Safe aquarium weights

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Meganmunch

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Mar 24, 2020
Messages
2
Hi guys,
I’m new here so please be kind!
We have had a tank for a year or so and want to refresh it. We have built some Lego houses, using glue to keep all the bricks together.
The original plan was to use glass marbles to weight it down due to the buoyancy. This is ok, but these marbles are taking up a lot of space and not giving us much weight.

We thought of using lead, but unsure this is safe for the tank as it would need to be significantly more than just plant weights.
Each Lego house needs just over 500grams each.

Has anyone got any experience or ideas to make decent weights but keep our fish safe?

Thanks in advance.
 
First thing first, is the glue you used aquarium safe?
If the Lego houses have a floor you can use aquarium rocks or gravel.
 
First thing first, is the glue you used aquarium safe?
If the Lego houses have a floor you can use aquarium rocks or gravel.


I think so, we have used superglue that is non toxic.
I need something heavier than gravel really.
 
Like I said aquarium rocks would be able to sink them. You can even collect your own rocks from outdoors if you sterilize them properly.
 
As above on gravel and rocks as you can.

Would definitely avoid lead or other heavy metals as you mention.

Stainless steel or iron rods may be ok and iron is quite heavy / could be cheap from hardware. You could try coating in glue to stop rust / using something like seachem prime to detoxify heavy metals in case.

Iron itself would I think be fairly safe and is dosed for planted tanks.
 
FYI, the gel super glue ingredient you want to use is called Cyanoacrylate.

Let dry until cured.

You can use GE Silicone 1 - or aquarium silicone, not GE 2 or any kind which has a fungicide kills mildew in it, and add /attach the houses to a river stone or chunk of slate or tile. Some times the stores have excess stone tile samples which might be the correct size. Let cure as directed.

It isn't safe if it isn't cured.
 
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