've created some designs that I’m going to print out. I’m wondering how safe these materials are in a reef tank. Does anyone have an insight on this? I’ll be using the clear resin but if it’s good, I’ll use the tough resin for longer lasting. Please let me know what you guys think.
Any ideas guys? Are the printed item reef tank safe?
What is a reef tank?
A reef tank is a fish tank for salt water fish and corals. I would suspect that the cured resin would be ok for a fish tank, so long as it was well sealed (paint, water proof/uv proof varnish).
I wouldn’t expose fish to this material myself. I would bet that it’s fairly toxic. Jason mentioned sealing it, and maybe that would be ok, but I would not do it. Maybe you can use the printed part to create a silicone mold, and then make the actual part out of a different, known inert, essentially food-safe material.
It sez right on the bottles of uncured resin: “harmful to aquatic life”. Question is if curing removes that issue, or simply reduces it a bit.
Study: “How toxic are 3d-printed objects?”
“her plans were thwarted when she noticed that zebrafish embryos die after exposure to parts from the 3D printer.”
I dont think its on my bottle. My bottle just has a white label on it that says “Clear Resin”. Maybe thats on the new resins
thanks. I’ll read up on this.
I am not sure but maybe someone here knows if the USP Class VI approved material Visijetr M3 Crystal available for more expensive printers from 3dsystems would be non-toxic? Maybe that material can be used in the Form2 using Open Mode?
Can you make a silicone mold of your parts then cast them out of something that is safe for fish?
Smooth-on.com has a slew of materials and might have something that is specific for that.
I wasnt sure about the process of casting. Thats something I’ll have to read up on or if someone has some info and can provide this service, do let me know as well.
Here is the link to the aquarium section:
The have tutorials that are pretty easy to follow.
I love how it says that she developed a method of reducing the toxicity involving exposing it to UV light. UV curing is common knowledge for resin printer users. It also says that they are patenting the process. Not sure how they can patent something that is a well known obvious process for curing parts.
Even with the curing I wouldn’t put a resin part in my reef tank it just isn’t worth the risk.
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