Choosing decorations/toys

[Awky]

So I know that pet stores charge an arm and a leg for fairly ordinary things to decorate tanks. And I would feel like a chump to buy all my decorations there, but I'm worried I will accidentally put something dangerous into the tank if I get things from other places.
What sorts of things do other people put in their tank other than the expensive pet store items?
I was thinking about getting some glass things from goodwill, but then I realized some of the things were painted glass (looked like just colored glass) and that paint was chipping off. That didnt seem healthy for a lotl.
I know some people put ping pong balls and things like that in their tanks. Are any kinds of plastics ok if I give them a good wash first, or are there certain things I need to look out for?
What about rocks? It seems like some might leach heavy metals into the water. If I find a pretty rock in my backyard, is it ok to just clean and boil it and stick it in there?
any advice is appreciated!

 

[ianclick]

Kia Ora Awky

Pet stores arent all bad but undoubtedly expensive. In New Zealand we have heaps of rivers and streams with an abundance of wild water flora. I gather a plant called oxygen weed im not sure of its scientific name or if this is a local name. I keep it in a tank by itself for the same time as I would quarentine a new arrival at present I have added 2 clumps to each tank.

We have a rock here called schist. Apparently it has no leachates and it comes in flattish slabs so it stacks really well to make caves and hideaways.

Im paranoid so every thing I put in the tank gets quarentined or boiled.

I have also added two rocks that contain amythest and quartz crystal they don't appear to be having a negative effect on the water quality and they look way cool, but they too were boiled.

General rule no lime stone or sea shells, no substrate or sand.

I got heaps of plastic and silk plants too.

Good luck

Ian

 

[Zapher]

A good and somewhat easy way to sterilize rocks, wood and such from nature is to soak it in a bucket of 2% bleach to water. Then let it sit for a day and to be sure, i rinse it between 10-20 times until i cant smell anything but the normal chlorine in tap water. Then i put it back in the bucket and fill it back up with new water and use dechlorination drops (especially driftwood as it soaks up alot of water). It sounds like a lot of work but it really only takes about 30 minutes of actual work. Ive also done it with used canister filters and such as you can never be too careful. Just a thought.

 

[Ed]

Ian,

whether or not schist has leachates depends on the schist.. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schist ) if it contains iron, zinc or lead ions for example, these can leach into the water (see http://www.springerlink.com/content/nhjmfy9jc651jwgx/ )


Not all plastics are safe for use in aquariums, for example you would want to avoid any plastics made from bisphenol A and some of the soft plastics may leach softeners that can be a problem.

Ed

 

[Abrahm]

I would not recommend using bleach as a sanitizing agent for porous items like wood. There probably is quite a bit of bleach held within the object that will be next to impossible to remove. Baking these items in the oven at 250F would be far easier and less risky.

 

[Ed]

Wood really cannot be disinfected unless you autoclave it due to the crevices and porosity of the wood. These crevices and pores prevent any disinfectants from penetrating in sufficient quantity to kill any pathogens. The other problem with using chlorine based disinfectants with it is that the bleach reacts with the wood itself reducing its effectiveness. Throughly drying it is about as close as you can get with it.
There is a similar problem with baking it in the oven as you have to bake it long enough that any deep cracks or crevices reach high enough temperatures to be effective. Autoclaving it however ensures that the live steam will penetrate deep into the crevices.


Most stones can be disinfected with a bleach solution as long as they have been throughly scrubbed (no soap or other surfactants) to remove any soil or other debris off of the surface. The problem with cracks and crevices still applies as with wood. The stones can then be throughly rinsed off and then soaked in a commercial dechlorinator and again throughly rinsed. Suspending the stones off so they do not contact the ground and let them air dry for a week or more is also effective.
I have strong reservations about baking stones in the oven due to the potential risk of explosion if water is trapped inside the stone...

Ed