Clay pots and mugs - safety

[AyalaCookiejar]

This may be a stupid question, but is any type/brand of clay pot safe for an aquarium? I went to hobby lobby the other day and got a Deroma brand clay pot to replace one of the old decoration that was rusting (after this, I don't even think I can trust decorations that ARE made specifically for aquariums! It seems a lot of them have underlying metal structures.) I will be filling the hole at the bottom of the pot with aquarium safe silicone before using it, btw.

Also, coffee mugs.. My aunt made a comment the other day about cheaper coffee mugs sometimes containing lead? The cheaper ones at walmart are that Main-Stays brand. Any comments on this?

Thanks!

[Juicebox]

the lead in the coffee mugs is most likely in the paint used to paint them,some paints can contain lead and other toxins..most the clay terracotta pots seem to be safe,they are just baked clay,maybe theres some bad ones but i havent heard of it

[pittipuppylove]

I've been using the terra cotta pots from Hobby Lobby for a few months now with no ill effects. Dunno about the brand, though - they're the ones that come in packs of six with a tiny drainage hole on the bottom. Only issue I've had with them is that they break rather easily, but the edges aren't too sharp and are really easy to sand down.
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[AyalaCookiejar]

Thanks, guys! I might just forget the mugs. I rinsed the pot and was letting it dry so I can fill the hole with silicone. My VTs tank is a little bare from removing that decoration that was rusting and I just don't know what I can trust anymore, ha!

[itsuki]

i think your aunts comments about lead in paint is abit outdated. my company started off as a ceramics company in the 50's(Duncan Ceramics) and has grown into a DIY crafts company but we still sell ceramics and ceramic painting goods as well. We phased out lead in all our paint products in the 90's (the first in our industry) and if i recall lead can not even be used in paint anymore and if it did it would say so right on the packaging (by law). i can only assume there would be no way that cost savings on lead based paint in which the objects sprayed with it are used inpart for consumption (not eating it but using it for plates, cups,etc) could be larger then the massive amount of impeding lawsuits from people who've lead poisoning from their products. i dont work in the ceramics department but i can walk over to the cubicle of someone who is to find out and they said the same that lead in products is outdated information. i know for a fact that some counties will not allow homes to be lived in that have lead painted walls so if you cant live in it why would they let u use lead painted products.

[itsuki]

i just talked to one of the ceramics people again and our ceramics and clay pots are just poured into plaster molds and involves no metal at all

[AyalaCookiejar]

Thanks - she's in her 60's so her comment may very likely be outdated lol.

[babystarz]

Most clays are inert and will not adversely affect tank chemistry. I just bought one of these and it's awesome: http://www.amazon.com/Ista-Multi-Fun...239210&sr=1-35

[efg321]

Goods made in foreign countries do not always comply w/ our no lead/EPA rules. In the last 10 years considerable work has been done some of the expose' have been Glaze on dinnerware - mugs (Mexico and China I believe) etc, lead in jewelry from China, Also nasty ingredients in toothpaste being sold in dollar store....

[Kwomais]

I think that some products from foreign countries still occasionally contain lead in the paint (if you look at product recalls for children's toys, for example, on your government's quality control/product recall website, you might notice that some children's toys get recalled for lead in them). It would be very rare though, as you say, itsuki.