# Plant Anchors



## jcbyrne (Jan 29, 2006)

Is there any reason I couldn't use copper wire as plant anchors?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I would use lead long before I would use copper. Or, I would go the hardware store and buy a small roll of lead-free solder and use that. You can hammer it out to thin ribbons if you want. And, that reminds me, I should do just that.


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

Drs. Foster & Smith used to sell a giant bag of them for a pretty good price, but it's been killed in their systematic discontinuation of tons of aquarium items over the past couple of years.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

hoppycalif said:


> ...I would go the hardware store and buy a small roll of lead-free solder and use that. You can hammer it out to thin ribbons if you want. And, that reminds me, I should do just that.


Excellent idea on the lead free solder Hoppy! I may just have to try it out the next time I have a large stem plant that doesn't want to stay in the substrate.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I've never thought of the lead_free solder before Hoppy. Interesting idea.

Some one else just brought up that Wal-mart carries "safe" sinkers for fishing that are lead-free and I guess some are using them for plant weights.

I'm lazy and just use a rock or something until the plant grabs...


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## Beasts (Apr 14, 2006)

I have a large handful of the lead weights that stem plants come bundled with from the lfs that I would be happy to give you...
Beasts


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## GreenMachine (Aug 18, 2006)

A hex nut would also work, get a bunch of stems and stick it in, it will get a nice grip, trust me I have done this before. It is a cheaper alternative @ .7 cent a piece.


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## CCBettas (Nov 6, 2006)

I was just at the stores looking for something to hold my plants down and considered the solder for a long time before deciding I should look aroud a bit more. I wondered if the lead would be good for the fish. I also wondered if it would even be heavy enough to hold the plants on the bottom of my spawning tanks. But this weekend I went a bought a clump of plants at the lps and realised that the weights they use aren't that heavy at all so I will go and get the lead-free solder. It is only about $6 for a whole role of it.


Carl Archie


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Steel hex nuts sounds like a great idea. Especially if you plant stem plants on a slant. And, iron oxide isn't harmful at all as far as I know.


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