3D print

[Zodiak246]

Are 3d prints safe for aquariums? I want to make things for my tank but im not sure how safe it is. 

[Widgets]

I recall there were some posts on this not too long ago. The question you are really asking is "What 3D printing materials are safe for aquariums?" From what I remember, there were some that were safe and some that were not.

Edit:

Here is a thread:

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Widgets

[Guppy Guy]

As far as safe materials go, your best bet is PLA, but it is only good for about 6 months before it starts breaking down. Another option is ABS, and while it will last much longer then PLA will, some brands will leach. Your best bet will be something like a white or black ABS, as they likely will not leach. I have heard that food safe PETG is ok as well(the top pic of my net clip is PETG), but I don’t know about long term submersion. The net clip is only in the water a few seconds at a time, so it is hard to know the details of its safety.

I would still set up a test piece in a jar for a few months, testing the water regularly to see if it changes over time. With me making so many things for my tanks, I have a dedicated system for testing, but that is a little overkill (even by my standards 🙃). I am currently getting ready to test a custom wheel decoration made out of ABS, but I have to print it first, and if you know ABS, making it stick to the build plate is a challenge in itself. I’ll update this eventually with a link.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Guppy Guy

[kahjtheundedicated]

I've used a bunch of 3d prints in my aquarium, and haven't had a problem. I've only used clear PETG, as that's pretty much the most inert 3d print material I'm aware of. "Pure" PLA is supposed to be fine too, but pretty much all PLA has additives now, so I didn't want to risk it.

Edited April 5, 2022 by kahjtheundedicated

[MarkM]

I've been using Hatchbox PLA and PETG in my aquariums for about 6 months and haven't noticed any problems yet.  PETG is FDA food safe, PLA isn't FDA approved food safe, but that EU equivalent did approve it.

I've made Fish Hides, Air bubblers, Breeding slates, plant holders, and more.  I feel it's safe, but if I'm wrong its going to go very wrong all at once. 

[CT_]

On 4/4/2022 at 7:37 PM, MarkM said:

I've been using Hatchbox PLA and PETG in my aquariums for about 6 months and haven't noticed any problems yet.  PETG is FDA food safe, PLA isn't FDA approved food safe, but that EU equivalent did approve it.

I've made Fish Hides, Air bubblers, Breeding slates, plant holders, and more.  I feel it's safe, but if I'm wrong its going to go very wrong all at once. 

Some PLA is food safe.  That's what those biodegradable straws and forks are made of.  Same with petg.  Some is "food safe" some isnt.  It's more about process and additives than the polymer itself.

 

I'm pretty sure I've said my whole speal in the above linked thread.  Tldr: black and white are usually made with inert colorants.  Clear sometimes actually takes extra additives over "natural"(undyed) colored polymer.  And pla won't biodegradable without applying heat so don't worry about that.  Petg is what I'm mostly comfortable putting in my tank.

[Apulo]

Spraying the print with polyurethane makes any of the materials "food safe" as long as it is completely cured,

The thing to keep in mind about food safe filaments is that while the filaments are food safe, the prints typically are not. There are still spaces between the layers that will collect bacteria and might cause illness eventually. In the aquarium hobby though, that's a benefit 🙂

[TheDukeAnumber1]

PLA, ABS, & PETG, the filaments used in the vast majority of prints are all aquarium safe. I wouldn't think twice about putting any of those three types of filament in my aquariums.

@Guppy Guy

PLA is only biodegradable in special industrial settings. I've had PLA prints in my aquariums and garden compost for several years with no signs of degrading.

Edited April 5, 2022 by TheDukeAnumber1

[Apulo]

On 4/5/2022 at 8:18 AM, TheDukeAnumber1 said:

PLA is only biodegradable in special industrial settings. I've had PLA prints in my aquariums and garden compost for several years with no signs of degrading.

There was a gentleman on youtube that printed three benchies. One he left on his desk, another he put in a jar of water on his desk, and the third he buried in his backyard.

A year later he examined all three and there was no degradation in any of the prints.

PLA needs heat and specialized bacteria to biodegrade.

[Guppy Guy]

On 4/4/2022 at 10:03 PM, kahjtheundedicated said:

"Pure" PLA is supposed to be fine too, but pretty much all PLA has additives now, so I didn't want to risk it.

As crazy as it sounds, my PLA will actually degrade in a aquarium after 6 months. It starts getting holes in it and breaking apart. Also, a little off topic, but I 3d printed a custom soap dish for my bathroom sink, and after 8 months, it is all cracked up and falling apart. 

