Material Safety Data Sheets

[Caliban07]

Hi All,

Was just wondering what your thoughts on Safety Data Sheets were for the substances we put in our tanks.

Are you aware of them?

If so, what are your thoughts?

Is the information contained within them of concern to you?

I’ve just finished the annual hazardous substances risk assessment review for our department at work and I have to use information contained within the Safety Data Sheets to put controls in place to reduce the risk of injury whilst using them.

I find it staggering that some water conditioners claim to be ‘Very toxic to aquatic life’ and you wouldn’t believe some of the symptoms described if ingested or if it gets in to your eyes.

Now I know the risk of this happening to you is extremely low and the instructed dosages from the manufacturer is probably very low but I’m still wondering why I would want to put any substance in a tank with fish that is toxic to aquatic life no matter what the concentration is.

I’m pretty fortunate here in the UK because we mainly use Chlorine in our tap waters and I can gas this off overnight or use rainwater where possible. I’m just wondering if the benefits of ‘detoxifying’ chloramine are worth it or logical at all if we are going to be using a potentially toxic substance to do that. It’s just never made sense to me.

Any thoughts?

Has anyone else ever actually just used straight tap water for water changes?

[Delapool]

I know some people in the hills have and been fine. Where I am the water board says it may change what it uses and level depending on season, etc. Not much detail last time I looked.

[WildFish99]

My house is off city water, and our tap water has a little nitrite in it but no chlorine. I use out filtered drinking water for waterchanges and do no treatment for it at all. No problems with it for the last 3 years. If you have chlorine though it’s important to get it out... with cuty water at least in the usa it seems more beneficial to treat with conditioners then to not as there are lots of additives in the water itself like fluoride.