...I recently purchased my first aquatic plants for my aquariums, Elodea
densa I think they are called. Well anyway, they came in bunches of
three and four, connected together with lead wraps,...The pet store
person said that it wouldn't harm my fish, but then he once told me that
my four large Angel fish would get along great with the plattys and
fancy guppys that I was buying from him,...So I tend not to trust him
all that much. Will the lead weights pollute the water and harm the
fish? My online friend said that because the plants came with the lead
that it must be safe, and that maybe she would use lead 'sinkers', the
weights that fishermen use on their fish lines, to weigh down her plants
[her tanks, as mine, have neither gravel or sand],...But I told her to
wait until I had heard from you folks who are far more experienced in
this sort of thing. After a lifetime of working with and around all
sorts of critters, even living with some of them, I have finally got
around to keeping fish, which is certainly far more safer than some of
the critters that have lived under my roof. And where I know just what
to do if one's tarantula is bleeding to death from a gash [lightly
splash some powdered {confectionary} sugar on to the wound, which in
turn, will act as a coagulant, stemming the bleeding], my knowledge
about aquariums and fish keeping is some what limited, so any help would
be very much appreciated. Pax Vobiscum,...~Dean.

In article ,
Papa Red wrote:
..I recently purchased my first aquatic plants for my aquariums, Elodea
densa I think they are called. Well anyway, they came in bunches of
three and four, connected together with lead wraps,...The pet store
person said that it wouldn't harm my fish, but then he once told me that
my four large Angel fish would get along great with the plattys and
fancy guppys that I was buying from him,...So I tend not to trust him
all that much. Will the lead weights pollute the water and harm the
fish?

It's supposed to be safe but I don't trust it. It's lead for gods sake.

You can use some fishing line and a small rock instead, or fill a very
small flowerpot with gravel and stick it in there, that's what I do.

--
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633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org

According to Arizona Aquatic Gardens:

"Lead Weights on your bunched plants: Leave them on or take them off.It
doesn't matter one bit. They are actually made of a zinc/magnesium metal
that is completely harmless to fish and other plants."

I was similarly curious when I got into the hobby, not being able to imagine
that they could actually be lead, and apparently, they aren't.
Incidentally, I assume this is industry wide, but I don't really know.
Allison


"Richard" wrote in message ...
In article ,
Papa Red wrote:
..I recently purchased my first aquatic plants for my aquariums, Elodea
densa I think they are called. Well anyway, they came in bunches of
three and four, connected together with lead wraps,...The pet store
person said that it wouldn't harm my fish, but then he once told me that
my four large Angel fish would get along great with the plattys and
fancy guppys that I was buying from him,...So I tend not to trust him
all that much. Will the lead weights pollute the water and harm the
fish?

It's supposed to be safe but I don't trust it. It's lead for gods sake.

You can use some fishing line and a small rock instead, or fill a very
small flowerpot with gravel and stick it in there, that's what I do.

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org

In article , Allyb wrote:
According to Arizona Aquatic Gardens:

"Lead Weights on your bunched plants: Leave them on or take them off.It
doesn't matter one bit. They are actually made of a zinc/magnesium metal
that is completely harmless to fish and other plants."


Magnesium/zinc? This stuff seems awful heavy to be a magnesium zinc alloy,
at least the ones I have. I won't use it. Color me skeptical and over cautious.

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org

Papa Red wrote:
..I recently purchased my first aquatic plants for my aquariums, Elodea
densa I think they are called. Well anyway, they came in bunches of
three and four, connected together with lead wraps,...The pet store
person said that it wouldn't harm my fish, but then he once told me that
my four large Angel fish would get along great with the plattys and
fancy guppys that I was buying from him,...So I tend not to trust him
all that much. Will the lead weights pollute the water and harm the
fish? My online friend said that because the plants came with the lead
that it must be safe, and that maybe she would use lead 'sinkers', the
weights that fishermen use on their fish lines, to weigh down her plants
[her tanks, as mine, have neither gravel or sand],...But I told her to
wait until I had heard from you folks who are far more experienced in
this sort of thing. After a lifetime of working with and around all
sorts of critters, even living with some of them, I have finally got
around to keeping fish, which is certainly far more safer than some of
the critters that have lived under my roof. And where I know just what
to do if one's tarantula is bleeding to death from a gash [lightly
splash some powdered {confectionary} sugar on to the wound, which in
turn, will act as a coagulant, stemming the bleeding], my knowledge
about aquariums and fish keeping is some what limited, so any help would
be very much appreciated. Pax Vobiscum,...~Dean.


Material aside, may I suggest an alternative? I've always found that
the stems of bunch plants held together with metal weights eventually
rot. Aquarium Products makes a fantastic product called the Plant Plug.
It's rockwool with a flexible grid to hold the plants against the
wool. You remove the bottom leaves and slide the bare stems between the
plastic grid and wool. I bury these in the gravel, but you could hide it
in a small flowerpot. The stems will actually root into the rockwool
and your bunch plants will stay much healthier.

To propagate the plants, when they reah the top of the water and start
to float, cut off the top and put the stem into the Plant Plug the same
as before. The new stem will keep growing and the old often sends off
shoots, depending on the plant.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

Hey, I just had a brainstorm. I don't have any of the weights handy,
but someone who does should try one of those hardware store lead tests
on them. You know, you have the little tube with the swab and it
changes color if lead is present. Someone try it and let us know what
happens, we're all ears! Allison

Richard wrote:
In article , Allyb
wrote:
According to Arizona Aquatic Gardens:

"Lead Weights on your bunched plants: Leave them on or take them
off.It
doesn't matter one bit. They are actually made of a zinc/magnesium
metal
that is completely harmless to fish and other plants."


Magnesium/zinc? This stuff seems awful heavy to be a magnesium zinc
alloy,
at least the ones I have. I won't use it. Color me skeptical and over
cautious.

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org

On 2005-01-15, Papa Red wrote:
..I recently purchased my first aquatic plants for my aquariums, Elodea
densa I think they are called. Well anyway, they came in bunches of
three and four, connected together with lead wraps,...The pet store


That's just one of the species sold as anacharis.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTk...dex/elodea.htm
http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=110
http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/water/env...harisalert.pdf

They will eventually sprout roots.

--
"I have to decide between two equally frightening options.
If I wanted to do that, I'd vote." --Duckman

I truly appreciate y'all's help on this matter, but unfortunately I
have access to only one pet store, and these people do not carry any of
the items that you speak of, nor seem to have as much knowledge as y'all
have.
One of my fancy guppies just gave birth a couple of nights ago to
more than fifteen babies, and I have placed the babies into a separate
13=B9/=B2 gallon container filled with Elodea plants to hide in, which,
thanks to the sites and the information provided, I am going to try and
grow both these plants, and the fancy guppies as well. Pax
Vobiscum,...~Dean.