Regular Member nothingtoreallygetfastfor Posted December 30, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2013 (Is this the correct forum?) I have an Art-Deco Frankoma statue of a woman. Standard red clay pottery, green and brown glazes. She's missing a lower leg, but she's still lovely. She'd look great in my 45 gallon, covered in algae, surrounded by river rocks and moss balls. https://www.google.com/search?q=frankoma+naked+lady&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Dd7AUs6QLcrCyQGI0oCQDQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=642#q=frankoma+naked+flapper+lady&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=TuSUMN348Ur3ZM%3A%3BqSHMdXKPfFNqiM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fthumbs4.ebaystatic.com%252Fd%252Fl225%252Fm%252Fm768-cHYRlMN14ANZXgGJ2g.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.com%252Fsch%252Fi.html%253F_kw%253Ddancer%252Bfan%3B225%3B201 The spaces between her legs and arms are too small for my fish to get stuck in. I have already searched Frankoma and other pottery forums about food safety, and they seem to agree that even the pre-2000 Frankoma pieces (which this one certainly is) that contain lead ARE FOOD SAFE, so long as they're NOT HEATED. This includes the non-food ware pieces, because the glazes aren't different. So, this statue may or may not contain lead. But it's supposed to be food safe regardless, so long as it's not heated. 1) Is it safe in an aquarium that reaches no more than 75 degrees Fahrenheit? 2) Can I safely neutralize her hollowness (against floating and anaerobic bacteria) by filling her with dechlorinated water, and covering the holes with little pieces of plastic sheeting (from my water-changer packaging) using silicone aquarium sealant? 3) Will this statue affect the pH? Thanks! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Jeana727 Posted December 30, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2013 (edited) Wow! She is beautiful! Did you say the leg is broken? Is it hollow? Others that are MUCH more knowledgeable than myself will come along & give you your answers. (I would not fill her with water & seal it in.) If in doubt she could always be placed on top of your aquarium or on her own little shelf! Whatever happens she NEEDS s special place!!! I would love to have a statue of her!!! Edited December 30, 2013 by Jeana727 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member haley_tichonuk22 Posted December 30, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted December 30, 2013 I know when people do seal statues they fill them with sand, not water, and then put a piece of plastic on the hole and silicone it. I am not sure if that statue is safe to put in the tank though.... you would have to wait for someone who has experience with this 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member nothingtoreallygetfastfor Posted December 31, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 31, 2013 I know when people do seal statues they fill them with sand, not water, and then put a piece of plastic on the hole and silicone it. I am not sure if that statue is safe to put in the tank though.... you would have to wait for someone who has experience with this I didn't know if one (sand or water) was better than the other, because someone on Koko's with a gorgeous minimalist tank had a swirly GLASS sculpture, that was clear, and filled it with WATER before sealing it. I will have to go buy some sand! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member nothingtoreallygetfastfor Posted December 31, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 31, 2013 Wow! She is beautiful! Did you say the leg is broken? Is it hollow? Others that are MUCH more knowledgeable than myself will come along & give you your answers. (I would not fill her with water & seal it in.) If in doubt she could always be placed on top of your aquarium or on her own little shelf! Whatever happens she NEEDS s special place!!! I would love to have a statue of her!!! Thanks for the kind words. I thought being the center of attention in the well-lit fish tank would suit her better than the top of a bookshelf. And it'll make the bare round airstone in the center look less awkward. She'd go where the PVC pipe used to be. Hopefully it won't look like she's glamorously farting. (Wow, this is such an old picture! The two surviving fish are so much bigger and brighter now.) The leg's broken off right after where the fan base ends, and yes, it's hollow. It would be super-easy to seal with the silicone only. The three holes on the bottom would be easily sealed with silicone and plastic squares. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Daniel Posted December 31, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted December 31, 2013 I'd would not fill anything with water. Unfortunately I don't know whether your sculpture is aquarium safe either. I do, however, know that the glass sculpture you referenced is safe because it is glass. Glass is inert, and unless there's a questionable glaze or something alone those lines, is usually safe. Perhaps you can find another ornament to replace it? Better to be find something safe than to chance it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member shakaho Posted December 31, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted December 31, 2013 If it's food safe, it should be fine. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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