Help please!

[LCieParagon]

I have a 36g tank.

Today I inserted 10 live plants. I have adequate parameters. However, I was trying to be too clever and I hooked every plant up with 1/8 fishing sinkers. I don't live at the house with the fish tank and I have work all day tomorrow.

I've been researching the past few hours and found that lead sinkers are apparently problematic in fish tanks. I would have never thought this the case since so many sinkers are at the bottoms of streams and people attach sinkers all the time.

I have a few questions now.

#1. Can I leave the sinkers in there for a couple days or so?
#2. If I remove them from my plants, is my soil therefore forever contaminated?
#3. Would my fish be safe if I remove them from the plants in a reasonable time?

If anyone used lead sinkers and has had success/failures, please let me know.
Thanks

 

[Mebbid]

Using any sort of plant weights lo.g term is problematic, but for a different reason. The plants will tend to melt away from where the weights are attached and then will float up. It's much better to plant them normally in the substrate using tweezers.

As for using lead, just pull them out. It should be fine.

 

[Delapool]

I have a 36g tank.



Today I inserted 10 live plants. I have adequate parameters. However, I was trying to be too clever and I hooked every plant up with 1/8 fishing sinkers. I don't live at the house with the fish tank and I have work all day tomorrow.



I've been researching the past few hours and found that lead sinkers are apparently problematic in fish tanks. I would have never thought this the case since so many sinkers are at the bottoms of streams and people attach sinkers all the time.



I have a few questions now.



#1. Can I leave the sinkers in there for a couple days or so?

#2. If I remove them from my plants, is my soil therefore forever contaminated?

#3. Would my fish be safe if I remove them from the plants in a reasonable time?



If anyone used lead sinkers and has had success/failures, please let me know.

Thanks

I'd be interested in any links you have for fish tanks. I understand it can be a problem in oceans or streams where the sinkers can chip off, also where birds digest them. Last time I looked at this I thought it best to pull them out of the tank (had been weighing down driftwood). Erm, that was about 9 months ago - been slack. Some tap water treatments also make heavy metals safe - could be checked out for peace of mind.

 

[Brookster123]

Yes lead weights are slowly being replaced by tungsten weights in the fishing world due to their adverse environmental impacts, I'd remove them..

 

[Candi1990]

Can you just bury some plants in the gravel? I am planting a few today Thant I am not anchoring down at all.

 

[LCieParagon]

Can you just bury some plants in the gravel? I am planting a few today Thant I am not anchoring down at all.

No. I'm planting dwarf hairgrass and plants with very little root systems. I'm using plant substrate so it's very fine.

Do you think it would be ok to keep until 01/24?

 

[Brookster123]

No. I'm planting dwarf hairgrass and plants with very little root systems. I'm using plant substrate so it's very fine. Do you think it would be ok to keep until 01/24?

Maybe head to your hardware store and pick up some small stainless steel screws, you can than wrap a root around the screw and bury it all, has to true stainless steel though..

 

[Mebbid]

No. I'm planting dwarf hairgrass and plants with very little root systems. I'm using plant substrate so it's very fine.

Do you think it would be ok to keep until 01/24?

I would imagine sinkers would damage dwarf hair grass just from the act of closing it around the DHG. Your best bet is to go without and just keep replanting it until it gets an established root system. It's a pita but it is healthier for the plants.

 

[flitabout]

Just plant it deep enough and it should be fine. As long as you have enough light and co2 for it, it should stay down within a few weeks. Oh and get those lead sinkers out ASAP!!!!

 

[ScotJudd]

When I planted my hair grass I made a hollow with my finger almost down to the glass, inserted the grass and back filled it. The grass can then be gently raised to the correct planting depth. This way the roots, small as they are, go straight down and they do seem to stay in place.