ABS PIPES ARE TOXIC!!!!

[rheann]

Hey guys, i've been searching the net to see which pipes are good to use as caves for your tanks. Don't use ABS pipes!!They will kill your Axolotl! They are big and black. White PVC are totally safe. Check with your local Home improvement store to see which ones are drinking water safe. The ABS pipes have chemicals in them. Just thought I'd help you guys out! here is a great link to a site where they teach easy totorials on how to make pip caves, i don't have time to draw it lol.
http://aquarium.shuru.com/
I like their tatorial. its easy

 

[cynthia]

thanks for the link to that article... I want a dremel tool in a bad way.

 

[brian]

I've got one for one of my other hobbies, but they are great for everything! Every household should have one.

 

[caleb]

Rheann, I think you might be over-reacting a bit about the dangers of ABS.

Asking the supplier which pipes are safe for drinking water is an excellent suggestion, but I think suggesting that all ABS pipes will 'kill your axolotl' is a bit much. Do you know of any examples where this has happened?

Some ABS products have actually been licensed for drinking water use here in the UK.

I'd personally rinse any plastics several times with hot water, then several times with cold, before using them with amphibians.

 

[rheann]

I wasn't over reacting. I was letting people know of the precautions. I mentioned in my above thread that people interested in making caves SHOULD check to see which pipes are toxic and which arent. I wasn't just refering to PVC pipes. Home Depot told me that the pipes are toxic and can or will kill fish or anything else living in the tank. One of them even knew what I was talking about when I told them it was for an Axolotl tank. I only posted that so people would know, and not mistakenly buy a toxic one like I did, and thanks to Cynthia Gardner, I learned that they cloud the water, so I went back to home Depot, and several employees in the Plumbing department told me the info of being Toxic, so I wont use the black one. Also, if the store doesn't know, its best just not to get the item and try something else. Even some Terra-cotta pots contain led and that is also dangerous. I also Asked them about rinsing them, and they said that they are still Toxic. Also in the link that I posted above they talk about ABS being Toxic. I am just going by what people are telling me that I feel are professional. Its better to take precautions, then end up with a sick, or even dead Axolotl.

 

[sharon]

Could it be that ABS here and ABS over there have different definitions?

Rheann you do sound overly dramatic. The warning is good though for other newbies to aquatic keeping.

 

[rheann]

lol

I hoping it would grap newbies attention in attempts to sound passionate, i've also lost too much sleep in attempts to work on my novel. I think that ABS pipes may have a different definition here, i couldn't tell you for sure. I wish that i could find some here that are drinking water safe, because they are the perfect size. I saw on a website where a guy was using a small fish bowl and used Aquarium Silicone to glue fine sand to the outside of it. it looked really cool, but i don't want to try that prodject. I want rock caves. if anyone would like a link to that website, let me knwo and i'll post one up for you. A lot pet pet stores (Good pet stores) may have knowladge of which kinds of pipes to use because of their salt water tanks when they are trying to grow live rock, I think that's what one of the employees at home depot said. If you guys know of any good pet stores that can be trusted i'm sure they should know too. Craft prodjects are fun

they're also really addicting! lol