Making sure your aquarium decorations are safe

There are many creative things that people do with materials that they use or move around the house to create their own version of an amazing fish tank theme. Over the last decade or so, I have seen so many different things placed in an aquarium, creating designs that have inspired my own concepts. And if what you want is a theme that stands out, that no one on the face of the planet has, you can also do it. You are not limited to getting store bought accessories and ornaments. Things you have around the house, trinkets, and mantle decor that you no longer want can, in many cases, be transformed into a super cool aquarium decor.

But not all items can be dropped into a water tank with fish. Remember, fish are living creatures. The water in which they swim is their environment and the aquarium is a mini ecosystem that you will have to keep as close as possible to their natural environment. The things you put with them should not disturb the delicate balance in the tank. You must not harm them in any way by injuring them or affecting their health.

Things that should never go to an aquarium

Here is a simple list of items that should not be placed inside the aquarium with the fish. While the actual list may be longer, these are the most common things that you can accidentally put there.

First on the list are metal objects. While you will not knowingly put any metal in the tank, what you also need to ensure is that the item you have chosen does not have any metal parts. This means that not even a small screw. Metal rusts with water. Iron rusts and rusty iron poisons the water for fish. Inspect the object carefully and remove every piece of metal you have. If a screw holds a part of it, remove and stick it.

The second item is the chemical containers. This includes detergent bottles, soap and shampoo bottles, perfume bottles, etc. Any container that has ever held any type of chemical should be avoided. I have seen many of these containers, especially perfume bottles, which would make great fish tank ornaments. The problem is that there are no more chemicals in them and while you may have rinsed the bottle, chances are there is still chemical residue in it. You may think that the residue is too small to affect the fish, but it will. The water that fish swim in is also the water that they drink and breathe from. Even the slightest trace of chemicals will affect your health. If you insist on using a chemical container, you will need to soak it in plain water for at least a week and shake it around the water to remove the chemicals every day.

The last item is the painted ornaments. This is where the ornament is hand painted or the colors sprayed. If so, check for an outer layer of protective film to prevent the paint from fading. You can do this by taking a sharp blade and running it across the surface of the object. If the pain comes off as a fine powder, it does not have its protective coating. Putting this in the water tank will cause the paint to seep into the water and poison it. If the paint comes off as a chip or chip, you should be fine. But to be safe, you may want to cover the ornament with a layer of clear aquarium silicone.

While it may seem like too much of a fuss or be a bit paranoid, these three common items that people use as aquarium decorations negatively affect fish health. If you want healthy, vibrant fish in your aquarium, you would do well to follow the suggestions above.