I think it's a myth...

[LizStreithorst]

...this thing about fungicides in garden hoses hurting the fish. I knew a guy who used to post on another forum until he got his feeling hurt, took his toys and went home, who said that he'd used silicone #2 to reseal tanks in a pinch and it had never hurt his fish.

I've used old well used garden hoses to fill containers. There were no ill effects. I figured that it was because the hoses had been well used. I had just bought a new "as seen on TV" hose that shrinks down to nothing when the water is turned off and gets big and long when it's under pressure. I don't own a TV so I didn't see it there. My supermarket had it. I bought one and really liked it. It doesn't kink! I decided to buy another before I won the auction fish. Without thinking I hooked it up to the outside faucet I was using to fill their dedicated water storage container. It was two days of flopping on the bottom WC when it occurred to me, "OMG, this hose might be full of toxins". The fish were doing fine so (don't beat me up over this, please) I decided to keep using the hose and just watch the fish. I knew that they would talk to me if I listened to them so I experimented with my most valuable fish. (OK, you can beat me up if you like. I shouldn't have).

Bottom line...I've been using this hose for refill with huge WC for weeks. The fish are perfect. Has anyone had a bad experience using a garden hose to refill tanks or water storage containers? Has anyone had a bad experience using silicone #2? I know what the conventional wisdom is. I want results from actual use of these things.

[Phillydubs]

Liz,

I use these rubber hoses we use for boilers and plumbing work. I think they may be good year? I don't even know but honestly like you thanks fuly never had any issues I never really through by twice about it but I do believe as you say the fish will tell you.

On a second note thanks for the follow up on thag hose! I've seen them and keep saying I want to get one. I will do so now

[pastry]

Len, I'm so lazy with the driftwood I throw in that I wouldn't even bat an eye with using a hose . That said, when I worked in a really good fish store when 14, 15, we used standard common green garden hoses without a problem ever (brass ends and all).

[Keith Perkins]

I don't know about hoses, but I can tell you about sponges. There's another guy here in Janesville that decided to get into breeding and selling discus. He bought a bunch of pairs and then went cheap on sponge filters, building his own. He went to the local fabric shop and bought his sponge material. Apparently the story that some sponge material contains toxic flame retardant is not a myth, as he lost 2/3rds of his adults as I remember, wiped out all the juvies and fry that he had, and I don't know if his remaining adults ever fully recovered.

With the stories you hear about what the Lumber Liquidators hardwood flooring from overseas contains I would image some of the cheap hoses from that part of the world could be just as bad. I hear what you're saying about the myth Liz and I'm glad things worked out well for you guys, but I guess for the couple extra bucks potable water hoses cost I'll stick with the better safe than sorry approach for now.

[dprais1]

I don't know about hoses, but I can tell you about sponges. There's another guy here in Janesville that decided to get into breeding and selling discus. He bought a bunch of pairs and then went cheap on sponge filters, building his own. He went to the local fabric shop and bought his sponge material. Apparently the story that some sponge material contains toxic flame retardant is not a myth, as he lost 2/3rds of his adults as I remember, wiped out all the juvies and fry that he had, and I don't know if his remaining adults ever fully recovered.

With the stories you hear about what the Lumber Liquidators hardwood flooring from overseas contains I would image some of the cheap hoses from that part of the world could be just as bad. I hear what you're saying about the myth Liz and I'm glad things worked out well for you guys, but I guess for the couple extra bucks potable water hoses cost I'll stick with the better safe than sorry approach for now.

Years ago I had a 55gal tank with about 12 baby RES, turtles, also in the tank were a dozen feeder fish that had little bites out of their tails, they had been in the tank for about a week. I decided to go cheap and used a sponge from the hardware or automotive department on whatever filter I was using back then.

Next morning the turtles were fine but all the feeder fish were dead.

[Rudustin]

I must admit that I have been using the X-hose that is advertised on TV for years now. I have had no problem with my fish or the tanks in anyway. Just my experience. Rufus

[Cosmo]

myth or not, I would personally wouldn't try it. Food grade hoses are cheap enough on Amazon there's no reason to take the chance IMO. Thank God your babies weren't effected... that would have been a real heartbreaker. But, I don't use hoses, cause I hookup to sinks inside the house and use tubing. Was looking at food grade hoses on Amazon the other day though cause they have a greater diameter and might save me some time. A 25 foot hose I think was about 10 bucks and the 50 footer was about 22 bucks.. cheap enough I'm thinking - now if they would only crinkle up into a small package like your "as seen on TV" ones they'd be perfect lol

[mee]

Always been my hypothesis that the reason sponges vs hoses show effects is simply that the sponge is constantly running water through it over and over. With the hose the water comes through fast, once and only the water at the outer edge of the flow is actually exposed to the hose material. The hoses are usually treated to keep them from growing stuff inside them, but not to keep stuff from growing on your garden. If given the choice I will always buy a food/pet safe hose, but I think you're very likely fine with what you got Liz, and no kinks sounds very nice and stress free, which actually if I saw one next time I was hunting for hoses, would be very tempting to me as well.

