# Floating Rings?



## jen_jen_ng (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi everyone, hope you can help me~

Do you have or know anything that is *thin, round*, and *can float?*
Preferably white; transparent is even better!
If so, let me know and where to get it!

I tried a few things but it sinks right away or over time when water leaks in and weigh it down 

Below is a picture to show you what i'm trying to do, hehehe
Don't ask me why I want to gather my floating plants that way cuzz i dun have a really good reason to, lolz. 
I just do. It just looks prettier and also so that it won't cover the light entirely.

~ Jennifer ~


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

For a floating feeding ring, I just use the lip of a styrofoam cup, or cut out a part of a styrofoam tray you get stuff on at the grocery store.


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## jen_jen_ng (Apr 20, 2010)

ameekplec. said:


> For a floating feeding ring, I just use the lip of a styrofoam cup, or cut out a part of a styrofoam tray you get stuff on at the grocery store.


oOoOoOo
right! styofoam tray might just do the trick!  
Initially I wanted something plastic
I thought of the lip of a styrofoam cup but I wasn't sure if that would be sturdy enough against occassional nibbles from my guppies and in water

thanks for the idea, Ameekplec <3 
I'll give the styofoam tray a try!

~ Jennifer ~


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

jen_jen_ng said:


> oOoOoOo
> right! styofoam tray might just do the trick!
> Initially I wanted something plastic
> I thought of the lip of a styrofoam cup but I wasn't sure if that would be sturdy enough against occassional nibbles from my guppies and in water
> ...


better yet if you want the plastic.. get those glow in the dark plastic rings from the dollar store


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## jen_jen_ng (Apr 20, 2010)

Fish_Man said:


> better yet if you want the plastic.. get those glow in the dark plastic rings from the dollar store


lol! no way! have you tried it? 
thinking about it... it will most probably float
it's a feasible idea!
omgosh, if it does, it'll look pretty awesome in my tank! 

Btw, Fish Man
Do you have pics of your tanks? I'm struggling with picking a theme, and selecting + organizing plants >.<


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Fish_Man said:


> better yet if you want the plastic.. get those glow in the dark plastic rings from the dollar store


Ya, because that's bio-safe...
not.


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> Ya, because that's bio-safe...
> not.


my apology, guess it doesn't work according to AquariAM. never tried it myself.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

When you're using plastics in an aquarium or food setting you have to make sure that you're using a bio-safe/food-safe type of plastic. Some forms of plastic, for example, most kinds of PVC and ABS plastic, are not safe for your fish. Plastics like PETE and LDPE and HDPE and PP are. It's not just the 'base' plastic, it's also what they've put in it to make it glow in the dark. If that isn't safely and completely sealed inside of a food safe plastic, it's going to be very dangerous. If it's for sale in a dollar store, odds are it is of very cheap construction and very likely to leach volatile organic compounds into the water. 

You can see what plastic most plastic items are made from by finding the stamp on the plastic, usually on the bottom (it's inside a piece of lego, on the foot of 'action figures'-- yes I still remember, on the bottom of a plastic bottle, on the bottom of a garbage can, etc).


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

Aquatic crop circle!!


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> When you're using plastics in an aquarium or food setting you have to make sure that you're using a bio-safe/food-safe type of plastic. Some forms of plastic, for example, most kinds of PVC and ABS plastic, are not safe for your fish. Plastics like PETE and LDPE and HDPE and PP are. It's not just the 'base' plastic, it's also what they've put in it to make it glow in the dark. If that isn't safely and completely sealed inside of a food safe plastic, it's going to be very dangerous. If it's for sale in a dollar store, odds are it is of very cheap construction and very likely to leach volatile organic compounds into the water.
> 
> You can see what plastic most plastic items are made from by finding the stamp on the plastic, usually on the bottom (it's inside a piece of lego, on the foot of 'action figures'-- yes I still remember, on the bottom of a plastic bottle, on the bottom of a garbage can, etc).


thanks for the info AquariAM.. haha next time I should ask if glow sticks work before suggesting it.. my bad


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## jen_jen_ng (Apr 20, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> When you're using plastics in an aquarium or food setting you have to make sure that you're using a bio-safe/food-safe type of plastic. Some forms of plastic, for example, most kinds of PVC and ABS plastic, are not safe for your fish. Plastics like PETE and LDPE and HDPE and PP are. It's not just the 'base' plastic, it's also what they've put in it to make it glow in the dark. If that isn't safely and completely sealed inside of a food safe plastic, it's going to be very dangerous. If it's for sale in a dollar store, odds are it is of very cheap construction and very likely to leach volatile organic compounds into the water.
> 
> You can see what plastic most plastic items are made from by finding the stamp on the plastic, usually on the bottom (it's inside a piece of lego, on the foot of 'action figures'-- yes I still remember, on the bottom of a plastic bottle, on the bottom of a garbage can, etc).


