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Unread 01/08/2013, 06:35 AM   #15
rishma
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 1,206
Quote:
Originally Posted by bertoni View Post
Unfortunately, the toxicity levels for metals can be very low, in the ppb range for zinc and copper, so without any way of quantifying "reasonably well", I would be careful about using such types of metal in a reef tank.
bertoni - I think you misread or misunderstood my post. Copper and Zinc are the primary alloying elements of brass. You and I agree that brass should not be used in a reef because it is toxic.

My comment about reasonable performance was related to type 316 stainless steel, a commonly used stainless in applications such as powerhead impeller shafts. This alloy will pose no threat to reef animals and will perform well in most reef applications as I described in prevous posts. The reason I say it will perform "reasonably well" in a reef is because the component my experience some superficial pitting at crevice locations. This type of corrosion is not normally a performance issue, but I did not want to imply that 316 is a perfect choice for saltwater. If the user wants an alloy that is completely passive in the reef, they will need titanium or another much more costly alloy.

To summarize for future readers:
Do not use Brass in a reef, it contains copper and zinc and may be toxic to your animals.

Type 316 stainless steel is commonly used in equipment intended for water services. It is also used for powerhead impeller shafts. It is safe to use in a reef and will not harm your animals. Some components may experience mild pitting over time but this will not typically cause an issue with performance.

Titantium is an excellent choice for saltwater and should be impervious to corrosion in a reef aquarium (in any applciation I can think of)



cheers


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