So I want to 3d print my ATO out of premium PLA And was wondering if its reef safe say it falls into the tank. Thanks
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PLA when totally dissolve if submerged, it’s not a question of if but when. All of that goes into your tank which is no good. My recommendation is to use AbS or PETG.So I want to 3d print my ATO out of premium PLA And was wondering if its reef safe say it falls into the tank. Thanks
Yes, totally ok. Just to set your mind at ease, PLA is totally nontoxic and is considered a very environmentally friendly plastic. It’s also been researched extensively, here’s a review paper if you’re interested:I want to make a 3d printed auto top off with a coke bottle. Will this if left a few inches above the water be ok?
More than likely it'll be fine, but why not just get some petg. It's nearly as easy to print with and IME gives more structurally sound prints also.I want to make a 3d printed auto top off with a coke bottle. Will this if left a few inches above the water be ok?
My school has a 3D printer for 10 cents per gram. They only got have PLA. They have no intentions on getting the other onesMore than likely it'll be fine, but why not just get some petg. It's nearly as easy to print with and IME gives more structurally sound prints also.
I think you'll probably be OK in the short term. Just know that it's a bioplastic designed to degrade easily, depending on the manufacturer it's been known to have undesirable impurities, and it's often said to swell when in contact with water. If the filament your school has happens to be listed as PLA + I would avoid it due to the additives.My school has a 3D printer for 10 cents per gram. They only got have PLA. They have no intentions on getting the other ones
What's the advantage of doing a test print in pla if you want the item to be petg anyway? Pla is cheaper but it's not by much.I use PLA in my tank for test and fit, then print out of PETG for the final version. I've had some PLA stuff in for 6-8 months with out issue. I recently printed a flow diverter for my gyre pump from silk PLA and it's doing fine.
My roll of PETG was $27 compared to $12 for the PLA.What's the advantage of doing a test print in pla if you want the item to be petg anyway? Pla is cheaper but it's not by much.
I generally get mine on Amazon and pay about $22 for petg and $18 for pla.My roll of PETG was $27 compared to $12 for the PLA.
I dont have enough for thatI generally get mine on Amazon and pay about $22 for petg and $18 for pla.
I think you'll find that the answer to this will always be split down the middle. I personally have PLA printed material in my tank and sump and they have been there, in some cases, for well over a year. Corralline grows over almost all of it over time and seals it right up. From my experience, not only has PLA not degraded but I do not see any negative side effects from any printed items. I also don't think I've ever seen a post that states that a specific issue in someone's tank has directly happened because of PLA degradation and has tests (ICP or otherwise) to prove it. With that being said every tank is different (water chemistry, lighting intensity, filtration, livestock, etc.) so it could very well be that in some tanks PLA would degrade over time and harm the tanks inhabitants. If your dead set on using PLA I would print small parts and test them in the tank monitoring any subtle changes over time. If anything negatively begins to happens over a few weeks/months then perhaps ABS or PETG is the way to go for your tank.Sooooo....PLA is safe?