thanks for the detail explanation, AquariAM^^


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## jen_jen_ng (Apr 20, 2010)

I have a mini collection of dollarama stuff in my home so I happen to also have some glow sticks from there, lol

In addition to the type of plastic it is made of and what's in it, etc. In the warning label it says "Do not leave lightstick in direct sunlight or expose to high temperatures."

so *sigh* the great idea won't work >.< would be nice if it did though =P


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

AquariAM said:


> Some forms of plastic, for example, most kinds of PVC and ABS plastic, are not safe for your fish.


Actually, most forms of PVC are fine for aquaria use. Entire commercial and institution systems are plumbed with PVC


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## WiyRay (Jan 11, 2009)

Well... If you're looking for something plastic and transparent... 
Here's an idea. 

If you go to Big Als or most other lfs, they sell clear acrylic(?) tubes.
Buy one, heat it up slowly (and not too hot 'cause you don't want to melt it)
Something like a hairdryer might do. 
As it gets softer, just mold the tube into a circle. 
Wrap it around a cup or something if you're a perfectionist. 
Measuring the length you need and cutting it first would help too. 
Last thing would be to seal each end to eachother to complete the circle and sealing the air in the tube. 
Something like a good dab of clear silicone glue could work. 

Then poof. You have a floaty clear plastic ring. 
... I should have thought of this sooner... 
I could have really used that idea.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

WiyRay said:


> Well... If you're looking for something plastic and transparent...
> Here's an idea.
> 
> If you go to Big Als or most other lfs, they sell clear acrylic(?) tubes.
> ...


Why couldn't you go one step further and add some food colouring to water and put it in the tube?


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## WiyRay (Jan 11, 2009)

TBemba said:


> Why couldn't you go one step further and add some food colouring to water and put it in the tube?


Because, with my luck, I won't seal it properly and my tank will be pink... I mean blue... the next morning. 

Oh also... air in tube is so it stays afloat. Water might sink it.


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## jen_jen_ng (Apr 20, 2010)

WiyRay said:


> Because, with my luck, I won't seal it properly and my tank will be pink... I mean blue... the next morning.


ahahas!

well thanks for the great ideas WiyRay and TBemba

I will put these ideas to test~

- Jen


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## Viperi (Mar 22, 2010)

Buy those aqarium air tubes and a coupling. make a circle and use the coupling to seal it up . See if they sell plastic couplings.


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## WiyRay (Jan 11, 2009)

That would make a lot of sense. And a whole lot easier...


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

ameekplec. said:


> Actually, most forms of PVC are fine for aquaria use. Entire commercial and institution systems are plumbed with PVC


No, there are only certain limited types that are truly safe. These aren't my words, they are the words of someone with about 40 years of experience that almost every experienced fishkeeper and many shopkeepers in the city have turned to for guidance at least once. I have heard this person explain to SW keepers many times to only use X or Y type of PVC because they are the only 'truly safe' ones.

We should keep in mind that just because it is 'unsafe' doesn't mean it will immediately cause harm. Drinking out of a plastic number 7 container for a twenty years won't necessarily give you cancer in the tenth or twentieth year. Maybe ten years later. Maybe never- but we know that it contains bisphenol which is not bio-safe.

Using the 'wrong kind' if you will, of PVC pipe won't necessarily hurt your reef tank today, next year, or in 2015. The potential is there.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

You really won't find them easily - excluding cPVC and PVC for electrical conduits - it's hard to find PVC pipe that's not for potable water use. Maybe the giant green drain plumbing, but nobody's going to be using that anytime soon, I'd think.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

AquariAM said:


> When you're using plastics in an aquarium or food setting you have to make sure that you're using a bio-safe/food-safe type of plastic. Some forms of plastic, for example, most kinds of PVC and ABS plastic, are not safe for your fish. Plastics like PETE and LDPE and HDPE and PP are. It's not just the 'base' plastic, it's also what they've put in it to make it glow in the dark. If that isn't safely and completely sealed inside of a food safe plastic, it's going to be very dangerous. If it's for sale in a dollar store, odds are it is of very cheap construction and very likely to leach volatile organic compounds into the water.
> 
> You can see what plastic most plastic items are made from by finding the stamp on the plastic, usually on the bottom (it's inside a piece of lego, on the foot of 'action figures'-- yes I still remember, on the bottom of a plastic bottle, on the bottom of a garbage can, etc).