[Darrell Ward]

I used cheap garden hoses, and brass fittings and valves from the hardware store for years back in the day with no problems at all. Heck, they used to put aquariums together with stuff that looked like tar too before silicone! Who knows what that stuff had in it! It never killed fish either. That said, everything wasn't made in China like today. I would only use 100% silicone to be safe.

[nc0gnet0]

I'm not sure what stuff back in the day the garden hoses had in them compared to what they "might" have in them today, so I am not sure it's an apples to apples comparison. It would stand to reason that older used garden hoses would have the majority of the anti fungal additive purged from them......

I think the real problem occurs when an amount of water is left in the hose for a period of time, allowing more of the chemicals to leach into the water. Warm water will also leach more chemicals from the hose then cold. I know if you ever drink from a garden hose that is outside, the water coming out will have a strong taste/odor to it until it is flushed, then the odor/taste disappears. With that in mind, if your going to used a garden hose for your fish, I would at least do the same.

[LizStreithorst]

Good points, Rick. BTW, I'm not suggesting that anyone use garden hoses. the last thing I want is for someone to do it, have their fish die and say, "Liz said it was OK". No horror stories yet, though...

[mee]

nc0gnet0. very good point indeed.

[Yoda466]

I'm glad you brought this topic up because I have also wondered about it for years. I know the conventional wisdom, and of course the "better safe than sorry" approach is never wrong. But I also know that probably tens of thousands of fish keepers are using garden hoses every day with no problems. It is all that I have ever used. I am also less worried about it because I use the same hose for both draining the old water and transferring the new. So the hose always gets a nice 40+ gallon rinse-out to the drain before I connect it to the tap for new water. Any leaching that may have occurred from water standing in the hose should be gone. I don't officially recommend this approach to others because I can't prove it can't cause problems. Also, garden hoses can be different. But I have never had a single problem.

[Second Hand Pat]

I know with my new hoses when you first turn the water on, water coming from the hose foams a bit and clears after a few minutes. Living in Florida most often the water is quite warm sitting in the hose. I do not see this in my older hoses. For me it is a no-brainer to use a potable water hoses for using with my tanks/fish.

[pitdogg2]

I don't know about hoses, but I can tell you about sponges. There's another guy here in Janesville that decided to get into breeding and selling discus. He bought a bunch of pairs and then went cheap on sponge filters, building his own. He went to the local fabric shop and bought his sponge material. Apparently the story that some sponge material contains toxic flame retardant is not a myth, as he lost 2/3rds of his adults as I remember, wiped out all the juvies and fry that he had, and I don't know if his remaining adults ever fully recovered.

With the stories you hear about what the Lumber Liquidators hardwood flooring from overseas contains I would image some of the cheap hoses from that part of the world could be just as bad. I hear what you're saying about the myth Liz and I'm glad things worked out well for you guys, but I guess for the couple extra bucks potable water hoses cost I'll stick with the better safe than sorry approach for now.

YES that must be flame retardant to be able to sell to the public because it might be used in furniture cushions.

...this thing about fungicides in garden hoses hurting the fish. I knew a guy who used to post on another forum until he got his feeling hurt, took his toys and went home, who said that he'd used silicone #2 to reseal tanks in a pinch and it had never hurt his fish.

I've used old well used garden hoses to fill containers.

Bottom line...I've been using this hose for refill with huge WC for weeks. The fish are perfect. Has anyone had a bad experience using a garden hose to refill tanks or water storage containers? Has anyone had a bad experience using silicone #2? I know what the conventional wisdom is. I want results from actual use of these things.

I have been using regular garden hose's for years with NEVER any problems but I do let them run for a bit. Before going into fish tank I fill my WC tank it with its filters will take out the gremlins. Most of the fear in Garden hoses is from lead that is used in Plasticize'ers most of the better hoses will be some sort of rubber on the inside but not all are.

as for the Silicone #2 NEVER USE anything that has a mildicide or fungicide that will wreck havoc on the fish they will die. I had called GE two weeks ago to check on their "IronGrip" Silicone it said 100% silicone and even has glass in the instructions but the GE Tech told me they no longer recommend any of their Silicone products for aquariums. He would not say why but pushed me to other companies for this now. I have used the GE # 1 for years with never any problems but now will look to All-Glass 100% silicone the price is not much different but I'm just not able to go to the local hardware store to get. Not to mention I'd really like to use black next time I need to.