With my experience, PLA seems to be like those “biodegradable” styrofoam cups which really only break down into micro-plastics, and not nitrogenous material like kitchen scraps. Of course, it varies by brand, and by the sounds of it, I got the 1 brand that actually “breaks down”. And I honestly don’t know if thats good or bad 😂.

[TheDukeAnumber1]

On 4/5/2022 at 8:58 AM, Guppy Guy said:

As crazy as it sounds, my PLA will actually degrade in a aquarium after 6 months. It starts getting holes in it and breaking apart. Also, a little off topic, but I 3d printed a custom soap dish for my bathroom sink, and after 8 months, it is all cracked up and falling apart.

Can I get a link to the PLA you are using?

[Guppy Guy]

On 4/5/2022 at 11:01 AM, TheDukeAnumber1 said:

Can I get a link to the PLA you are using?

I use Tianse PLA, but it looks different from when I got my spools 3 years ago(I print small things few and far between. 3 spools lasts me awhile). I don’t know if they changed the formula with the packaging, so good luck. I have used the blue and green in aquariums without problem for 6 months, then they start breaking down. I have the white as well, but I haven’t tried it in a tank yet.

[TheDukeAnumber1]

Interesting, some very mixed reviews having your issue. I have had bad rolls of filament before but never one that bad, and would go as far as to say what they are selling isn't always PLA. IMO bad and failed prints waste so much time and cause so much frusturation that high quality PLA is worth the increased price.

[CT_]

On 4/5/2022 at 5:12 AM, Apulo said:

There are still spaces between the layers that will collect bacteria and might cause illness eventually

I've heard this a lot, and I think the idea came from one or two places and gets repeated a lot.  My plastic cutting board is covered in crevasse from knife marks, and wood utensils are naturally porus too.  I suspect that logic is fairly conservative. 

 

On 4/5/2022 at 6:58 AM, Guppy Guy said:

As crazy as it sounds, my PLA will actually degrade in a aquarium after 6 months. It starts getting holes in it and breaking apart. Also, a little off topic, but I 3d printed a custom soap dish for my bathroom sink, and after 8 months, it is all cracked up and falling apart. 

With my experience, PLA seems to be like those “biodegradable” styrofoam cups which really only break down into micro-plastics, and not nitrogenous material like kitchen scraps. Of course, it varies by brand, and by the sounds of it, I got the 1 brand that actually “breaks down”. And I honestly don’t know if thats good or bad 😂.

My PLA doesn't do that either, but to me that sounds like a feature!  I'd love pla that actually breaks down for prints I plan on throwing away after a week.

[Guppy Guy]

On 4/5/2022 at 11:23 AM, TheDukeAnumber1 said:

I have had bad rolls of filament before but never one that bad, and would go as far as to say what they are selling isn't always PLA.

I agree. Any time I get a new spool of PLA, I melt it with a soldering iron to see if it smells like sweet corn. 9/10 it does, but I am glad I did it for that 1/10 time…

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/4/2022 at 6:05 PM, zodiak245 said:

Are 3d prints safe for aquariums? I want to make things for my tank but im not sure how safe it is.

Material aside, I know a lot of people are commenting above to solve that one, just make sure (like everything) that whatever goes into the tank you let it leech out oils or anything into a bucket for a bit and clean / rinse it extremely well.

[Guppy Guy]

On 4/5/2022 at 8:10 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Material aside, I know a lot of people are commenting above to solve that one, just make sure (like everything) that whatever goes into the tank you let it leech out oils or anything into a bucket for a bit and clean / rinse it extremely well.

I always do that, even for “aquarium safe” things. I use krylon fusion to paint my custom PVC decorations, and I still soak them in a bucket before putting in a tank, and I’m glad I do. The first time I soaked them, the water had a distinct smell of dried spray paint, evidence that it leached something. After a month or so, the smell went away, and everything was cool 😎. That was almost a year ago, and the log is still in a tank doing great!

[Zodiak246]

On 4/7/2022 at 11:06 AM, Guppy Guy said:

I always do that, even for “aquarium safe” things. I use krylon fusion to paint my custom PVC decorations, and I still soak them in a bucket before putting in a tank, and I’m glad I do. The first time I soaked them, the water had a distinct smell of dried spray paint, evidence that it leached something. After a month or so, the smell went away, and everything was cool 😎. That was almost a year ago, and the log is still in a tank doing great!

do you use the all in one can?

 

[Guppy Guy]

On 4/7/2022 at 11:18 AM, zodiak245 said:

do you use the all in one can?

 

Yes, but like I said, it is perfectly fine as long as you soak it first.