Lead weights for plants.

[Chinadog]

I was reading a thread on here the other day where someone said that lead plant weights are dangerous to axolotls. I know lead is nasty stuff in other applications but I have used the plant weights since I got my first fish tank over thirty years ago and have never knowingly had it cause a problem. I do know it oxidises very slowly in water but this takes literally decades. So what I was wondering, is does anybody have any actual evidence that its harmful in a freshwater aquarium?

 

[auntiejude]

Lead and lead oxide are harmful to all living things, not just axies, but you're right in that it takes years and years to react in water. Lead has been used in plumbing virtually since indoor plumbing was invented (plumbing - from the latin plumbum which is the orginal name for lead) and it has very rarely caused a problem.

Since dechlorinator (sodium thiosulphate) neutralises heavy metals I can't imagine there would be any significant lead in the water to cause a problem to aquatic animals from a few grams of plant weight strips. If you lined an entire tank with the stuff I guess it might be a different story....

I use pliable metal plant weights myself - I'm pretty sure they contain lead - and I've not had a problem.