PVC Pipe Question

[emcmilla]

So, I am hoping someone can help me...I have some PVC pipe elbows and tees. Oddly, they sink in a 30G tank but not in a 10G. I need to use them for hiding spots in my QT...Does anyone have any ideas about how I can weigh them down so they stay sunk???? I'm really at a loss. Since I am not putting LS or LR in the QT (obviously) I don't know what I can use to hold them down...

Please Help!!!:headwally:

[gone fishin]

That is odd indeed. maybe a little spot of epoxy putty. When done I would think it would pop off easy enough.

Or silicone

[emcmilla]

hmm. The problem is that I need the tank ready for early tomorrow AM filled with water, since I am in the middle of a TTM. Anthing I think of that I could use to weigh it down makes me think it may release contaminants or something into the water (Eg. particularly something metal). :(

[gone fishin]

can you drill some holes in it maybe that will help keep it down. Just tossing stuff out there never ran across this problem before.

[RocketEngineer]

Make sure there is no air trapped in them. PVC by itself is denser than water and should sink. A plastic bag full of sand should work, just toss if you medicate the tank.

[rwb500]

PVC fittings sink in my QT tank. drilling holes will only help if there is air trapped inside them, which would be an easy fix. If they are sinking in one SW tank and floating in your QT, your QT has way too much salt!

[emcmilla]

That's kind of what I thought, but the specific gravity is exactly the same in both. I also made sure when I put them in to make sure there was no air bubbles in them. It is, by far, one of the oddest problems I have encountered in this hobby so far lol

[RocketEngineer]

Flow characteristics? There may be something either pushing or pulling them off the bottom.

[emcmilla]

A plastic bag full of sand should work, just toss if you medicate the tank.

Do you think a double zip locked bag of sand would be okay (no leaching chemicals from the bag). What if the fish chew the bag? I know these sound like dumb questions but, I just want to make sure I cover every possibility...

[gone fishin]

In pinch I think I would go with the sand in a bag idea. That is nice and easy. I believe the fish would leave it alone. Do you by chance got an air stone in the tank.

[emcmilla]

No airstone. The only things in the tank are: a thermometer w/ suction cup to tank wall, heater, and a small HOB filter to circulate the water...Could it be the filter possibly?

[gone fishin]

Try turning it off and see if they stay sunk.

[emcmilla]

So, I just tried turning it off....Still not sunk. :S

[gone fishin]

I'm officially stumped. I think I would go with the sand idea to get through your TT. For curiosities sake let us know if you figure out the cause.

[emcmilla]

Okay. Sounds like a plan! Thanks for everyone's help. If I ever figure it out, I'll be sure to let you all know! :)

[meidinad]

It's the same pipe that's sinking in one and not in the other, which means it's not the pipe. So, the water is different (double check your hydrometer?), is the temp different? Or, as suggested flow could be the cause.

[Pife]

I have to seed a video of this. I just can't believe it.

[R.Gempler]

You could buy another pice of pvc fill it with sand and use that to hold the other pipe down. (Cap on bolth ends) I would just go with what everyone else has said and use a bag full of sand.

[woodnaquanut]

If you have any spare suction cups you could drill holes in the pvc to attach the 'non suction' end to the pipe and stick 'em down. Might be cool on the tank walls for more mid water fish!

This magic, science defying, floating pvc NEEDS a video.

[jrp1588]

You appear to be developing a rip in the space time continuum that is causing localized anomalies in basic laws of physics. I recommend notifying your nearest theoretical physicist.


Or check again for user or equipment error. It's simply not possible for it to be floating in one and sinking in another if the SG of the water is the same in both.