# Can I use twist ties in aquarium?



## Racie_Gracy (Jul 6, 2012)

I'm in the process of making a moss tree, I couldn't find any driftwood with enough branches, so I've added branches using twist ties that are normally used in the garden.. Anyone know If this will work???? Still a few more branches to go on it yet... but u get the general idea.. Will the java moss attach itself to this?


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## CytoEric (Apr 14, 2012)

I'm not familiar with garden twist ties. I'm assuming they contain metal wire? If so, I'd be hesitant to use them. I've heard that the metal could corrode and leech who knows what into the water. I might risk using them if none of the metal was exposed...maybe cover any exposed ends in aquarium sealant?


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## WestHaven (Jun 30, 2012)

What about plastic zip-ties?


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## battered (Jan 1, 2012)

I've used one to tie down an anubias and it worked ok. It was a small piece, though, and I'd still be wary about the metal.


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## Cardoc (May 21, 2011)

+1 on the zip ties the metal is a bad idea unless it is stainless steel. If it is magnetic it is not stainless.


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## m8e (Oct 16, 2009)

Garden twist ties(florist wire) is often made with stainless steel, but some are not.


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## InannaMoon (Jun 3, 2012)

Hmm...as long as they are coated I guess...but surely something of more natural material would be better? What about attaching smaller pieces of driftwood on with cotton string?


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I have used the plastic covered twist-ties, but never in such quantity. Eventually (usually sooner, not later) the plastic covering comes off and the metal is exposed. It rusts. If I have just one of these in a tank I do not worry about it. As many as you are using might be a problem. 

Could you do this:
Find some twigs and zip-tie them to the branch. 
You could also drill a small hole in the main branch and super glue the twigs into place. 

You do not need anywhere near as many. The moss grows very dense and will fill in between the branches, even if the branches are several inches apart.


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## Racie_Gracy (Jul 6, 2012)

Hmmmmmm... :-/

Thanks Everyone for your replies! 
You've really gave me a lot to think about... I'm probably going to dismantle this... The problem is I cant find any smaller pieces for branches of my tree! 

I live in a one horse town with an absolutely pitiful pet shop.. the nearest good one is an hours drive away. Anyone got any good ideas for what I can use for branches? 

Maybe bamboo skewers?? Straws??? Empty Pen casings?? (Could lighty melt and bend them maybe?) anything else...?????

Home-made is the way forward, I really dont think ill find small branches of driftwood in my area


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## WestHaven (Jun 30, 2012)

Racie_Gracy said:


> Maybe bamboo skewers?? Straws??? Empty Pen casings?? (Could lighty melt and bend them maybe?) anything else...?????


Bamboo skewers should be safe I think.


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## zoony (Jul 7, 2012)

Why is rust a bad thing in an aquarium?

I mean, don't they sink ships to create reefs?


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## WallaceGrover (Jan 15, 2011)

zoony said:


> Why is rust a bad thing in an aquarium?
> 
> I mean, don't they sink ships to create reefs?


It's in a confined environment, the ocean is not (comparatively)...


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## zoony (Jul 7, 2012)

WallaceGrover said:


> It's in a confined environment, the ocean is not (comparatively)...


 wondering how exactly rust is bad. Genuinely curious as to the answer


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## stevenjohn21 (May 23, 2012)

Just get small twigs and stock them together in the shape you want


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## WallaceGrover (Jan 15, 2011)

zoony said:


> wondering how exactly rust is bad. Genuinely curious as to the answer


Iron poisoning, obviously iron is an important element in small amounts but if there is enough for rust... it can definitely be a problem.


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## Racie_Gracy (Jul 6, 2012)

iron eh, im using java moss and pygmy sword chains (Echinodorus tenellus.) I read somewhere that Echinodorus tenellus uses lots and lots of iron... I specifically ordered iron high root tabs for them... could I be right in saying that any iron from rust could be used by these plants as fertilizer?????? Just a thought... 

Grace


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## zoony (Jul 7, 2012)

Racie_Gracy said:


> iron eh, im using java moss and pygmy sword chains (Echinodorus tenellus.) I read somewhere that Echinodorus tenellus uses lots and lots of iron... I specifically ordered iron high root tabs for them... could I be right in saying that any iron from rust could be used by these plants as fertilizer?????? Just a thought...
> 
> Grace


It works great on evergreen trees in my yard. I put non galvanized nails in with the rootball... helps with iron defficiency. 

My white pines have a much deeper color than others in the neighborhood...


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## WallaceGrover (Jan 15, 2011)

Racie_Gracy said:


> iron eh, im using java moss and pygmy sword chains (Echinodorus tenellus.) I read somewhere that Echinodorus tenellus uses lots and lots of iron... I specifically ordered iron high root tabs for them... could I be right in saying that any iron from rust could be used by these plants as fertilizer?????? Just a thought...
> 
> Grace


Root tabs are designed to release the product slowly and not in the water column...


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

It will depend some on the way you operate your tank. Pollution is a bad thing and iron at high levels can pollute over time. But then we solve pollution by changing water often. Does the metal degrade fast enough to offset the water changing you may be doing? 
In African cichlid tanks, I do so much water changing that the small amount of iron can never be a hazard. Remember Metaframe tanks and filters made of metal rather than plastic? They all lasted for years and some are still in service today. Many people screw rocks to driftwood to make it sink. Shop owners sometimes find metal hardware that has been lost in tanks for years. I think hazards are often overblown and passed on without much thought.


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## Angelalovesherfish (Feb 28, 2020)

*grape stem java moss tree extenders*

I've had great success with grape stems. My java moss trees look real! They've been growing in my shrimp tank, stuck in calla wood for roughly 4 months now. Babies, berried, and


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## sbo80 (Oct 13, 2019)

ADA makes a product called "wood tight" which is just a spool of brown zip tie you can cut to length. It doesn't say what metal is in it, but it's definitely metal. And since it's cut on both ends it is exposed. Now the instructions do say it's for holding down ferns/anubias etc. and to remove it when the roots take hold. But it's obviously safe enough for at least a short while. I can't imagine it poisoning the tank. And I don't think "rust" is in a form that the plants would use. I don't remember the chemistry part but not all Fe is equal to a plant.


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