Rubber bands--aquarium safe? Oto safe?

[yhbae]

Although I use it, I am always suspicious of them. When I touch them it smells so it cannot be good for fish either. If someone can confirm those regular yellow bands are safe without any special treatments, I would be able to sleep happier.

 

[coach_z]

i didnt even realize....i use them in my penguin HOB filter because the cartridges were getting expensive, so i ripped one apart and make my own now...they have been fine for a long time...i do replace them with every new filter change though

 

[Blueiz]

rubber bands smell of rubber...

 

[beblondie]

plain old white thread works well just tie the plants to whatever and fotget about it
it will slowly dissolve in water but the plant should be well anchored by its root system by then-Me

 

[pik01]

rubber bands smell of rubber...

that's crazy talk :

 

[fishorama]

I killed an anubias using a rubber band across it's rhizome, just too tight & rot set in I guess. Only thread from now on for me.

 

[smoochxoxo]

I sent an email to the customer care address of the makers of the poly bands, asking them what the material is, and explaining that I want to use them in an aquarium.

I can only imagine the face of the person opening the email for the hair band place...lol
I am sure they have had some strange questions but I wonder if they have ever had a fish tank one. lol

 

[LeahK]

I can only imagine the face of the person opening the email for the hair band place...lol
I am sure they have had some strange questions but I wonder if they have ever had a fish tank one. lol

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking now that I'm sitting on hold with scunci. Looks like the customer care address only deals with Conair electronics (the parent company), so they sent me an 800# for scunci ("the newest addition to the Conair family!" as I've heard several times while on hold).

Oh! The system just hung up on me

Well, I don't think I'll waste my cell minutes to sit on hold with them again. I'll probably just use white thread for the plants.... And if I grow my hair out again, now I have some hair bands

 

[swinneyw]

i like the small rubber bands that they use at the fs to tie the fish bags up you don't have to go around the drift wood but once

 

[rsanz]

Rubber bands are fine in the tank. The will "rot" over time and break loose, most often the plant that you are attaching with them will have attached by that time and you can remove it from the tank.

This is the exact reason that I PREFER using rubber bands for plants over thread or fishing line. I like the fact that they eventually disintegrate enough to allow for them to be removed, and by that time, the plant has naturally attached to its base.

Thread also has the "dissolves over time" advantage, but tying tiny thread into knots is too much of a pain in the rear for me. I hate doing it. With rubber bands, it's on in seconds and definitely secure. I can't tell you how many times I've tied thread, though it was on there real good, only to have the plant tauntingly float to the top once I put it in the tank because it turns out that the thread was too loose.

I've never had any problems with rubber bands being toxic in the tank. I use them often.