Stainless Steell Is It Safe

[Vasili Fish]

Can you use stainless steel in a tropical fish tank ?

 

[Carlovel1]

What for?

 

[Tolak]

I've been using it for years to weigh down veggies for plecs.

 

[ian]

I also use it to weigh my riccia down.

 

[Timmy_Bee]

i would keep an eye on it. cheap stainless is far from... stainless. It will rust.
But in theory, it should be fine

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Stainless steel is supposed to NOT rust....however here comes the irony...I work for a company specialising in corrosion and our stainless steel letter box has rusted....

 

[Timmy_Bee]

if memory serves, its all to do with the carbon content. But its been a while since i cared

 

[VickiandKev]

we use stainless steel heaters and they are fine...

 

[rdp50734]

Stainless steel can rust. However it has to be introduced to the metal. IE If you were to scratch stainless steel with mild steel then you would be introducing the rust to the surface of the metal which then eats into the stainless causing the defect to be within the material. Stainless steel that is looked after however will not rust and is perfectly fine in the aquarium.

 

[Vasili Fish]

want to build a ply wood tank and just wanted to use rods for bracing

 

[rdp50734]

It will be fine.

 

[Vasili Fish]

It will be fine.

Coolios

 

[fishnovice]

we use stainless steel heaters and they are fine...

Where did you get stainless steel heaters from? could do with one for my turtles

 

[raptorrex]

i would keep an eye on it. cheap stainless is far from... stainless. It will rust.
But in theory, it should be fine

Stainless steel is supposed to NOT rust....however here comes the irony...I work for a company specialising in corrosion and our stainless steel letter box has rusted....

if memory serves, its all to do with the carbon content. But its been a while since i cared

Stainless steel come is many grades. its the amount of nickel and chromium that dictates how stainless it is(simplisticly). but, to be totally safe, use an magnet. if the steel is high nickel, it will not be magnetic.
carbon deals with how hard the metal is, not is corrosiveness.

as far as i can tell, after conversations with my father (chemist metallurgist) all grades are safe in an aquarium. though this my not be true at the extreams of PH.

 

[Timmy_Bee]

thanks for the correction. i knew there were different grades, but forgot it was to do with the alloy makeup (makse more sence than carbon!)

Have i missed something? Plywood tank or plywood cabinet? i find glass more transparent than plywood... And if its for the cabinet, surely it won't be in the water?