Lead

[SeanTrollope]

can u put lead in a fishtank

 

[Ninjouzata]

No, not unless you want them to die. Why do you ask?

 

[fish48]

strips of lead  is some times used to hold down plants a few pieces in a tank will do no harm to fish

 

[Byron]

I always remove those lead weights.  I'm sure this is being over-cautious, but there is no harm in getting into good habits; better safe than sorry.
 
Lead is a heavy metal that is very toxic to all life.  In the confines of an aquarium such things are riskier than they would be in the expanse of nature.  Most water conditioners detoxify heavy metals should these be present in the tap water, but this detoxification with most conditioners has a limited timespan and won't continue long-term.  The GH of the water also impacts the toxicity to fish of heavy metals.
 
I have read some very knowledgeable fish authors recommending the removal of the lead strips, and some aquarists have had fish like pleco die from presumed lead poisoning.  Either way, it is not worth the risk when there are safe methods.
 
Byron.

 

[fluttermoth]

Technically, lead is safe in water as, once it oxidises, none of the lead is in contact with the water.

However, I wouldn't put it in any tank of mine; it's just not worth the risk. I will say one thing; the 'lead strips' you get as plants weights there days are not made of lead at all; they're some other alloy.

 

[SeanTrollope]

i wanted to weigh plastic plants down in my ciclid tank because they r always being uprooted and float to the top

 

[fluttermoth]

What sort of cichlids do you have, Sean?

Plant weights will stop the plants floating to the top, but determined cichlids will still be able to pull them around. If your fish are big, you'd probably be better off siliconing your plants to flat stones that you can either hide with decor, or that won't be too noticeable.

 

[SeanTrollope]

i dont want to stop her mooving things as i find it interesting to watch but she seems scared of the floating plants and would like them to stay down