Can I put coins in the aquarium?

[fish_lover]

I have a 10 gallon aquarium with 2 tetras,1 RTS, 2 catfish and 1 guppy. I havent changed much in the aquarium since last 3 years. I wanted to know if I can put some dimes or nickles in the aquarium for decoration? Will it harm the fish in any way?

 

[jen0910]

Uhh, I guess you havent been to a zoo lately...all the open-topped bodies of water have signs telling you that coins+fish=bad. Actually, I think the exact phrase they used at the zoo near me is "coins kill"

 

[seastaar88]

copper pennys especially. copper has the potential to kill things like snails and scaless fish. just think of how copper is used as treatment for parasites and such.

 

[Bryon]

More importantly your tank is really not stocked correct at all. The shark gets WAY to big, you don't have enough tetras and I'm guessing your catfish are corries in which case you should have at least 3

 

[GIS Guy]

Coins dissolve and release toxins.
You do not want to use them as decorations in tanks.

 

[dbleoh7]

yes i agree. also, other than being made of nickel and copper, coins are not 100% pure and have impurities in them that can be corrosive. even if it's in very small amounts, it will be toxic to fishes. :~0

 

[angel51431]

...try plastic fake ones maybe? Thouse should be fine as long as you clean them off well.

but really. you've seen pennies turn green right? You don't want that in your tank, trust me. Its a cool idea, but it wouldn't work. Maybe try flattened glass marbles instead?

 

[GIS Guy]

Back in the day when I worked at a pet shop we had a turtle pond and the coins people would throw in there would appear as if they were eaten away by some kind of acidic chemical.

 

[fish_lover]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I wont do it, now that I know its BAD for my pets

 

[fish_lover]

More importantly your tank is really not stocked correct at all. The shark gets WAY to big, you don't have enough tetras and I'm guessing your catfish are corries in which case you should have at least 3

abt the stocking, I know its not perfect, but that is how it has been for last 6 months or more. Some new fish survive and the others just die within weeks.According to survival of the fittest, out of the last lot of 3 guppies i added, only one survived.The rest of my fish have been together for 2 years, they get along well. I am afraid to upset the balance by getting more tetras or guppies.

 

[Seleya]

The plastic ones would probably be your best bet. What I did when the kids were in their treasure chest phase was use the flattened glass drops kinda spilling out of the chest and onto the black gravel -- it looked really good. If you wanted to try actual coins (the other options didn't appeal to you), you could try cleaning the coins well with some alcohol, letting them dry, then paint them with silicone aquarium sealant, being sure to totally seal them in it. If you paint a good even layer to simply keep the water from getting to the coin, yet keep it thin enough to not be opaque, it might work for you. Obviously, if you have a pleco or other fish which might try to nibble on it, this would not be an option