Is a galvanized trough safe for Shubunkins long-term?

[Mickowitz]

My shubbies need a much bigger home (30–50 gallons) out in my patio garden, but I have size restraints—it needs to be long and narrowish, max. approx. 38" long x 17–20" wide. I've looked at plastic water troughs, and have also looked at galvanized water troughs, but a friend who's a shubunkin veteran said that he had heard galvanized troughs might become toxic for the fish. Does anyone here know about this?

I otherwise may need some other creative solutions as far as the type of container that would still work, like a very small bathtub, a planter i could coat with a fish-safe waterproofing material, etc. It has to be above-ground.

thanks!

 

[bagsmom]

I don't think so. We did a water garden with everything just right and little fish kept dying. Then we researched and learned that some of the chemicals in galvanizing are neurotoxins. I think it was zinc. However, you can seal it, I believe. We just let the water garden be for plants, since we didn't want to undo everything to start over. I'm sure people on here are more knowledgeable than I am. But I wanted to pop in here and say proceed with extreme caution!

 

[MitchM]

Long term, zinc is a bad idea.
Perhaps find the container that suits your needs and line it with pond liner.
Also, shubunkins grow to a foot in size, you might want to trade them for a smaller variety of goldfish.

 

[sissy]

Fat fantails would be much better choice .I use stock tanks for my baby fish and put it on wheels so I can move it around on the concrete slab and even move it into the basement for winter

 

[Faebinder]

IMO....

If you fear zinc that much then send the water from the galvanized tank to a small bog that is growing tomatoes. The zinc will be sucked out. Galvanized tanks have been used in the past and once they grow algae on the walls it should not be an issue at all. Zinc is neurotoxic in high quantities but zinc is a required metal for the body so the idea of some zinc floating is not immediately a problem. Sides, Prime and other antichlorine treatments for the water when you change the water do help with heavy metals like zinc.

When you first start the tank, you should wash it several times. Below is a thread on another forum that brings up the topic.

http://goldfishkeepers.com/community/threads/galvanized-stock-tanks.12309/

 

[Meyer Jordan]

"In the aquatic environment zinc is acutely toxic to freshwater organiams at concentrations as low as 90 micrograms/l.and the lowest chronic effects lie between 26 and 51 micrograms/l."
U.S. EPA

 

[Mickowitz]

Thank you everyone so far! I only have a small patio, so unfortunately I can't try the tomato bog idea. I need to get a long, narrow tank, so my options are limited by that and I'm trying to think outside the box. Still looking for any great creative solutions—max footprint will be about 2' x 4—5'. I'm also going to research either lining a zinc container with a product specifically designed to waterproof a container AND be safe for fish, or having a zinc tub powdercoated, which would totally eliminate zinc/water contact and provide a neutral surface.

 

[MitchM]

IMO....

If you fear zinc that much then send the water from the galvanized tank to a small bog that is growing tomatoes. The zinc will be sucked out. Galvanized tanks have been used in the past and once they grow algae on the walls it should not be an issue at all. Zinc is neurotoxic in high quantities but zinc is a required metal for the body so the idea of some zinc floating is not immediately a problem. Sides, Prime and other antichlorine treatments for the water when you change the water do help with heavy metals like zinc.

When you first start the tank, you should wash it several times. Below is a thread on another forum that brings up the topic.

http://goldfishkeepers.com/community/threads/galvanized-stock-tanks.12309/

Zinc is only water soluble, or chelated (available to plants) in acidic conditions.
Plants can't uptake non-chelated zinc.
Chelated zinc - a good micronutrient for plants
Non-chelated zinc - not available to plants but will bioaccumulate in fish, causing health problems.
It's not fear, it's just a fact.

Lining the container with EDPM is much safer than relying on a coating of some kind.

.

 

[PondMutt]

rubbermaid has some nice watering toughs available .. no need to worry about zinc with them ..

however , i for my main tank i would like to install a corrugated steel galvanized stock tank . 18 FT dia , 4 FT deep ..
.. when i spoke of this on the national koi club forum the consensus was the zinc would not go into solution much at all at the ph levels we run for fish ..

small sheets of EDPM are inexpensive , . i have made fish pans using them very nicely ,, i use landscaping timbers [ they will rot in time , an alternative could be concrete blocks , or solid landscaping retaining blocks , solid landscape blocks are costly to me , but should work very nicely and not be unsightly .

proposal is to source solid landscape blocks , install to the available space using construction glues to adhere,,

how deep ?
line with EDPM .. insure install of a bottom drain , you will need this , in time
a simple bottom drain is real easy with EDPM , just put a 2 inch PVC through the edpm via +pipe boot+
pipe boot ..little round hole in the edpm , shove the pvc through , secure with stainless steel hose clamps ..
proper piping and valving of the bd will permit cleaning and a place to pull for a filter feature of some sort ,, water fall comes to mind ,,

i really do think a liberal application of construction glue to solid landscaping blocks would result in a solid containment.. couple feet deep

 

[bentaz]

Build a box to the size you want out of timber, treated pine sleepers would be my choice and then line it with pond liner, a nice timber frame around the top edge and you'll be in fish pond heaven!
Cheers
Ben.

 

[JamieB]

If you are handy, you can build your own. If not, then there are marine grade epoxys out there, I haven’t used them but I’ve seen them mentioned in plywood tank videos by the king of diy on YouTube. But a pond liner would be easier.

 

[adavisus]

If you are stuck on the idea of using a zinc tub, trough,I would have thought a cheap black plastic 6 mi lliner would work to line it, The metal shape would protect a thin membrane like that, which would otherwise puncture easily, quite well