# Toxic window screen?



## blacksheep998 (Jan 16, 2011)

Depends what it's made of. If it's metal then it probably would leech toxic heavy metals into the water. Fabric might be ok, especially if it's nylon.


----------



## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

http://www.twpinc.com/wire-mesh/TWPCAT_9/p_018X014S0110W36T



> Dual Certification
> 
> It is common for 304 and 304L to be stocked in "Dual Certified" form, particularly in plate and pipe. These items have chemical and mechanical properties complying with both 304 and 304L specifications. Such dual certified product does not meet 304H specifications and may be unacceptable for high temperature applications.
> Applications
> ...


from...
http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=965


----------



## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

It feels like plastic. I guess that's not the reason I'm losing Yellows.


----------



## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Well, did you wash the screen well before using it? I know the SS mesh I get comes with a greasy residue on it. If I put the SS mesh straight into the tank I'm sure tons of shrimp would die. So I have to wash it really well before hand.


----------



## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

Window screen is typically one of three things, fiberglass, aluminum, or vinyl coated polyester. None of these do anything to shrimp. 

Aluminum does not leach into the water. Very quickly, within minutes, after the metal is exposed to air or water, a layer of aluminum oxide forms on all surfaces of the metal. This is insoluble in water in the normal aquarium range of pH (below 5.3 and above 9 it can dissolve slightly.) 

Here's a Seachem study on aluminum oxide solubility in aquariums. It showed no connection between very high levels of aluminum oxide in water and the health of corals in addition to demonstrating extremely high levels of aluminum ions being required to damage a filter's viability. They also mention that aluminum chemistry is fairly complex in a real aquarium and that many of the factors that they avoided to test aluminum ion toxicity to bacteria would tend to decrease its impact in a real tank. The only problems I could find were a small, unimportant informational error in the toxicology section and the fact that this was done with a small sample size (n=18.) They did not test whether aluminum metal would dissolve in aquariums, but again, if the aluminum oxide coating does not dissolve, the metal underneath it cannot either. It remains to be seen whether it would or not, or whether it would have any biological impact at the concentrations you'd find in a tank if it did. The exact same situation is true for metallic copper and lead.


----------



## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

diwu13 said:


> Well, did you wash the screen well before using it? I know the SS mesh I get comes with a greasy residue on it. If I put the SS mesh straight into the tank I'm sure tons of shrimp would die. So I have to wash it really well before hand.


I believe I rinsed it. That was back in November so the tank has undergone ten 50% WCs since then.


----------

