Is pipe dope toxic to fish and coral?

[nextlevel808]

I'm wondering if the gray pipe dope is toxic to fish or coral? It says safe to use for drinking water applications but I also know the epa says water is safe to drink up to 500 ppm which is high to me.

[AlanM]

My pipe dope is white.  I got the stuff that specifically says on it that it can be used with PVC.  Not sure what the gray stuff is, but maybe it has a bit of metal in it?

 

This is what I got from Lowes:

 

http://www.rectorseal.com/index.php/rectorseal-t-plus-2/

 

and have used for a long time.  It doesn't really touch the water in large amounts anyway...

[khh27]

I think grey is for metal pipe

[khh27]

Why not just use teflon tape?

[miggs76]

I've used water weld on pvc.

[DuffyGeos]

Why not just use teflon tape?

+1 or silicone

[Origami]

Pipe dope works great to seal big threaded seals - a lot better than teflon tape in my experience. I use Oatey's great white pipe joint compound. I'm fine with teflon tape for the small threaded joints, but I've had more success (less leaking) with pipe dope on the big ones like the 1-1/2" and 2" threaded joints from my return pumps.

[RW09903]

Pipe dope works great to seal big threaded seals - a lot better than teflon tape in my experience. I use Oatey's great white pipe joint compound. I'm fine with teflon tape for the small threaded joints, but I've had more success (less leaking) with pipe dope on the big ones like the 1-1/2" and 2" threaded joints from my return pumps.

 

What if you see an oily film on top of the water after using pipe dope to seal? you think that water is still safe to use?

[Cliff Puckstable]

Lol. After reading the thread I thought you were smoking dope and dropped the pipe into the tank.

[Origami]

What if you see an oily film on top of the water after using pipe dope to seal? you think that water is still safe to use?

I've never had that problem in almost a decade of using white pipe dope. You may be using way more than you should. The MSDS says that it's a petroleum based oil. It's similar for the Rectorseal product cited here in another post. In any case, if you're worried about it, turn off your pumps and float a couple of paper towels on top of the water to collect the oil. It's unlikely that it's that much oil anyway but getting it off the surface (whether through this method or by skimming or some other way) will help with oxygen exchange.

[nextlevel808]

Thanks for the help. I decided to empty the storage tank that had been leaking that I sealed with pipe dope which had stopped the leak by the way. Cleaned all threads off and used Teflon tape instead. I was scared to use the water with oily spots on top which was only 25g so far that got wasted. Wish me luck tomorrow and Sunday on tank change out.

[zygote2k]

Use 3 turns minimum of teflon tape to seal the threads. for larger applications or leaky threads already sealed with teflon tape, use yellow #5 pipe sealant in the little yellow tube.

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

Pipe dope works great to seal big threaded seals - a lot better than teflon tape in my experience. I use Oatey's great white pipe joint compound. I'm fine with teflon tape for the small threaded joints, but I've had more success (less leaking) with pipe dope on the big ones like the 1-1/2" and 2" threaded joints from my return pumps.

+1 and if I have to use it I do not put it on the very tip of the adapter or threads, where the threads start. I leave one thread clean. This way the dope gets pushed in the threads and outside of the fitting and doesn't push dope inside the fitting where it comes into contact with water. The dope will still seal the threads as it gets screwed together.

 

I like to use home depots male adapters more than Lowes. Lowes threaded fittings do not taper as much as home depots brand and most of the time need to be threaded all the way into the fitting. I like to still see a couple threads when I get a tight seal. Sometimes even when you thread Lowes adapters all the way you get leaks and you can even do it hand tight, all the way past the last thread. Not good.