weighing down / attaching plants... lead use in the aquarium???

[Magnum Man]

so when I was into fish 15 years ago, I used all artificial plants... now I'm trying to use live plants in all my tanks in some way... I have bought plants, that had lead weights wrapped around the base ( usually thin lead sheeting, cut into strips ) I honestly didn't like the idea of permanently adding lead to my tanks... so I had a couple big rolls of solid core lead free solder, I've been using... it seems to work pretty good... am I over paranoid about using lead in my tanks??? ( maybe there is issues with the other soft metals that make up something like "lead free solder" )

I also try to use as little glue & such as possible ( yes I know that glass tanks are normally silicone glued together ) I suppose if you are using activated carbon, it would absorb, any of the chemicals that leach out ( not as worried about the silicone, as other glues that might be used to stick live plants to rocks & drift wood )

thoughts???

 

[BrianK]

They aren't really lead

 

[davros]

Magnesium or Zinc or some alloy . I think with all the controls now lead ain't cheap.

 

[Colin_T]

In America they are phasing out lead and that includes lead lant weights. Most sold in shops are alloys that contain 0 lead.

If you have old lead fishing sinkers or plant weights that are dull grey, they are covered in lead oxide and won't leach anything into the water. Shiny silver lead weights can leach small amounts of lead into the water. However, the amount of lead is tiny and unlikely to affect adult fish if you do a weekly water change.

 

[Magnum Man]

the weights I noticed were on plants either at the local pet store, or came from a seller on Amazon... & some were pretty irregularly shaped. like they were had cut out of a sheet... very soft, & very flexible... the lead free solder I've been using is more ridged, albeit round & thicker than the sheets... pretty dark in color

 

[GaryE]

I find plants rot around weights anyway. When I go for beach walks, I pick up long thin pebbles when I see them, and use them instead. Not everyone has a beach around, but many lakes,gravel areas, rocky terrains and such will have something like that.
Online plant buying has problems, but if you can see stemp plants in a store, get the ones with roots started.