Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Does anyone know where i can get polyethylene tube from?

Want to try and stay away from poly tube if i can, worried about chemical leaching.

Steve

Hang on now Steve, which type of pipe is that then..? Isn't the hard white PVC irrigation pipe reasonably safe from leaching? I know it's used in houses as water supply pipes, but then I guess they used lead pipes in the old days for water too.. I've used a bit of poly pipe in my new system, do you know if it's very bad to use......

the poly tubs are available at most rural supliers or you could try some of the tank producers they often sell pools of troughs for horses and cattle and stuff.

black poly pipe is polyethylene ....... "Blue line" is better quality - the cheaper thinner walled variety is called "rural" poly and has a red line ..... you buy it by the role or someplaces sell it by the metre

here we buy it from any irrigation place

the main problem is you cant glue Polythylene and have to buy their joiners and fittings and they cost heaps !!! this is partly offset by the pipe itself being quite a lot cheaper

polyethylene is supposed to be safe and not leach but I am not convinced However it seems the best option short of stainless steel and that would cost heaps

I have serious doubts about PVC pipe being safe and dont ever use old PVC because it does leach LEAD and vinyl chloride

http://www.epa.gov/region7/water/dwgw.htm



frosty

Sorry guys, got my wires crossed, (happen occasionally when i stay up too late )

Seems like the black poly pipe is polyethylene, but must have a dye added as pure PET is clear or frosty white.

Was wanting to stay away from PVC for the reasons mentioned.

Eathbound, i'm fairly sure that PVC is mainly used for drainage, not supply. Will have to double check, but all the new pipes they are installing in our area have poly look about then, not PVC. Apart form possible free vinyl chloride leaching i think the plasticiser used is "worse" than for poly.

I think its a horses for courses thype of issue.

i know that all the pics i have seen of aquaculture use PVC. Still...................


Sorry again for the confusion, at leat it's got some discussion going

Frosty, the poly pipe i was taling about is the generic "bunnings" harware store black (no line) pipe marketed for garden irrigation. use with cheap barbed elbows and fittings

Is this the same as far as you know of?

Thanks

Steve