There's no such thing as Stainless Screws ??????

Artificial reefs are made of rusty sunken ships. How bad can a little rust be?

 

Not the only; "I know that A20 Stainless is sold as a lifetime marine grade steel alloy. It's used in marine applications all the time... even many acids don't hurt it. You can buy A20 bolts and screws from McMaster-Carr and any bolt specialty shop."

 

Not to start a metallurgy class A20 is a marine grade S.S and with a bit more or less chromium in its composition , in its content but it is safe for a boat and its fittings as after 20 yrs of off shore racing I have used that alloy many times But thats a boat in the ocean , not a confined aquarium and A 20 is not acceptable for any surgical uses such as operating room tables and tools to dental tool and braces its not as pure as the 316 is and there is If I recall 2 maybe 3 grades of 316 also ?
I would either use 316 or titanium myself A 20 is really not that much less expensive and we all of out aquatic construction screws and bolts and brackets from McMaster Carr in Pa. The Key word is Alloy .. But again in my aquariums I want as pure a metal as I can get to me its pennies affecting dollars .. But you are 100% correct I stand corrected .

 

If you're serious, you can't really compare the ocean to an enclosed ecosystem. Our tanks don't have nearly the same ability to dilute substances to less toxic levels like the ocean does.

 

Is that Tangster's boat in his avatar picture? I didn't know that he's such a daredevil.

 

Used to be throttle man on that team and after my accident in 02 I have never been able to stand in that or any boat again But yes I am the bobbing orange helmet on the left LOL We used to do alot of tuning and tearing up on the James from Kings land reach down to lynhaven or ruddy inlet .. The Ruddy run was our first big win in 95 . Thats what got us sponsored

 

you are correct sir, there are 2 or 3 grades to any material,they can also be annealed and blah blah blah,, as far as ones that are safe in our aquariums i believe 304,321,316 and as you mentioned any of the alloys such as titanium,magnesium,hastealloy,waspalloy etc etc,,, now finding screws made from these are a whole another story unfortunately,atleast at your l.h.s.(local hardware store)

 

I think there are many that are missing the point. growing coraline. What sorts of lights do you have and I have metal and screws all over my tank and coraline all over my tank also. try changing lighting. t5 are best for coraline but not the best for all coral metal halide lights don't grow coaline as good but are great for coral. so it is a bit of give and take. http://www.3reef.com/forums/algae/coraline-growth-lighting-experiment-61098.html

 

I am serious. I know the ocean has way more capacity to dilute toxic chemicals but if rust was an issue you would think corals/algaes/etc would not be growing directly on top of the rust.

Similar to how the atmosphere can dilute car exhaust but not if I stick my face up a cars tail pipe.