Plastic Cave and "Chemical Smell"
- Thread starter WaterBaby
- Start date
Plastic Cave Chemical Smell
This thread really interested me because I just started my first aquarium and I'm a polymer clay artist. I've been all over the place researching the safety (or not) of using items made out of polymer clay in a tank. After it is cured, it is totally inert and there is no odor. This is an unknown area for polymer clay and nobody has tested as yet. Always wanting to error on the side of safety, I've read a lot of the internet messages that go back and forth about aquarium decorations and the advice over and over to get only "aquarium safe" decorations from your LFS and/or use an epoxy paint to seal them that costs about 80.00 per gallon.
Then the other day, in PetSmart, it hit me that all these cute resin decorations they carry are made where? Why probably NOT in the U.S. Which means they don't necessarily come under any requirements of quality standards. Also, those companies overseas that make these things for the Big Box stores? I doubt seriously if they are using a paint on them that costs $80.00 a gallon. I would be surprised if you could get the materials list out of PetSmart/TopFin, whatever... The only thing that has proved them out to be safe is all the "beta testers" out here who tried them and did not lose fish. The reality of it is that they probably have NOT been officially tested AND the company that makes them could change the recipe at any time.
As for my polymer clay, I'm going to do a little beta testing of my own, after my tank gets done cycling and before I add more than the starter fish. I have had koi for 12+ years and have had two of the same ones for over 10 years (heron are hard on them). So, I would not undertake this with the idea that the fish are disposable. I feel pretty confident that they will be okay. Plus, I'll report in
This thread really interested me because I just started my first aquarium and I'm a polymer clay artist. I've been all over the place researching the safety (or not) of using items made out of polymer clay in a tank. After it is cured, it is totally inert and there is no odor. This is an unknown area for polymer clay and nobody has tested as yet. Always wanting to error on the side of safety, I've read a lot of the internet messages that go back and forth about aquarium decorations and the advice over and over to get only "aquarium safe" decorations from your LFS and/or use an epoxy paint to seal them that costs about 80.00 per gallon.
Then the other day, in PetSmart, it hit me that all these cute resin decorations they carry are made where? Why probably NOT in the U.S. Which means they don't necessarily come under any requirements of quality standards. Also, those companies overseas that make these things for the Big Box stores? I doubt seriously if they are using a paint on them that costs $80.00 a gallon. I would be surprised if you could get the materials list out of PetSmart/TopFin, whatever... The only thing that has proved them out to be safe is all the "beta testers" out here who tried them and did not lose fish. The reality of it is that they probably have NOT been officially tested AND the company that makes them could change the recipe at any time.
As for my polymer clay, I'm going to do a little beta testing of my own, after my tank gets done cycling and before I add more than the starter fish. I have had koi for 12+ years and have had two of the same ones for over 10 years (heron are hard on them). So, I would not undertake this with the idea that the fish are disposable. I feel pretty confident that they will be okay. Plus, I'll report in
