How do we know it is TOXIC?

[Jean]

Hello,
I called a company of paint and asked if I could use a particular
product in my tank.
His answer: it is oil based, it won't react with water, therefore none
toxic!

Is there a way to verify if a product is toxic?
Or the best way is to put a fish in the tank and wait 1 day, 1 week, 1
month...?

[NetMax]

"Jean" > wrote in message
m...
> Hello,
> I called a company of paint and asked if I could use a particular
> product in my tank.
> His answer: it is oil based, it won't react with water, therefore none
> toxic!
>
> Is there a way to verify if a product is toxic?
> Or the best way is to put a fish in the tank and wait 1 day, 1 week, 1
> month...?

Call the paint company back and ask them to put it in writing and FAX it
to you, that their paint will not be toxic to aquatic life. LOL, not
bloody likely. I can't even get marine epoxy paint manufacturers to make
that claim, and epoxy paint comes close to being inert (unlike oil
paint).

You can drop a few snails, shrimps or even frogs in the water. I think
invertebrates will react to toxins faster than fish.

What is it that you're trying to do? Think about using a sealer over
your paint. Typically fibreglass or 2 part epoxy is used for this
purpose. There are also paints which are used as sealers for pond
applications. They are expensive and not too many manufacturers exist
(one I knew of was in the US, check the pond sites).
--
www.NetMax.tk

[bassett]

Why not paint on the outside of the glass, Most of my tanks have light blue
back panels, all painted exturnaly

bassett.


"NetMax" > wrote in message
...
> "Jean" > wrote in message
> m...
>> Hello,
>> I called a company of paint and asked if I could use a particular
>> product in my tank.
>> His answer: it is oil based, it won't react with water, therefore none
>> toxic!
>>
>> Is there a way to verify if a product is toxic?
>> Or the best way is to put a fish in the tank and wait 1 day, 1 week, 1
>> month...?
>
> Call the paint company back and ask them to put it in writing and FAX it
> to you, that their paint will not be toxic to aquatic life. LOL, not
> bloody likely. I can't even get marine epoxy paint manufacturers to make
> that claim, and epoxy paint comes close to being inert (unlike oil paint).
>
> You can drop a few snails, shrimps or even frogs in the water. I think
> invertebrates will react to toxins faster than fish.
>
> What is it that you're trying to do? Think about using a sealer over your
> paint. Typically fibreglass or 2 part epoxy is used for this purpose.
> There are also paints which are used as sealers for pond applications.
> They are expensive and not too many manufacturers exist (one I knew of was
> in the US, check the pond sites).
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>

[Ozdude]

"bassett" > wrote in message
...
> Why not paint on the outside of the glass, Most of my tanks have light
> blue back panels, all painted exturnaly

I am doing my new tank with water based paint on a piece of styro foam from
the Reverse Garbage place around the corner, and that way if I change my
mind about the back I don't have to scrape paint off glass and as a bonus
(according to the NZ Aquaria Society Web pages) the foam helps to keep the
heat in and the temperature more stable than plain exposed glass, which
could be an issue for you northern hemisphere people in the grips of cold
winters (It's summer here so no heaters required at the moment, but
stability is).

Oz