okay a while back i said i was going to put a skull in my tank. i did and this slime crap came off it. it has been soaking for 4wks and still the slime. My question is if i use a marine farnish will it be safe to put in the tank?
varnish
- Thread starter stephenray75
- Start date
No. I've worked with marine varnish before. It will leach toxins for a while. No idea how long....or even if it will stop!
Here's what I use....which still isn't foolproof: West System 105 Epoxy with 205 (fast) Hardener,. I would prefer to use an NSF approved potable water quality epoxy, but I have only seen them sold in sky-blue, grey, and white. The West System is a clear 2 part epoxy. If you don't mind painting it white (since it's a skull) you can get the Interline 2 part epoxys. I use Interline 850 (grey) to coat my DIY aquariums, and only use the West system to coat artificial rock walls and such.
The West system is not NSF approved for potable water, though....so there is no guarantees with it. I have seen this used in many DIY aquarium projects online, some of which have been running for years. I also used this product when I did some yacht repairs (no, not my boat
) and became very familiar with it. I run carbon and do water changes for a month in my DIY tanks before adding any lifeforms. I don't even add substrate during this curing process. I do not feel nearly this confident about varnishes, laquer, shellac, or urethanes. These products are not even good for exterior use (like home siding or signs) unless you continue to re-apply every year or two. This isn't a feature I'd want in my aquarium, since they breakdown/weardown when exposed to water and UV rays.
I have never had to re-coat or re-apply the 2-part epoxy products, and I'm certainly not a scientist, but this means they are much more stable and permanent in my working knowledge. I believe this shows less leaching of compounds into the water as well! The yachts I've worked on get plenty of exposure to direct, intense light (Savannah, GA.) and plenty of salt water, the most destructive.
Here's what I use....which still isn't foolproof: West System 105 Epoxy with 205 (fast) Hardener,. I would prefer to use an NSF approved potable water quality epoxy, but I have only seen them sold in sky-blue, grey, and white. The West System is a clear 2 part epoxy. If you don't mind painting it white (since it's a skull) you can get the Interline 2 part epoxys. I use Interline 850 (grey) to coat my DIY aquariums, and only use the West system to coat artificial rock walls and such.
The West system is not NSF approved for potable water, though....so there is no guarantees with it. I have seen this used in many DIY aquarium projects online, some of which have been running for years. I also used this product when I did some yacht repairs (no, not my boat
) and became very familiar with it. I run carbon and do water changes for a month in my DIY tanks before adding any lifeforms. I don't even add substrate during this curing process. I do not feel nearly this confident about varnishes, laquer, shellac, or urethanes. These products are not even good for exterior use (like home siding or signs) unless you continue to re-apply every year or two. This isn't a feature I'd want in my aquarium, since they breakdown/weardown when exposed to water and UV rays. I have never had to re-coat or re-apply the 2-part epoxy products, and I'm certainly not a scientist, but this means they are much more stable and permanent in my working knowledge. I believe this shows less leaching of compounds into the water as well! The yachts I've worked on get plenty of exposure to direct, intense light (Savannah, GA.) and plenty of salt water, the most destructive.
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