Pond liners

[Wally Walpumur]

Hi,
I bought a pond liner to go into my steel tank in case the tank might oxidize, do you know if the pond liners are food safe?

[bigdaddy]

Hi Wally,

they are probably not food safe,but nothing to worry about,I use pond liners for my grow beds and eaten food grown in them I'm not dead yet.

I reckon It's the best thing you can do for tank,it will safeguard against any heavy metal ingestion by your fish.This is far more dangerous for you than anything the liner will dish out.

If your tank is galv coated that's Ok but if it is just garden variety steel,it might pay to wire brush it back, killrust it with rust inhibitor first you can also coat the rust inhibitor with a primer then enamel I have used the Wattyl products for my retaining walls in my back yard 15 -20 years ago and they still look nice.

If you just leave the steel a moisture barrier will build up and corrode your tank quickly.

Cheers.

[simonavc]

I never gave it much thought, I hope it's all OK, cause I used it everywhere.

[AZaqua]

Ive researched liners so much that I often have dreams about them. I can answer most questions, what type of material is your liner (epdm?)
Does it have a brand name?
What shape is your tank?

There is a big misconception from the AquaCuture community that if the fish can live in it then it must be OK for humans. This is not true, fish live for a year and humans for 70+.

Many liners have plasticizes that make the plastic rubbery. When these leach out and come in contact with sunlight they break down into many well-know carcinogens.

[RupertofOZ]

There's a study somewhere... where they measured the degradation and possible leaching of EPDM liners exposed to many years of sunlight...

And found they remained stable... with neglible leaching...

[Wally Walpumur]

Ive researched liners so much that I often have dreams about them. I can answer most questions, what type of material is your liner (epdm?)
Does it have a brand name?
What shape is your tank?

There is a big misconception from the AquaCuture community that if the fish can live in it then it must be OK for humans. This is not true, fish live for a year and humans for 70+.

Many liners have plasticizes that make the plastic rubbery. When these leach out and come in contact with sunlight they break down into many well-know carcinogens.

Hi,Don't know if it's epdm, doesn't have a name brand but have contacted the company that sold me the liner, no response yet. Tank is square.

After just surviving the BIG C i watch out for stuff like this now

[AZaqua]

I have found 3 liners that I can not find any negative chemical issues.

1. Firestone EPDM PondGurd. It is like the roofing epdm but "fish safe" only downside is that it is so inert that you cant heat weld it.

2. Hypalon like pondgurd but it is uncured so it can be heat welded. downside it is heavy higher cost.

3. Permalon (layered HDPE) is the winner in my book. Totally inert light and low cost. Can be heat welded.

[Wally Walpumur]

I have found 3 liners that I can not find any negative chemical issues.

1. Firestone EPDM PondGurd. It is like the roofing epdm but "fish safe" only downside is that it is so inert that you cant heat weld it.

2. Hypalon like pondgurd but it is uncured so it can be heat welded. downside it is heavy higher cost.

3. Permalon (layered HDPE) is the winner in my book. Totally inert light and low cost. Can be heat welded.

Thanks alot for the info, i hope the one i bought is one of the above
WW

[AZaqua]

Yes, Firestone has a non "Pond guard" version of epdm. Its used for roofing, and has anti fungal and anti bacterial coatings. I have read that it will kill fish real quick.

The IBC's that many people are finding are food safe, and made from HDPE, the same thing milk jugs are made from.