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Thread: Pays to remember who you're talking to

  1. #1
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    Default Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Have a canister filter I'm setting up and wanted to get some filter material for the first chamber. Went to a fabric store to get some polyester batting. The clerk asked me what I was going to use it for and when I told her she said that several people bought for the same purpose. I said that that made me feel better about using it and less concerned about having to test it. She asked if I had some test kits and I said no, I'd probably have to put a piece in some water and then put a test fish in it. From the look on her face you'd have thought I just pulled out a gun. I assured her that I was only joking.

    Kirk

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    Registered Member krazykat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Material that has been treated with a fire retardant could have an adverse effect on you discus. Make sure that the batting or whatever material you are getting has not been treated with these chemicals. I would just spend the extra dollar and get the material from a pet store to make sure that it is okay for the intended use. Just because several people are buying it for the same purpose does not mean that it is okay. It could be several people that will be having the same problems (and dead fish in their tanks) down the road. JMO.
    "Will someone please give me the cure for Multi-Tank Syndrome?"

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    Registered Member Roxanne's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Quote Originally Posted by kirkp View Post
    ..From the look on her face you'd have thought I just pulled out a gun. I assured her that I was only joking.

    Kirk
    ...got the same look when I went looking for "pure" ammonia

    Please don't risk it for a few bucks....most fabric is treated with fire retardant and or formaldehyde from processing......if I can find the thread where someone used furniture sponge and made their discus do the mexican hat dance and killed others I will post it here....I nearly did it too, thank Neptune I read his thread!
    Last edited by Roxanne; 01-24-2009 at 08:33 PM.
    Everything goes back to the sea....Dylan

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    Registered Member Darrell Ward's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    I've also read horror stories about people killing their fish using department store foam, and learning it contained a fire retardant chemical after the fact. It's not worth the risk IMO to try to save a few dollars only to poison or kill hundreds of dollars worth of discus. When I used foam, (I've since switched to micron rated bags for the wet-drys) I was always happy to pay a little more at a fish room supply house to get foam that I was sure was fish safe. Be very careful!

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    Registered Member Patr1ck's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Dont do it. I had a bad experience with this recently, heres the thread. I think this is what Roxanne is talking about also. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=67777
    I use this stuff instead. http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2754135 Its really cheap too. If you still use the furniture stuff make sure it doesnt say anything about meeting flammability requirements. If it does it means that its treated with "Mexican hat dance" juice.

    HTH,
    P
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Hey everyone, thanks for the replies. Everyone makes good points. I'm going to be placing an order so I'll pick some up.

    Kirk

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    Registered Member Roxanne's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Quote Originally Posted by ov10pat View Post
    .. I think this is what Roxanne is talking about .....its treated with "Mexican hat dance" juice.

    P
    Everything goes back to the sea....Dylan

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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    There is no problem using polyester stuffing...where do you think the pet manufacturer got it from,......... same polyester manufactuer... I've used it for years and in another thread around here Paul also mentions that he uses it.

    Buying it from a pet store is almost up there with buying ''aquarium salt''.......


    if the bag says it is fire retardant then needless to say don't use it

    G

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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    I may run up there today to see what the packaging says. It's not the foam or the bulk polyester. It's a polyester matting that comes in big rolls 4' wide and 1/2" thick.

    We'll see. Could always do what I inadvertently said to her.

    Kirk

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    Registered Member pcsb23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Quote Originally Posted by Graham View Post
    There is no problem using polyester stuffing...where do you think the pet manufacturer got it from,......... same polyester manufactuer... I've used it for years and in another thread around here Paul also mentions that he uses it.

    Buying it from a pet store is almost up there with buying ''aquarium salt''.......


    if the bag says it is fire retardant then needless to say don't use it

    G
    Indeed I do I've since found a source in the UK that will cut the sheets to the size I want and cost mes me less too

    Like Graham and others say though if it is treated leave it alone, untreated it is perfect though.
    Paul

    Comfortably numb.

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    Registered Member Roxanne's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    My fear is there isn't always that kind of labelling to say whether it is treated or not.....I wouldn't trust what a shop assistant tells me about anything, especially when it comes to my pets/thousands of dollars worth of fish...so if labelled correctly there's no problem otherwise I personally wouldn't risk it. Australia imports too much CRAP to be blase in my opinion.
    Everything goes back to the sea....Dylan

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    Registered Member Patr1ck's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Quote Originally Posted by Roxanne View Post
    My fear is there isn't always that kind of labelling to say whether it is treated or not.....I wouldn't trust what a shop assistant tells me about anything, especially when it comes to my pets/thousands of dollars worth of fish...so if labelled correctly there's no problem otherwise I personally wouldn't risk it. Australia imports too much CRAP to be blase in my opinion.
    I Agree.

    P
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    Registered Member Patr1ck's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Quote Originally Posted by Graham View Post
    ...Buying it from a pet store is almost up there with buying ''aquarium salt''.......
    G
    Hey Graham. Can you give me some more info on this salt topic? Im curious to know if I could use salt from the grocery store. pm me. Sorry kirkp for the hijack.
    Thanks,
    P
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Rox I don't know about ''down under'' but ''up here'' if something has a chemical sprayed on it as in a fire retardant it has to be labeled as such. really cheap polyester doesn't have expensive chemicals sprayed on it.

    Pat NaCl is NaCl....you can use salt from where ever you want to buy it, table salt included. The iodized thing is nothing more than a myth. Needless to say you want a box that's pure salt.

    The cheapest source for salt is water conditioner salt about $10 for 50# at any hardware store. The only thing to watch for is the anti-caking agent YPS, Yellow Prussiate of Soda. This can break down an become toxic in sunlight.

    G

  15. #15
    Registered Member Patr1ck's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pays to remember who you're talking to

    Quote Originally Posted by Graham View Post
    Rox I don't know about ''down under'' but ''up here'' if something has a chemical sprayed on it as in a fire retardant it has to be labeled as such. really cheap polyester doesn't have expensive chemicals sprayed on it.

    Pat NaCl is NaCl....you can use salt from where ever you want to buy it, table salt included. The iodized thing is nothing more than a myth. Needless to say you want a box that's pure salt.

    The cheapest source for salt is water conditioner salt about $10 for 50# at any hardware store. The only thing to watch for is the anti-caking agent YPS, Yellow Prussiate of Soda. This can break down an become toxic in sunlight.

    G
    Thanks Graham.

    P
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