Hey odd question. Is black screen that you would use in a door/window safe for fish tanks?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Is black screen that you would use in a window fish tank safe?
- Thread starter catfishacr
- Start date
sorry, this doesn't mean it's safe.
I'm not saying it isn't, but until you've done long term studies that show a material doesn't leach into the water and that long term exposure doesn't lead to toxic build up or cancer, you have no clue as to it's safety.
take a look at all the things that have been used for food production for years that are now listed as toxic, pesticides that were used for decades that are now banned.
Good question. It is plastic-covered nylon aka polyester string IIRC. The black plastic must contain some serious UV inhibitors for the screen to last as long as they do. I don't think the UV agents are water soluble / leachable as we have a LOT of rain here and the insect screens still last for decades and that's in the merciless south FL sun.
Something similar goes for shade cloth, I assume. It also lasts ~10-20 years here. I have had 1500'x10' of 50% shade cloth in my sump for about a year and things appear normal. The guys above are right though - despite my inclination to say that these types of media are safe, I cannot rigorously state so.
Does anyone know if UV inhibitors are known to harm fish? As, e.g., it is known (or supposed?) that anti-mold agents do... The problem is that even if some are known to be safe, others may not be and there is a plethora of these chemicals used in the industry and often times a mixture is used by any given manufacturer. Moreover, over time these chemicals degrade and produce new chemicals which may or may not be harmful in their own right - but that's when exposed to sun's UV rays.
Something similar goes for shade cloth, I assume. It also lasts ~10-20 years here. I have had 1500'x10' of 50% shade cloth in my sump for about a year and things appear normal. The guys above are right though - despite my inclination to say that these types of media are safe, I cannot rigorously state so.
Does anyone know if UV inhibitors are known to harm fish? As, e.g., it is known (or supposed?) that anti-mold agents do... The problem is that even if some are known to be safe, others may not be and there is a plethora of these chemicals used in the industry and often times a mixture is used by any given manufacturer. Moreover, over time these chemicals degrade and produce new chemicals which may or may not be harmful in their own right - but that's when exposed to sun's UV rays.
I studied along side some herp guys who used standard window screen to divide salamander eggs and the eventual larvae. They saw some whacky developmental issues, which they attributed to the screen. I would not be surprised if the effects were exaggerated by the early developmental stage, but none the less...
What are you trying to do with the screen? use it as a divider, or surface area for filtration as I assume the thebiggerthebetter is? There is a pure plastic version of screen sold as "pet screen," or you could go all out and assume that aquaculture mesh is safe for aquaria based on it's intended applications in closed tank systems...
What are you trying to do with the screen? use it as a divider, or surface area for filtration as I assume the thebiggerthebetter is? There is a pure plastic version of screen sold as "pet screen," or you could go all out and assume that aquaculture mesh is safe for aquaria based on it's intended applications in closed tank systems...
Thanks for all the feedback! Alot of good points. So im planting some plants in aquatic pots, only having the pot and roots in the tank water and rest of plant out of water. I'm using the screen to keep the smaller rocks from falling through the holes in the pots. To be safe is there something else i could use to line the pots to keep rocks from falling though. Would the mesh in fish nets be safe to use? thanks
PM me with your address, I will send you some fine aqauculture mesh. Well... Maybe I should ask how many pots you are planting first?
Several things can be used for this purpose - landscaping cloth or paper, leaf netting, shade cloth, polyester fiber e.g. pillow stuffing, the screening you mentioned I'd think would be ok, or pure, untreated 100% polyester cloth of any kind or a mesh bag like this one http://www.surpluswarrior.com/mesh-bags/ I bought 10 of these 36"x24". Request white = no colorant / dye. I've spoke to the guy who runs this on the phone extensively about this one. It is 100% polyester, non-fooled with, unchanged, no UV agents, no anti-mold agents, no nothing.
All 10 bags have been sitting in my sumps for 2 months now. Short time, yes, but FWIW all appears normal.
All 10 bags have been sitting in my sumps for 2 months now. Short time, yes, but FWIW all appears normal.
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