Super thick Rubber lawn edging safe to use?

[Erilakazan]

Hey Aq-Co!

I'm hoping someone there may have some input/perspective for me.

What I am trying to do is use rubber lawn edging as a substrate stabilizer to build up a deeper tier in the back of my fresh water tank. I have plants I want to put in the back with out all the sand being as deep as I want to them.

I found this really cool, very thick, self standing lawn edging at Wal-Mart. It says it's "100% made from recycled tires". Do you think its aquarium safe? I thought about just covering it with silicon completely, basically sealing it. Its a tougher more porous than slippery rubber.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ecoborder-Rubber-4-ft-x-3-in-No-Dig-Landscaping-Edging-Black/882390045

I am in mid project with 5 tanks and now I am second guessing this product. 

Any thoughts?

[Jungle Fan]

Hi @ErilakazanI don't know if I'd trust this lawn edging, even though it says it's just recycled rubber tires., sometimes they add lead, or softeners, or stabilizers.  However, building up height in the back of an aquascape can be fairly easy by using filter media bags and filling them with crushed lava rock, tying them and stacking them up where you want them, and then covering the 'mound' with aqua soil. Lava rock is extremely porous and if you add some ADA Bacter 100, and Mironekuton deep see minerals you'll also have it colonized really well by beneficial bacteria. I've used this technique in the past when I was heavily into Amano's Japanese style Nature Aquaria.

Large filter media bags $2.49 EA on Aquarium Co-Op, crushed lava rock $3.98 0.5 CU FT by Lowe's, if you need larger filter media bags Amazon has tons of different sizes.

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/filter-media/products/aquarium-fish-tank-media-filter-bag?variant=19396203610181

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kolor-Scape-0-5-cu-ft-Red-Lava-Rock/50040758

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Jungle Fan

[Anita]

4 hours ago, Jungle Fan said:

Hi @ErilakazanI don't know if I'd trust this lawn edging, even though it says it's just recycled rubber tires., sometimes they add lead, or softeners, or stabilizers.  However, building up height in the back of an aquascape can be fairly easy by using filter media bags and filling them with crushed lava rock, tying them and stacking them up where you want them, and then covering the 'mound' with aqua soil. Lava rock is extremely porous and if you add some ADA Bacter 100, and Mironekuton deep see minerasl you'll also have it colonized really well by beneficial bacteria. I've used this technique in the past when I was heavily into Amano's Japanese style Nature Aquaria.

Large filter media bags $2.49 EA on Aquarium Co-Op, crushed lava rock $3.98 0.5 CU FT by Lowe's, if you need larger filter media bags Amazon has tons of different sizes.

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/filter-media/products/aquarium-fish-tank-media-filter-bag?variant=19396203610181

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kolor-Scape-0-5-cu-ft-Red-Lava-Rock/50040758

 

I am with @Jungle Fan on this one. Analysis of recycled rubber tires shows they contain significant levels of heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead, and zinc. 

Washington State University Extension suggests that manufacturers are marketing rubber mulch as an environmentally friendly landscaping product, while downplaying or even disregarding the toxicity of recycled tires:

Quote

Current research at Bucknell University indicates that rubber leachate from car tires can kill entire aquatic communities of algae, zooplankton, snails, and fish. At lower concentrations, the leachates cause reproductive problems and precancerous lesions. A similar study exploring the use of tires as artificial reef substrates also found rubber leachate to negatively affect the survival of various seaweeds and phytoplankton. Marine and other saline environments are less sensitive to tire leachates, however, and the greatest threat of contamination appears to be to freshwater habitats. 

The problem with trying to seal the rubber mulch is that a) it is very difficult to completely seal such an uneven surface and b) silicone or other sealants repel water but may still leach hydrophobic compounds (substances that are dissolvable in organic solvents).

Edited March 31, 2021 by Anita