brass fittings

sambrinar · 07-19-2008, 03:11 PM

Can you use brass fittings to connect the sump tubing to the pump in SW tank?? the guy at home depot seems to think that it "should be fine, brass is harmless" not sure of his knowledge. since it is home depot and they don't sell fish. thought I would check withthe pros.

the outflow tubing is 1" ID and the pump outflow was 5/16th I think so I had to get a connector to use that pump. Will probably not get that one and order one with the correct fitting, but I was curious about the brass.

thanks

twoclowns · 07-19-2008, 03:23 PM

no its not safe and he is dead wrong. If it contacts ANY repeat ANY saltwater or make up ro water don't use anything but plastic/pvc (best), titanium, and maybe stainless steel but still not recommended. It will kill your invert/corals. Hope this helps.

sambrinar · 07-19-2008, 03:41 PM

That is what I thought. I was very suspecious of that. thanks.

Octoman · 07-19-2008, 04:31 PM

Brass is a copper alloy.

Check this out...

Brass valves?

sambrinar · 07-19-2008, 04:47 PM

WOW he was trying to talk me into using 3 brass cuplings for a 12.5 gal tank. would have been disasterous!!! See, definately pays to ask first. Score one for me!!!

I wish the sales people would say, "ya know I am not sure, brass is made from zinc and copper" that right there would have answered my questions.

thanks for the link, Mark

Witfull · 07-19-2008, 05:56 PM

home depot your last stop in reefing,,,,,,,cause they killed everything~

rmlevasseur · 07-19-2008, 06:11 PM

Dude, why would you think a guy at home depot would know what is reef safe anyway?

sambrinar · 07-19-2008, 08:59 PM

I didn't, that is why I checked here. He asked what it was for, when I was trying to find pvc fittings. If I would have thought that, my livestock would be dead, and my face plastered over the msn site. "woman hunts down Home Depot employee that gave bad advice"

fatman · 07-20-2008, 10:15 AM

They sell brass fittings to use with water softeners so how much could they know or care. Some sales people say that just using silicon tape is enough to seperate copper from galvanized or steel pipe. Right.
Brass is the first hard metal developed by man. Copper, zinc and lead. Nothing in there is safe for a marine environment. It dates back all the way to the Bronze age around 3000 BC. It was initally made as a mistake while making bronze. Bronze is copper and zinc, but tin is often found with zinc. Brass is made with tin. It took over another 3000 years for the Germans to actually make brass on purpose, when they discovered how to seperate tin from zinc. Brass can be anywhere from about 45 to 95 percent copper.

07-19-2008, 03:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
twoclowns Fire Coral Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Rochester and Barrington, NH Posts: 67 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: brass fittings no its not safe and he is dead wrong. If it contacts ANY repeat ANY saltwater or make up ro water don't use anything but plastic/pvc (best), titanium, and maybe stainless steel but still not recommended. It will kill your invert/corals. Hope this helps. __________________ New member of the 200+ club, have upgraded from 125 with 30 refugium, to a 215 reef with 125 sump/frag/refugium and 30 tall refugium. 370g system. And a separate 125g zebra moray tank

07-19-2008, 04:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
Octoman Majano Slayer Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Savannah, GA Posts: 1,647 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: brass fittings Brass is a copper alloy. Check this out... Brass valves? __________________ Mark My tank thread... Octoman's 55 gallons of euphoria Tank build... 55 Construction

07-19-2008, 06:11 PM	#7 (permalink)
rmlevasseur Elegance coral Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,066 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: brass fittings Dude, why would you think a guy at home depot would know what is reef safe anyway? __________________ Robert http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ufas-tank.html

07-20-2008, 10:15 AM	#9 (permalink)
fatman Has been struck by the ban stick Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Alaska Posts: 552 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: brass fittings They sell brass fittings to use with water softeners so how much could they know or care. Some sales people say that just using silicon tape is enough to seperate copper from galvanized or steel pipe. Right. Brass is the first hard metal developed by man. Copper, zinc and lead. Nothing in there is safe for a marine environment. It dates back all the way to the Bronze age around 3000 BC. It was initally made as a mistake while making bronze. Bronze is copper and zinc, but tin is often found with zinc. Brass is made with tin. It took over another 3000 years for the Germans to actually make brass on purpose, when they discovered how to seperate tin from zinc. Brass can be anywhere from about 45 to 95 percent copper.

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