does anyone know about galvanized sheet metal?

[Steven0000]

i am building a canopy out of galvanized sheet metal
is there anyway this could be harmful to my fish?

if so, how could i fix it?

i am also using regular steel
should i coat it with something?
if so, what?

any input is welcome

 

[BruiseAndy]

Don't mean to be a downer but I would give plain old galvanized no more that a year or two before it disintegrated. Paint would help but you would also see it rusting in a few years. How about a wood canopy skinned with sheet metal then varnished. My guess is it will still rust eventually but if it did you could easily reskin without completely tearing it down. How about stainless steel if you like the look, you could also brush or turn the stainless which looks great IMO.

 

[Steven0000]

i was tring to avoid the wood canopy
i was trying to spend the least amount of money possible

 

[leebo_28]

I heard (read) that lowes has really reflective metal that they use for skylights , I havent been able to go check out prices yet

 

[Steven0000]

i already have the metal
we are just going to use it until money is stable

 

[leebo_28]

got ya! I know the feeling...been "building" my 90 reef for three months now , so freakin close..lol good luck

 

[leebo_28]

oh...just so you know...not many paints stick to galvanized metal...best I've ever used is an oil based enamel.

 

[Steven0000]

yeah im going to have to put this project on hold for a while

money issues

when its all said and done
i will have a better stand+canopy

 

[BruiseAndy]

We have to use a primer made specifically for glavanized when we paint it otherwise it just seems to flake off. PPG has a speedhide galvanized primer, but it says PPG on it so it's kinda pricy.

 

[eznet2u]

Wikipedia - The free zinc ion in solution is highly toxic to plants, invertebrates, and even vertebrate fish. The Free Ion Activity Model (FIAM) is well-established in the literature, and shows that just micromolar amounts of the free ion kills some organisms. A recent example showed 6 micromolar killing 93% of all daphnia in water.

Zinc is a major component in the galvanizing process. All it would take is one very small piece dropping into your tank to ruin your day...

 

[sac-bobme]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10086461#post10086461 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by eznet2u
Wikipedia - The free zinc ion in solution is highly toxic to plants, invertebrates, and even vertebrate fish. The Free Ion Activity Model (FIAM) is well-established in the literature, and shows that just micromolar amounts of the free ion kills some organisms. A recent example showed 6 micromolar killing 93% of all daphnia in water.

Zinc is a major component in the galvanizing process. All it would take is one very small piece dropping into your tank to ruin your day...

yup that would suck.

 

[Steven0000]

crap

 

[Steven0000]

maybe i will just suspend it like i was going to
didn't really want to go with a hood anyways

 

[Steven0000]

thanks for telling me though
i might have had a horrible day one day

 

[hllywd]

Use it... Paint it and use it. Certainly not the best choice around salt water but it should be fine until you can afford something more appropriate as long as its sealed well.
As for the galvanization falling off and into the tank, get real, it's not going to happen, it will be sealed under the paint anyway.

Tim

 

[Steven0000]

thanks tim!
there is some hope left in this project

 

[boydx6]

If you decide to use it, make sure that you clean it really good. The steel is shipped with oil on it! I used to work at a plant that painted galv steel and it had to be washed before the paint would stick.

 

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10093390#post10093390 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hllywd
Use it... Paint it and use it. Certainly not the best choice around salt water but it should be fine until you can afford something more appropriate as long as its sealed well.
As for the galvanization falling off and into the tank, get real, it's not going to happen, it will be sealed under the paint anyway.

Tim

I would have to firmly disagree here.

The guy is on a tight budget. Condensation and the subsuquent dripping is enough to e a huge danger. Painting galvanized steel is not any easy thing to do RIGHT. The risk here for outweighs ANY savings.

I am not sure how he plans to cut the stuff, but the fumes given off when cutting galvanized steel are not AT ALL good for you or any living thing exposed to them.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I guess we should go into some detail here...

Galvanized Steel protects itself by oxidizing. The WHITE CORROSION that forms during the process is what protects the rest of the metal.

When Galvanized Steel is shipped from the mill, it is coated with wax or oil based products TO PREVENT this process from starting.

Before painting the coating needs to be cleaned off with a solvent and a strong alkaline or phosphoric acid. Once that is done, ZINC or IRON PHOSPHATE is used to treat the surface so that paint will adhere. A special primer is used (the PPG stuff was mentioned here) and then the topcoat of your choice.

Using OIL BASED paint directly on the galvanized steel will cause a reaction and paint adhesion problems. The heat of the lighting is certainly not going to help matters.

Spraying the metal with coca cola, or vinegar, etc is nonsense, though you will find many people who think it works.

 

[Steven0000]

thanks for the tip, i'll keep that in mind

and we have already cut it
so iwe inhaled some of those fumes more than likely
not too great


but......im not going to use it

im just going to suspend the light from the ceiling anyways