Using Lead To Weigh Down Plants

[mattwhite]

Hi all

I have just got a delivery of plants which i am going to put in my tank first thing tomorrow. Some of the plants seem to be cuttings and have no roots. How do i plant these so that they stay in the gravel?
Can i use some lead strips that i have? The lead is just roof lead that I have cut into strips.
The site that I bought the plants from sell lead strips and I was wondering if they where the same thing.

 

[guppy_man]

yes matt i think they would be ok because when i bought my vallis the other day they were clumped together using the lead strips, i left the lead on the vallis until the roots grew a bit, ive taken them out now though, i think they might be ok

 

[srolfe]

Actually, the weights that you receive on bunched plants are usually made of a zinc/magnesium alloy that is not supposed to affect your aquarium. I would not use lead bands, some may leach into your aquarium.

 

[Neal]

I am not arguing or saying your wrong Scott, but it may be different in the UK to what you get in the USA, I don't know but I just thought i'd comment on that.

 

[Nevergone815]

to me lead is lead regardless where you go. maybe in the UK you lable it as "lead" but infact it is zinc/magnesium alloy. b ut if it is actually lead, i wouldn't use it as everything that is harmful to humans and then some, is harmful to fis as well.

 

[Nina]

You should be able to buy "lead" from your LFS. It usually comes in a reel of about 10m.

In our LFS it is kept with the mag floats, pyhons, gav vac and other general aquarium maintenance stuff. If you use this then it will be fine to weigh your plants down with. They don't (usually) sell stuff in a fish shop that is harmful to fish but if you are worried then you can ask the shop if they recommend it.