Originally Posted by
jonnywater
So i dont get it. I can understand that putting a big chunk of metal in your fish tank would release toxins into the water. I was also told by people to use "wedding vail" type material to hold down a coral. What are the consequences of using thumb tacks (with the plastic tips) and driving them into the LR on all four corners of the "wedding vail" material to hold it down?
I wouldnt figure it would be THAT bad with it being such a small amount of metal.
Ok! I have a great example of what a small piece of metal does to a reef. I recently built a 20 gallon sump for my 46 gallon bowfront. I used all PVC except for 1 brass connector on the mag 5 because I had forgotten the HUGE WARNINGS.
This connector was a 1/2 to 3/4 threaded reducer. Very little contact with the water, maybe 1/8 inch inside of it. Well it killed all my inverts in 4 days and that included 2 anemones, star fish, shrimp, snails, hermit crabs, elephant slug, and copepods.
. It leached copper and other harmful toxins into the water in that short time. I have been running Polyfilter for the last 2 weeks and it is still pulling copper and other minerals out of my system. I lost over $300 of live stock and have to start all over with my inverts providing it did not get into my live rock.
Good thing is that my fish do not have ich. :happyfish
I did not do this on purpose and this was a HUGE mistake. I will never ever do it again and would not recommend it in any system expecially a reef.
Use Rocks, rubberbands, plastic only, fish line, etc. but never ever metal IMO and IME.
Good luck.
