Some aquarium questions

[Anonymous]

Hi freshies, I've ripped down my 55 gal fw and cleaned and bleached everything and am setting it up today with the addition of a large hollow piece of driftwood. I've seen traditional means of holding down wood with slate bolted to the bottom and held down with gravel, but this is likely too bouyant plus I don't have a huge piece laying around. I loaded it with rocks for the past few months to hold it down and help waterlog it, but I would like to keep the hollowed out part more open so fish can use it. I have 3 lead bars (11 lbs. each) which I thought of using. Would this be a bad idea? Would the lead poison my future fish or pose some other hazard? Maybe the lead wrapped in a ziplock bag? I would like some nice and fairly hardy plants and fish and would appreciate any suggestions for stocking. Thanks all

 

[Anonymous]

coat the lead with either silicone, or epoxy

then drill a few tiny holes through the driftwood and tie it w/monofilament

 

[Anonymous]

I would super glue some rocks on the bottom of the driftwood.

Don't trust lead.

.02

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't go with lead either.

Suggestion for plans: man, compared to reef and fowlr salties ... freshwater plants are EASY BREEZY. Very forgiving. Don't add fertilizer ever and watch the water params to wait out the spikes and algae blooms.

Anubias plants are beautiful, flower and come in a variety of species.

Anubias nana (dwarf)
Anubias barteri (large)
Anubias coffeefolia (think like ruffled ridges)

If you kill anubias, it'll be a world first.

 

[Anonymous]

people have been using lead weights for decades with no worries, and coating it makes the issue moot

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks all for your input. I'll formulate a new plan because the wood was too boyant for the lead (turns out I only have 1 lead and 2 iron bars (window weights)). I may try tying it to large rocks. I assume I should have some substrate between the rocks and the bottom to eliminate pressure points on the glass? Here's a pic of the current setup, although the wood is partially floating in place. I appreciate the plant recomendations and will look into them. I've had many fresh and salt tanks over the years, but am new to the proper maintenance of either, especially fresh. Any more input, advice, opinions on arrangements or livestock are welcomed and appreciated. I will post picture updates as changes occur to the tank. I've been following the new setup thread and have picked up some good hints.

 

[Anonymous]

drilling very small diameter holes into the wood (where they will be out of view) will help speed up water logging (along with very hot water)

 

[Tanker]

Yeah if you coat the lead it will be fine to use make sure the coating is well done though do a couple. You should take the lead out of the sandwich bag.

I would use the rocks like you have to weigh the driftwood down. you could also glue epoxy etc... the driftwood to a piece of glass about the size off the bottom of the tank then put your gravel rocks and other decor over top of it
this should hold down the drift wood good.

if you want there are many stores that sell pre soaked bog wood Mopani is a good choice ( that is what i have right now ) it is already water logged and wont need anything to hold it down. Although it will leak tannins into the water but the fish don't mind

Good luck

Tanker

 

[Anonymous]

FWIW and IMHO lead is a concern. Us humans didn't know about the long term dangers of leaded gas for decades, or the effects of leaded house paints either. And centuries on the dangers of leaded plumbing and millennia on lead cookware.

With the ease of not using lead just don't.

my .02

 

[Anonymous]

Just bought 3 ottocinclus(sp), 2 black mollies, and 2 plants, a water sprite and a dwarf hairgrass. Not much selection around here, but I guess these should start the ball rolling.

 

[Anonymous]

The lead will be fine - I bet fish don't live long enough to get lead poison from the small amount in the water.

 

[Anonymous]

The lead will be fine - I bet fish don't live long enough to get lead poison from the small amount in the water.

you're wrong, from a length of time standpoint

small tropical fish can easily live 3-5 years, and cichlids can range upwards of ten, to twenty plus

having said that-very little, if any lead will actually leach out into the water, and most all of it is removed by the regular fare wc's