# Does anyone know if this would be aquarium safe?



## PamAndJim (Sep 15, 2010)

Does anybody have any experience with this particular brand of landscape edging? I am looking to use it as a substrate divider. 


http://www.lowes.com/pd_94463-32970...ging&pl=1&currentURL=&facetInfo=#BVRRWidgetID


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

Since the only specification is that the material is plastic, the risk would be unacceptable to me. How about food grade high-density polyethylene such as strips cut from milk jugs?


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## PamAndJim (Sep 15, 2010)

The only problem with that is that it's for a 6" tank. That's a lot of milk jugs 

Any other recommendations would be appreciated.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Go to walmart, and buy crafting mesh. It costs like $5 for 3x sheets that are like 2ft by 1.5ft. Something like the picture below









Then silicone that on where you want it to stay. Unless it's sand, it won't be able to fit through the holes.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Most plastics will do no harm in an aquarium, but that is only true if it is pure plastic, with no additives, nothing added to make it work better as what it was designed for. I suspect it is too cheap to be anything other than PVC or polypropylene, and both would be ok.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

I also think it would be okay considering it's intended to be used in landscaping. It's not going to have anything in it that will harm plants or it would harm landscaping plants. If it had any kind of insecticide in it, it would be advertised as such because it would cost more money (besides, I've never seen an insecticide plastic). I've used this stuff in gardening before, and while it's horrible as a gardening edger, it should be harmless in a tank.

The biggest problem you'll have with this stuff is that it does not roll out very well. It wants to stay curled up. It takes a lot of pressure to keep it in the shape you want. When used for gardening, you can sometimes lay it out in the sun to warm it to help it straighten out, but it generally kinks when you try to force it straight, and those kinks do not come out even with the sun. So for this reason, I would say it's most likely not going to do what you want. It will simply be too difficult to work with unless you want a curly design.


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## PamAndJim (Sep 15, 2010)

I think if it's safe for the aquarium it will suffice for what I need it to do. The reason I want a divider it's to keep my Vals and Crypts from invading my foreground (so the mesh would not work) So, it doesn't need to be a "pretty" line or anything.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

If you can figure out a way to stop vals and crypts from invading your foreground, I'd love to see how you do it. I have the same problem. While I don't have vals right now, I plan to get them again soon. When I had them before, they were relentless in how much they spread.

How do you plan to make your divider? Would you mind taking pics as you do it? If not, would you at least describe your method? I'm very interested!


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## PamAndJim (Sep 15, 2010)

Complexity said:


> How do you plan to make your divider? Would you mind taking pics as you do it? If not, would you at least describe your method? I'm very interested!


The plan is to take the plastic strip to create "zones" that will hopefully contain the runners of the more invasive plants. The plastic strip will be cut to the depth of the substrate and will be siliconed to the bottom of the tank. I have seen other posts on here where people have done the same thing.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

Okay, so you're doing this before the tank is even setup. Thanks for the description. :smile:

I wonder if the same thing can be done, but instead of siliconing it to the tank bottom, what if a plastic bottom was used so that the form turned into a cup of sorts (full sides and a full bottom). Then if there was a desire to change the scape later, it could be done without having to tear the whole tank down. I may give this a try. It's basically the same thing you're doing with a small modification.


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## PamAndJim (Sep 15, 2010)

I have read about people using small plastic dishes(ie Tupperware, Gladware, etc) to do the same thing. Sounds like what you're describing.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

Yup, but I was making it more complicated! I hadn't thought of using something premade! LOL! Thanks for the tip. :smile:


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## PamAndJim (Sep 15, 2010)

Complexity said:


> Thanks for the tip. :smile:


Glad to help.


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## eeng168 (Apr 22, 2005)

to keep the plants only growing on the foreground....if I have scraps of very thin acrylic, I will use that. 

The idea suggested above with the strips from the milk jug would probably work just as well.


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## TheFoleys (Jul 30, 2012)

I used some weed barrier cloth that came in rolls. I cut strips bigger than my substrate and pushed them in wet soil with a 1" putty knife. Worked good plus you can pull it out and reshape later if desired. Just wiggle slow don't want to till your indoor garden. Can be put in already running tanks. You can cut the tops flush with substrate after you get your typography set. I used the thicker mill roll. And it blended with the black substrate. If you really like the idea of a securely fastened hard material you can try vinyl base moulding. I used it in a frog tank for the same purpose a while back. You can get any color under the sun. And it cuts easy with a razor. This has to go in during set up though. Good luck what ever you wind up doing post some pics.....


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

You can buy thin acrylic and cut to whatever size you want. Really thin material can be scored with a razor knife, then snapped. 

It will not glue down with silicon very well, though. You might try expanding foam filler.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Diana said:


> You can buy thin acrylic and cut to whatever size you want. Really thin material can be scored with a razor knife, then snapped.
> 
> It will not glue down with silicon very well, though. You might try expanding foam filler.


Does that foam stick to acrylic? If so it could be used for a lot of things.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

I'm pretty sure it does. I've used black waterfall foam for ponds in a number of applications, and it sticks to everything I've tried it on so far. The best thing is since it's intended to be used for ponds, it's designed to work with the same things we use in aquariums: water, light, fish, etc. I prefer it over the yellow great stuff foam.


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## TheFoleys (Jul 30, 2012)

Greatstuff is uv sensitive and will deteriorate quickly in a high light environment if not sealed with something to block light. Complexity I backed up into a can of foam on a shelf once and it foamed me! I got what I could off but it dries so quik and is so sticky. Sat on the phone with the manufacturer for what seemed like forever while my hair was glued to my back and my arm was slopped frm elbow to fingertips from trying to get it off.... Needless to say I was forced into aabove the shoulder hair cut!
Omg that was a bad day..... But in hind sight It was pretty funny.So I agree with your statement that it sticks to anything very much. Btw apperantly vasaline gets it off skin


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