Fish-safe Plastic?

Some years ago I remember finding out that all Sterilite brand plastic containers are made with the same plastic that their food containers are, meaning anything made by Sterilite should be safe for fish. Does anyone know if that's still true? Or if any other brands of plastic are reliably safe to put in with fish?

I am thinking of returning the largest specimens of my baby goldfish, hatched July 21st, to the large basement pond with their parents, leaving more space in the 75 gallon tank for the smaller babies to keep growing. The biggest babies are over an inch long now, and safely large enough to not be eaten by their parents.

My concern is that if I put them in the pond with the big fish, the big fish will eat all the food before the babies get a chance at it. My idea is to put in some kind of plastic container, like a laundry basket or hamper, that's tall enough to go above the waterline, and has holes that the little fish can swim through but the big fish cannot. Then I can release the small fish inside that container and they can swim in and out between the container and the larger pond as they wish. I'm hoping that if I put food into that plastic container as well as in the large pond, the babies will get the idea that they go into the plastic thing to eat. Does that sounds like a workable idea? I would need to know what kind of plastic is safe to use with fish, before I go out shopping for a baby feeding station.

 

sound smart, but the bigger goldfish will learn that there is food in the plastic ans they will try to eat them by creating a vacuum like suction coming from their mouths, and they will try to get the food to come to them.

 

Some years ago I remember finding out that all Sterilite brand plastic containers are made with the same plastic that their food containers are, meaning anything made by Sterilite should be safe for fish. Does anyone know if that's still true? Or if any other brands of plastic are reliably safe to put in with fish?

I am thinking of returning the largest specimens of my baby goldfish, hatched July 21st, to the large basement pond with their parents, leaving more space in the 75 gallon tank for the smaller babies to keep growing. The biggest babies are over an inch long now, and safely large enough to not be eaten by their parents.

My concern is that if I put them in the pond with the big fish, the big fish will eat all the food before the babies get a chance at it. My idea is to put in some kind of plastic container, like a laundry basket or hamper, that's tall enough to go above the waterline, and has holes that the little fish can swim through but the big fish cannot. Then I can release the small fish inside that container and they can swim in and out between the container and the larger pond as they wish. I'm hoping that if I put food into that plastic container as well as in the large pond, the babies will get the idea that they go into the plastic thing to eat. Does that sounds like a workable idea? I would need to know what kind of plastic is safe to use with fish, before I go out shopping for a baby feeding station.

Most storage containers would be fish safe. Rubbermaid and sterilite would work. It’s not a matter of whether the plastic is safe or not, it’s the fact that they’re not built to withstand water like an aquarium is so they have the chance of blowing out. But since you’re using it inside of another pond/tank, I don’t think you’d have that issue. I don’t know about a laundry basket or hamper because they may contain BPA (which I’m pretty sure brands like Rubbermaid/sterilite are free of) and there’s been some research done on the effects of BPA on fish. Apparently it causes reproductive issues.

 

sound smart, but the bigger goldfish will learn that there is food in the plastic ans they will try to eat them by creating a vacuum like suction coming from their mouths, and they will try to get the food to come to them.

What if he feeds the big fish first?

 

You could try feeding some sinking and floating foods together to give them all a better chance.

 

What if he feeds the big fish first?

the goldfish will eat all the food they find, goldfish are very piggy eaters.

 

sound smart, but the bigger goldfish will learn that there is food in the plastic ans they will try to eat them by creating a vacuum like suction coming from their mouths, and they will try to get the food to come to them.

Really? Considering the size of the fish and the dimensions of a typical laundry basket or hamper, if they manage to do that, I'd become an instant YouTube star!

Most storage containers would be fish safe. Rubbermaid and sterilite would work. It’s not a matter of whether the plastic is safe or not, it’s the fact that they’re not built to withstand water like an aquarium is so they have the chance of blowing out. But since you’re using it inside of another pond/tank, I don’t think you’d have that issue. I don’t know about a laundry basket or hamper because they may contain BPA (which I’m pretty sure brands like Rubbermaid/sterilite are free of) and there’s been some research done on the effects of BPA on fish. Apparently it causes reproductive issues.

I heard back from Sterilite, confirming that all their products, including laundry baskets and hampers, "are made of food safe grade polypropylene or polyethylene plastic. To ensure we offer only quality and safe products, no PVCs, Latex, Teflon, Microban, Phthalates chemicals, fungicides, Bisphenol A (BPA), or antibacterial chemicals are used in our manufacturing process."

 

Really? Considering the size of the fish and the dimensions of a typical laundry basket or hamper, if they manage to do that, I'd become an instant YouTube star!

A you tube career is not that easy to succeed at, and especially not as soon as instantly.

 

I heard back from Sterilite, confirming that all their products, including laundry baskets and hampers, "are made of food safe grade polypropylene or polyethylene plastic. To ensure we offer only quality and safe products, no PVCs, Latex, Teflon, Microban, Phthalates chemicals, fungicides, Bisphenol A (BPA), or antibacterial chemicals are used in our manufacturing process."

I think you'll find the same with any household products -people put all kinds of things in any containers (including food / water for pets etc.) -if they weren't safe for people these companies would have law suits on their hands, so even if it's not specifically sold as "food grade" you can be pretty sure it's still safe.

 

Most unsafe plastics are from sources you'd never consider getting near your fish tank, stuff used in manufacturing, construction and the like. So long as it's clean, most plastic is just fine for an aquarium or pond, but you can double check most containers recycling number to verify it's food safe. Plastic is usually a pretty stable family of substances, so they don't usually break down in water to effect the water chemistry or your fish. A little ironically, though, it's also why it's so bad for the environment and wildlife. 'Stable' means we're stuck with it all for a loooong time.

 

Most unsafe plastics are from sources you'd never consider getting near your fish tank, stuff used in manufacturing, construction and the like. So long as it's clean, most plastic is just fine for an aquarium or pond, but you can double check most containers recycling number to verify it's food safe. Plastic is usually a pretty stable family of substances, so they don't usually break down in water to effect the water chemistry or your fish. A little ironically, though, it's also why it's so bad for the environment and wildlife. 'Stable' means we're stuck with it all for a loooong time.

500 years at sea and a plastic bag is only half it's original size, but then it would of killed too many fish, because one fish eats it, it dies and the bag floats out of the dead fish into the ocean, another fish eats it, and the cycle repeats until the bag is just a bunch microscopic plastic parts, but even then the plastic can poison the fish which get eaten by other fish and by sea birds that then die from poisoned fish and eating bottle caps and other plastic things that seem like some regular fish in the ocean.

 

I've had aquarium plants disintegrate after about 7 years in water. I am always very careful about what I put in my tank now as well!

We used to store food in Rubbermaid containers at a delI I used to work at and I was never sure how they got away with it as the general Rubbermaid stuff is not approved as food safe. As you found out, all Sterilite stuff is.

Plastic is not just 'plastic', it's petroleum based and has fillers and dyes and has been exposed to oils and chemicals during manufacturing. These things can leach into water. There is nothing wrong with being cautious!

 

Maybe not. I don't actually try to get lots of views on YouTube. All my videos are set as private, which means people can only see them if I send a link. BUT--I think the likelihood of becoming an overnight YouTube star is probably greater than the likelihood of nine 5-6" goldfish sucking all the food out of a submerged laundry basket.

*Are* there any online videos of fish performing such a feat?

 

I have a few memories in the back of my head, but I don't want surgery!!!!