Galvanised trough help

[john arnold]

Hi all
Have a customer wanting a cattle trough and after lots of investigation the consensus was it will leach into the water so anyone know a rubber type sealant that is fish safe ? I keep getting US makes

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Have a customer wanting a cattle trough and after lots of investigation the consensus was it will leach into the water

It depends on the pH of the water that you fill it with. If its tap water, it will be alkaline and you won't get any zinc (Zn) leaching from the galvanised coating.

If it is going to be filled with rainwater? You definitely need to coat it. I don't know about the expense, but a butyl pond liner would offer belt and braces? @foxfish might be able to offer you some practical experience.

cheers Darrel

 

[bazz]

@foxfish might be able to offer you some practical experience.

Also @zozo has experience of using them. Mission Bathtub 2023 - Azolla Mania

 

[foxfish]

There are a few pond paints available but G4 polyurethane paint is a very good one, belt and brasses would be fiberglas mating coated with epoxy top coat.

 

[John q]

after lots of investigation the consensus was it will leach into the water

Over a period of years (decades) some zinc will be leached into the water, I'd guess a minimum amount, unless like Darrel mentions you have low ph, abnormal levels of co2 or high levels of chloride in the water.
Thing is rubber lining won't last 25 years, by that time the rusty tin bath will have leached more iron into the tank than low level Zinc would ever kill.

Well that's my observation 😀

 

[Maf 2500]

I have a galvanised metal bin-shaped container that I have been using as an overflow water-butt for a few years. Before that my parents had it knocking around their garden for ages and before that my grandparents owned it. Must be 80-90 years old if not older. Probably used in clothes washing back in the days of mangles. Anyway, considering the galvanised coating is still completely intact after all this time it cannot be leaching that much zinc - so would tend to agree with @John q

 

[john arnold]

Ok thanks all for advice im going to paint a rubber type coating inside i think, have a good weekend