Fish and shrimp safe plant weights

[seangee]

A week or so ago I did this to weigh down my stem plants to keep them down in the absence of a substrate and to allow easy removal for catching fish.

It works well but I have noticed that the plants are actually rooting themselves in the fake grass (or at least attaching themselves).
I thought it might look cool if I removed the weights but of course I can't just peel the ceramic rings off. I assume they will be easy enough to unroot for catching fish.
Most of the traditional plant weights I see advertised as strips or rolls, which may or may not contain lead , have mixed reviews. This includes the big brand names. Many claim they are perfect, while others claim they leached into the water and killed their fish and/or shrimps.
I am also aware that many of the people writing those reviews don't do regular water changes. I change 50% of this tank at least 3 x per week.
Any experience, opinions or recommendations ...

I'm equally happy not to. My intention is to fill the bottom with plants and will keep dividing until I have enough.

 

[MattW]

I am pro lead plant weights strips, but I have used ceramic rings like you currently have, as well as plant pot terracotta rings.

I mainly use the lead weights now as they aren't as big and protruding. I use these weights in both my tanks, one of which contains fish + neocardinia and the other amanos + fish. I've never seen or had any deaths that I know of related to leaching into the water column. Both the tanks receive at most a 10L WC a week, but mainly a 2-5L WC or top up now. (Sizes 90L & 60L)

I also use some fine sponge in small cuttings to wrap around the stems so I don't crush them with the lead strips. If you want to hide the lead strips, I sometimes cut them in half. Not as noticeable

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I never use weights. I plant in terracotta pots which are easy to fin in all shapes and sizes at a garden center. I do this in both nare bottom and sand bottom tanks.

25 gal.

75 gal.

The pots can be removed and put into t bucket with water. Almost everything in both tanks above can easily be removed and returned to
the tank or moved to another tank.
20 gal. long.

I use a small size gravel in the pots. For some plants I also add a small piece of substrate fertilizer to the pot every few months.

 

[Uberhoust]

As far as I know lead is pretty much insoluble in water... but, in a moist environment with air exposure it is not as safe, where it can create Lead Oxide (slightly soluble) and Lead Hydroxide (slightly soluble). I don't like my plants in pots so I have occasionally used lead weights to keep them down till they root better. I likely would not use lead in a strong black water tank either, but for anything around 6.0 to 8.0 ph I wouldn't hesitate.

 

[Magnum Man]

in reality, if you are changing water, as often as you are supposed to, nothing leaches into the water, faster than you are supposed to change it...

I challenge anyone to prove to me lead or zink weights, are actually what killed the fish, with normal water changes.... I'm not say they can't die of something... some plants in the past, were treated with a poison for pest snails...

 

[MaloK]

While they are still called "lead" nearly all the modern plant weight are made from zinc-magnesium Alloys. They also oxidize a little, but I left too many for too long in bottoms of tanks and nothing happened.

Anything made of real lead should not be used with invertebrates. And zinc-magnesium are advertised as lead-free most of the time on the package.