You can't go by the type of plastic. Most plastics are inert, but plasticizers, color, mold inhibitors and other materials are added to them. If the plastic is used for food containers, it has to meet a different standard -- that it doesn't contain toxic materials that could leach into foods. The safest method is to use only food-grade plastics. You can get all kinds of safe food grade plastic stuff, often for free, from delis, bakeries, donut shops, etc. I've got food grade buckets of sizes from 1 to 5 gallons that were used to ship pickles, frosting, jelly, etc. All those plastic cartons and jugs you buy food in can be reused.

Note that kitchen sponges may contain fungicides, as do some garden hoses (!!). IIRC, I've seen plastic garbage cans advertised that contain fungicides and/or insecticides. You certainly can't go by the type of plastic indicated in the recycling symbol to know if it's food safe! While food containers are often made from LDPE, HDPE, PP or PETE, a lot of other things that aren't food safe are as well.

Anything made of recycled plastic is suspect, because there's no telling what it's been exposed to in a former life. Plastic products from other countries may not be subject to the same standards as those made in Canada, and the government is in no position to analyse every shipment of dollar store items for you. Every so often there's a warning/recall about some plastic toy or other object that has dangerous levels of some contaminant or additive that could be a problem if a child were to chew or suck on them, such as the lead-contaminated window blinds imported from China a few years ago. IIRC, a lead compound was added intentionally to make the plastic more opaque.

Water supply pipes are made to food-safe standards. PVC supply pipe and potable water hoses are safe. Plastic drain pipes (usually ABS) can't be counted on to be food safe.

At any rate, don't be totally paranoid, but think carefully before you use something in your aquarium (or let your little kids put it in their mouths).


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## golfers1 (May 17, 2006)

Grab some plastic tubing and a line connector, make the circle as big as you want. Presto instant floating boom. That's how i've been making them for the past 20yrs or so. I used to use the lights from Light Bright to connect my tubing.
Another idea/suggestion you could use/do. I used to use suction cups and connect the tubing to them and cutting the tubing the width or length of the tank that I was going to use as my floating garden.


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

Jen,

Just a thoguht while skimming the first page of the thread. Why not get some sport drink bottles or water bottles you can find pretty much littering about the place and cut the bottom 1cm out then cut a inner circle inside, sand paper the edges if you're that worried but if you do a finishing cut on top of your rough cut you should be ok. Tie a string to it and tie it ot the heater or somewhere away from your filter so that the water moving won't pull it into the filter area. Just an idea.


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## Lee_D (Jun 11, 2010)

Tygon Tubing joined together with a double ended hose barb. Absolutely Brilliant. I've been trying to figure an easy way to keep my duckweed out of my aquaclear for ages. My last attempt consisted of 1x1 pine which I gave up on as soon as I noticed tiny little white jumping bugs no bigger than a grain of sand bouncing across the surface of my tank. That, and it was intensely ugly.

As for any volatiles leaching out of the tygon tubing, I should think the charcoal in your filter should absorb that with little trouble.


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## jen_jen_ng (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi everyone~

Thank you for all your tips^^
Hehe, but i have given up on this idea a while ago. Just don't find it very practical since after every water changes the ring would get caught in some tall plants/ornaments and i had to re-gather them again and again into the rings which it is very time consuming.

However, I think I will give it a shot again sometime in another month or so once i get my new 20g started... perhaps with more space, the rings won't get caught in anything during the water change. 
-- Also, i have better luck with Amazon Frogbits. In case if anyone interested in having some floating plants and want gather it in a ring (>.< lol...), this plant is very easy to hold together because of its long roots. 

and... Lee_D~
I also have the same *issue with some little jumping bugs* on my floating plants. It is also no bigger than a grain of sand but it's light red.
Anyone know those bugs are? Should I be concerned? Most importantly... is there a way to get rid of them >.<

Thanks,
~ Jennifer ~


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## ShrimpieLove (Apr 26, 2010)

I got some amazon Frogbit and I keep it from floating into the filter with a clear heater suction cup. Lol


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## Lee_D (Jun 11, 2010)

Jennifer,

Is the picture from the first post of your tank? The reason I ask is that taking a closer look at it, it looks more like teflon tubing than tygon. I doubt you would find that in a local store. (Expensive). It would look much nicer than than tygon, wouldn't off gas anything, and I very much doubt anything would grow on it (To slippery). I'm just not sure it would float - but I'm sure going to find out!

As for keeping the ring in one place, I use very low test fishing line (for invisibility) tied to a plastic weight outside the tank. The plastic is so it doesn't scratch the glass.


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