Lead plant ties--dangerous?

Good read...so its safe as long as yur ph is neutral or higher.
 
  • Many so called 'Lead Weights' are in fact made out of Magnesium/zinc. You can test this, by holding a suspect lead weight over a flame. It will burn bright green if it is zinc, lead burns with a blue flame. Note if it is lead then the flumes are toxic! So make sure the room is very well ventilated.
Zinc will slowly react with water with a pH of less than 7 but it simply releases low quantities of hydrogen into the water which quickly floats out of the water.

Lead naturally builds a protective layer of lead oxide (a dull grey colour) and this layer stops the Lead from leaking into the water. However if your tank pH is less than 7 then the slightly acidic water will slow corrode away this protective layer and will leak Lead into the water. But at a pH of around 6-7 this will happen so slowly over several months that you will probably have done several 25% water changes over that time therefore removing any small levels of lead there may have been in the water.
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Either way it doesn't look like it matters...
 
i've always worried about that and always removed the ties from bunch plants, so thanks for the tips
 
I havent seen actual lead weights in awhile, most still have that name, but mine are magnesium/zinc blends, and my water is always above 7, so no worries here.
 
kingearwig said:
kinda sounds from that quote that its similar to using caulk with mildew resistance. It shouldn't be a problem but I think I will avoid it.
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I know of no one who would recommend using caulk with mildew resistance in a fish tank.

No matter what metal weights you use, to be safe make sure you wash your hands after touching them.

If lead affects fish badly then what do you look for in an affected fish? If you can find that answer then I'll make a diagnosis of my fish for lead poisoning but right now I use lead weights and my fish all seem healthy.

Q
 
with all the regulations and restrictions on lead now YOU can not buy lead anywhere I know of.

There is NO American co. going to sell you lead weights due to the liability involved.

I stand by my statement they are a magnesium alloy and safe I can not say 100% outside of the us boarders.
 
Draal5 said:
with all the regulations and restrictions on lead now YOU can not buy lead anywhere I know of.

There is NO American co. going to sell you lead weights due to the liability involved.

I stand by my statement they are a magnesium alloy and safe I can not say 100% outside of the us boarders.
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http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...370207&cm_ite=0003199213690a&_requestid=59452
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...-A964-DD11-98CA-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA
boy... someone could use one of these and cut it up...
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Gallery Glass ® Redi-Lead™ Strips - 24 inch lengths
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WWPD_SMP_17041.jpg


http://www.herrschners.com/products/sku-400266__id-5954.html

So the only question is how safe is it.... I don't think that has been definitively answered here.

I know of no one who would recommend using caulk with mildew resistance in a fish tank.

No matter what metal weights you use, to be safe make sure you wash your hands after touching them.

If lead affects fish badly then what do you look for in an affected fish? If you can find that answer then I'll make a diagnosis of my fish for lead poisoning but right now I use lead weights and my fish all seem healthy.
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I think that I just read a post on here that said if you don't have discus you can use the GE II silicone. But I could be mistaken.
Lead

Lead is cancer-causing, and adversely effects reproduction, liver and thyroid function, and disease resistance (Eisler 1988b). The main potential ecological impacts of wetland contaminants result from direct exposure of algae, benthic invertebrates, and embryos and fingerlings of freshwater fish and amphibians to lead. It can be bioconcentrated from water, but does not bioaccumulate and tends to decrease with increasing trophic levels in freshwater habitats (Wong et al. 1978; Eisler 1988b). Lead adversely affects algae, invertebrates, and fish. There are also limited adverse effects in amphibians, including loss of sodium, reduced learning capability, and developmental problems (Horne and Dunson 1995; Freda 1991). Fish exposed to high levels of lead exhibit a wide-range of effects including muscular and neurological degeneration and destruction, growth inhibition, mortality, reproductive problems, and paralysis (Eisler 1988b; EPA 1976). Lead adversely affects invertebrate reproduction; algal growth is affected. Lead partitions primarily to sediments, but becomes more bioavailable under low pH, hardness and organic matter content (among other factors). Lead bioaccumulates in algae, macrophytes and benthic organisms, but the inorganic forms of lead do not biomagnify.

At elevated levels in plants, lead can cause reduced growth, photosynthesis, mitosis, and water absorption (Eisler 1988b). Birds and mammals suffer effects from lead poisoning such as damage to the nervous system, kidneys, liver, sterility, growth inhibition, developmental retardation, and detrimental effects in blood (Eisler 1988b; Amdur et al. 1991). Lead poisoning in higher organisms has been associated with lead shot and organolead compounds, but not with food chain exposure to inorganic lead (other than lead shot, sinkers or paint) (Eisler 1988b). There are complex interactions with other contaminants and diet. Lead poisoning in higher organisms primarily affects hematologic and neurologic processes.
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http://www.epa.gov/R5Super/ecology/html/toxprofiles.htm
 
Boy I didn't want to kill this thread. I just wanted to post the info that I had found. It is not like I am saying that this happens in the tank. I would love to argue about this some more. Argument is a great way to help everyone learn about this topic.
 
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