using LEAD fishing weights to secure bubblers

G

gWeesE

Well-Known Member
Roseman, or any others who have the bubbleponics or dwc system and use fishing weights-

i have read that you use fishing weights to secure down the bubbler and air stones in your res. i need to secure mine as well but i just wanted to make sure i dont need to worry about putting lead fish weights in my res....the lead wont harm anything, or harm ph levels?

thks
gWeeSe
 
I was just wondering that same question while I was "Watching the grass grow" ~ why not use glass! Or a Ceramic coffe mug? I'm sure you can come up w/something other than lead!
 
Lead is a very soft metal that is also quite toxic to humans, i don't think that letting it erode in a bubbler will be that great for your plants.
 
because of lead-poisoning concerns, fishing weights made out of substances other than lead (iron, copper, tin, tungsten, etc..) are easily available. the packaging will say something like "lead-free" on it.
 
This is why I love this forum. Google has led me back here time and time again. This is one of those questions I thought was a no brainer, but I'm glad to see it's covered. I was real close to tossing a piece of lead wire on my stones. Looks like I'll be gluing them to some old tea cup saucers.
 
I use suction cup air line holders and stick them to a piece of glass taken out of a picture frame. Even thin glass doesn't float. Or you could substitute with a thin, flat plate or saucer.

A res is like a microwave... Don't put metal in it.
 
lead will not hurt the water or the plants. only if you file it under the water or eat the lead will it hurt you. lead does not let off toxic chemicals in to water just sitting there. lead is heavier then water and sinks even the smallest of peices. alot of old glasses are made of lead glass. if it was toxic to water they wouldnt let us fish with them. or shot bullets made of them. the only reason they make you us steel shot to shoot water fowl is cause they eat it off the bottom of the lake river it hurts them. but lead is costly and i would us somethingg else.
 
Go to fishing store by lindy trolling slip sinkers they are coverd in a plastic boot and about 25 cents for a 50 oz sinker then just zip tie to the stone to tge sinker and you can reuse them forever
 
If it doesn't let off toxins in the water why has my state and almost every state in the union outlawed the use of lead weights for fresh water fishing? Also if you buy an older home there are disclosure forms saying, whether or not any lead pipes have been removed. This is also the reason behind lead free solder
 
Silicon or rubber cement will hold it down. It is also easy to peal off of smooth surfaces. It sticks enough on smooth plastic but is easily removed. Use aquarium grade silicon. It doesn't have the chemicals that could kill fish. I have had ok luck with suction cups, but eventually I end up super gluing them in place when they wear and wont hold suction anymore.
 
shizz said:
lead will not hurt the water or the plants. only if you file it under the water or eat the lead will it hurt you. lead does not let off toxic chemicals in to water just sitting there. lead is heavier then water and sinks even the smallest of peices. alot of old glasses are made of lead glass. if it was toxic to water they wouldnt let us fish with them. or shot bullets made of them. the only reason they make you us steel shot to shoot water fowl is cause they eat it off the bottom of the lake river it hurts them. but lead is costly and i would us something else.
Click to expand...
So much not right with this post.
1) Lead in the presence of air andor moisture does corrode to yield the oxide/carbonate. This will react with chloride in the water and the mild acid broth that is a good hydroponic solution. The lead is mobile in the plant and will create measurable contamination of the bud. One of the reasons lead is such a persistent problem in human environments, outdoor and in- , is because it's mobile and rather soluble in the sorts of salts you'll find it making.
2) Old lead crystal is no longer recommended for drinking, and absolutley a no-no for daily use. A glass of wine in nice crystal will typically pick up 0.2 ppm lead (at or past the currently recognized safe limit), and store the wine in lead glass for some weeks,and 20 ppm lead (aiee!) is not uncommon. Lead crystal is up to 25% lead oxide added to a glass melt.
Count on a phase-out of lead fishing weights ... they cause the same problem as the lead shot that poisons foraging waterfowl.

Someone else suggested brass. This could easily introduce toxic levels of copper and zinc (and lead! Most brass is leaded.) to a hydro solution. Copper and zinc have rather narrow safety/effectiveness margins; this is why copper and brass plumbing is sort of a universal Bad Idea for handling food-grade liquids, and let's face it; we want our bud to be at LEAST food-grade. Jmo ... but an informed opinion. cn
 
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