Stainless Steel....IS it reef safe?

[Neptune777]

Does anyone know for sure if Stainless Steel is reef safe? I know bronze and copper are not but I have seen very little about stainless steel. Some say it is ok others do not........has anyone had a bad experience with it and had corals/inverts die off from a stainless steel component?

 

[Julio]

Yes it is.

 

[fppf]

Most stainless is reef safe. If your using stainless I would stick to a 316 or 304.

However stainless will corrode in saltwater. It has a generally high creves corrosion rate. Titanium is the only metal that will not corrode in saltwater.

 

[PatMayo]

I would not use any metal at all in a tank except titanium.

Regards,

Pat

 

[jdieck]

If you try Stainless Steel use non magnetic one. (316 or 304) Test with your magnet cleaner.

 

[MarkD40]

Magnetic stainless steel will rust over time, esp. in salt water.

 

[tunaluver]

stainless does contain copper though.. small amounts but couldnt that have an effect on things... if it rusts, to me it isnt reef safe

 

[rustybucket145]

On my ocean boat, the Stainless Steel rusts and corrodes. So I would not even think about putting it in my tank. Food Grade Plastics and Titanium are the only Safe bets IMO.

 

[chem-e]

If you are going to have any stainless steel in the tank, make sure you check it often. Once it starts corroding, it needs to be treated otherwise, it'll just continue to corrode.

 

[jdieck]

By the way, what do you want to do with stainless?

 

[Neptune777]

I have a float valve with a stainless steel cotter pin in it. I want to make sure it will be ok in the long run.......maybe I will switch to an all plastic unit instead......

 

[jdieck]

May be you can replace the cotter by drilling a small hole thru the guide and inserting a plastic pin like a plastic tooth pick. Drill the hole a bit smaller than the pick so it fits a little tight.

 

[Timbo]

Stainless gets a bad rep sometimes because there are so many different grades of it. The 316 grade of stainless steel is pretty darn safe. Hell, 316L is used in the human body in medicine! You'll also find it in every Maxijet pump you've ever bought and in many other products. To get worried about this material is just silly, imo.

The only problem is its tough to tell if its 316. If its non-magnetic, I'd say you're pretty safe that it's 316.

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6978321#post6978321 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Neptune777
I have a float valve with a stainless steel cotter pin in it. I want to make sure it will be ok in the long run.......maybe I will switch to an all plastic unit instead......

Forgot to ask if the cotter pin is pin like (hole thru) or hairpin like (Grove). If it is pin you may just need to replace it with a plastic one!

 

[chem-e]

Instead of using the cotter pin, I'd probably use a tie wrap in its place.

 

[Neptune777]

Well the cotter pin won't stick to a magnet......so it looks to be safe.