have you ordered your tardis and cyberman yet??

 

[kwi]

Oh wow that's brilliant, thank you!
Finding out that enamel paints are safe is brilliant, those hand made wooden items look a lot more possible now, since you can easily get small tins of enamel paint for things like model painting, and the decor could be a tank safe material and painted with tank safe paints!

I hope you'll join in too, @AilyNC Plus have you ordered your tardis and cyberman yet??

Enamel paints are slowly on the decline due to VOC content laws and more people are using acrylics, which is a shame as I love airbrushing enamels.
(I build model airplanes and tanks.)

 

[CassCats]

Any good at whittling? Perhaps carve some decor out of fish safe driftwood

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Any good at whittling? Perhaps carve some decor out of fish safe driftwood

That would be ruining perfectly good driftwood!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Well, I've used acrylic paints with no apparent harm to the fish, but it didn't hold up all that well, probably because it was painted onto very slick sealant foam. I've also used Drylok stained with concrete pigment over a very big backdrop for my last 55g setup. It never wore off and never hurt the fish.

 

[AilyNC]

Oh wow that's brilliant, thank you!
Finding out that enamel paints are safe is brilliant, those hand made wooden items look a lot more possible now, since you can easily get small tins of enamel paint for things like model painting, and the decor could be a tank safe material and painted with tank safe paints!

I hope you'll join in too, @AilyNC Plus have you ordered your tardis and cyberman yet??

No I gave up the cyberman idea as he's 6" and my tank was supposed to be 12". Now the tank is actually 18" I'll revisit it I'm hoping for lots of broad leaf plants in the far left so he could go there hiding amongst them. But I'll see once my Azalea sinks what space there is.

 

[AilyNC]

I may however completely redo the small tank once I've moved the fish. That could be a fun space tank with Galaxy Rasbora (CPD)

 

[PheonixKingZ]

No I gave up the cyberman idea as he's 6" and my tank was supposed to be 12". Now the tank is actually 18" I'll revisit it I'm hoping for lots of broad leaf plants in the far left so he could go there hiding amongst them. But I'll see once my Azalea sinks what space there is.

Once your driftwood sinks, it will help fill in your tank a lot. Anubias, java fern, and especially Amazon swords will help fill in your tank.

 

[AilyNC]

Once your driftwood sinks, it will help fill in your tank a lot. Anubias, java fern, and especially Amazon swords will help fill in your tank.

I've a Java Fern in there. Held off on amazon sword as I was hoping to use different plants in each tank & it's in the small one already. Would like a new Anubis. There's so many to choose from so I could have a different one than that in small tank. I could buy plants over my own dinner

 

[AilyNC]

I'm gonna try this with some octonauts figures. Get a picture of their HQ to post to the back of the tank. Leave the plants I have in their and some small rock caves & driftwood. Get a fun air stone - maybe an octopus. Would colour changing air stone be horrible for the fish?

Put 20 male Endlers and a few algae eating snails (my kid would love the snails!).

It'll be tacky but toddler fun

 

[kwi]

I'm gonna try this with some octonauts figures. Get a picture of their HQ to post to the back of the tank. Leave the plants I have in their and some small rock caves & driftwood. Get a fun air stone - maybe an octopus. Would colour changing air stone be horrible for the fish?

Put 20 male Endlers and a few algae eating snails (my kid would love the snails!).

It'll be tacky but toddler fun

If those figures are "food safe" then they'll be aquarium safe, look for one of these symbols.

Of course being toys they may not get those as a matter of course.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I don't know why, but I didn't see these replies until the thread got bumped again.

Any good at whittling? Perhaps carve some decor out of fish safe driftwood

How very dare you! I have never whittled a day in my life! (sounds like some naughty, potentially illegal act )

That would be ruining perfectly good driftwood!

How very dare you! Such little faith in my whittling skills. I might be an excellent whittler! (I don't know either, since I've never done it. Maybe I am!)

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Held off on amazon sword as I was hoping to use different plants in each tank & it's in the small one already.

If your swords are anything like mine, they won't last long in a small tank. They tend to go for world domination.