Stainless steel in Aquarium?

[tobyfishkeeper]

I started a pleco breeding tank a while ago and now i need more caves so I am wondering if anybody has knowledge about if you can use a stainless steel pipe like the pictures.

I am very thankful and this is my first time on this forum, I am from Sweden but found it by searching on some pleco cave stuff. Awesome threads!

 

[DaveO]

You should have no problems using stainless steel in your aquariums. The main added element to make iron stainless is chromium. It is not toxic like copper can be. I have stainless machine screws attaching a light under hood in one of my tanks, that remain wet all the time. After two years there have been no ill effects. I think you are good.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

My only thing to add is to ensure there are no sharp edges so the Pleco’s don’t get wrecked going in and out of those caves. Best of luck!

[tobyfishkeeper]

On 7/6/2023 at 12:34 AM, DaveO said:

You should have no problems using stainless steel in your aquariums. The main added element to make iron stainless is chromium. It is not toxic like copper can be. I have stainless machine screws attaching a light under hood in one of my tanks, that remain wet all the time. After two years there have been no ill effects. I think you are good.

Thank you, i will maybe try it out then!

 

On 7/6/2023 at 12:50 AM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

My only thing to add is to ensure there are no sharp edges so the Pleco’s don’t get wrecked going in and out of those caves. Best of luck!

Yeah good tip! I heard plecos like the roof of their cave a little rough, idk how to do that though. Thanks!

 

[lefty o]

depends on the series of stainless. 300 series wont rust, 400 will.

[tobyfishkeeper]

Okay, how can I see or test this? Maybe there's a marking somewhere? Thanks

 

[lefty o]

a magnet will stick to the bad stuff.

[nabokovfan87]

Agreed @lefty o there's a lot of different grades, types, and shapes of metal.  All of which vary batch to batch, let alone material type.  One of the big issues is always going to be what is the specific spec that you're using and is that best server for underwater use.  There may be an avenue of research given for something like engineering guides.  Usually there is a spec, SAE or ANSI or something on the material itself that you can use to verify the material.  If there isn't a stamped spec, then you're pretty much just guessing at what you're working with.  Older stock may have the markings removed too.

My analogy initially when seeing the thread title would've been cooking pans and how stainless vs. carbon steel vs. aluminum vs. copper pans all leech different things.  There is some research and studies into this topic and that might be helpful for you.

[Pepere]

I used to be an ABYC marine electrician and taught about galvanic corrosion.

Lets talk about stainless.  Stainless is stain less, not stain free…. Stainless can rust.  Even high end aquamet propellor shafts can shear in a single year immersed in the ocean if it gets graphite contamination.  Ie, if you dont like soneone who has a boat, drawing a line around their prop shaft with a pencil near the cuttlass bearing and they will have an expnsive repair job within a year or two…

a copper penny or nickel dropped on a stainless steel tank will make a penny shaped or nickle shaped hole in the tank in a relatively short period of time…

 

And there is stainless and there is stainless.  Ie varying quality…. And stainless gets its resistance by a chromium oxide layer on the surface… the best stainless is rather expensive as a lot of time is spent rounding and smoothing all edges and highly polishing the surfaces to reduce risk of crevice corrosion whereby water seeps in to a crevice and becomes anoxic and the chromium oxide layer goes away…

 

in any event, the above short paragraphs scratches the surface as to why I personally would not be likely to be immersing stainless steel into an aquarium for pleco caves…. I think there are better options out there.  But that is my opinion….