Making sure waterfall/pond is safe for reptiles to drink from.

I just bought a huge rock water fountain carved out of a real boulder for my tegus (LOL!). It's really cool, and I specifically asked if they were safe for potable water. The guy said yes it was made to keep fish in it. There are pictures of these fountains with fish in it, but at the store they only had plastic fake fish.

In particular, there is one bit in the fountain spout that is filled with some kind of rock putty, presumably to fix a crack. I asked him he said it was safe but I don't think he really knows.

So after researching, basically there is no way to know for sure as I don't know the rock type nor the putty used. So I thought perhaps I can test it somehow.

Do you guys know if I were to put some goldfish or something in there and they don't die after 3 days, does that mean it is safe for my tegus to drink from? I don't know anything about fish though so they maybe die anyway nothing to do with the rock.

I thought about drilling the putty out and replacing it with reef safe epoxy but worry that by messing with it it would "release the poisons" and make it worse.

Why does our hobby attract so many paranoid types like me? :D

Aquarium hobbyists use dilute hydrochloric acid (which you can usually find at hardware or pool supply stores) to test if a rock is aquarium safe. Not sure if safe for fish = safe for snakes but that's all I got. If you DO use that, remember that it's a corrosive acid so you must use gloves, eye protection and lots of caution when using it. If you drip a couple drops on the rock you want to use and it fizzes, it's not safe for aquariums.

Also, you can use aquarium sealant to cover the putty. Also pretty cheap, usually have to order online, but it's waterproof and seals stuff up nice and easy.

Also, please don't put fish in and wait to see if they die to test it. Not only is that inhumane, but I'm assuming you weren't planning on cycling the water in the fountain before hand, so if anything would kill them it would be ammonia. Please don't do that.

Ok sorry about the fish thing I was just throwing out ideas.

I have some silicone sealant that says aquarium safe, so you just smear it over the putty area? That will make it safe/sealed off?

Sorry again about the fish idea, don't know what got into me, too excited I guess.

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Originally Posted by hungba

I have some silicone sealant that says aquarium safe, so you just smear it over the putty area? That will make it safe/sealed off?

Sorry again about the fish idea, don't know what got into me, too excited I guess.

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I've never worked with any sealant that isn't made specifically for aquariums, so I can't be sure. And no worries ahaha it's just unlikely that it would even work, since the ammonia is definitely more likely to be the first thing to kill them.

The silicone sealant I have is for aquariums. I am just asking, are you suggesting I "coat" the rock putty with the silicone sealant? Is that going to make it safe as a barrier to block out chemicals etc?

What about plants? Can I use any plants to test the safety?

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Originally Posted by hungba

The silicone sealant I have is for aquariums. I am just asking, are you suggesting I "coat" the rock putty with the silicone sealant? Is that going to make it safe as a barrier to block out chemicals etc?

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Yes, you would want to smear a pretty thick layer over the putty and let dry for 48 hours before putting any water in it.

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Originally Posted by hungba

What about plants? Can I use any plants to test the safety?

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Probably not a great idea, as plants will react different to chemicals than animals. The best option might be to get a water testing kit, one for more than just ammonia/nitrite/nitrates.