Pond cover paint

[Thrashsmith]

Hello, does anyone know of any fish safe metal paints? I have an enquiry for a pond cover & obviously want to avoid using any top coat paints that could harm the fish.
I suspect making it from stainless will push it beyond my client's budget.
I was either thinking of doing galv + top coat, or Zinga + Zingalufer + top coat.
Thanks in advance.

 

[chunkolini]

id just get it galved

 

[voipio]

Give it a couple of weeks after painting before installing. Once any solvents have evaporated, there's probably not much left in any paints that would harm the fish. Apart from something like anti-fouling paint.

 

[Thrashsmith]

id just get it galved

Google tells me that zinc salts are poisonous to fish...

 

[Barking Mat]

Someone wants a metal cover over their fish pond ?

Why ???

Like mesh or sheet ?

 

[brightspark]

Someone wants a metal cover over their fish pond ?

Why ???

Like mesh or sheet ?

to stop stalks herons and cormorants eating the expensive fish

 

[dave h 2]

to stop stalks herons and cormorants eating the expensive fish

sunburn prevention

 

[gaz1]

id consider plastic coated fencing and use a clamp style at the base to hold the fencing in place

two pieces of metal that are bolted together ( clamp style ) now those pieces of metal can be galvanised

 

[Turbo]

Don't use galvanised or zinc paint. Rain will leech poisonous salts into the pond.

A simple wooden frame with garden netting stapled to it will look better and no risk to the fish.

 

[Thrashsmith]

Thanks folks. Maybe I should have clarified that the object of the exercise is for the pond cover to protect their fish from a heron. The metalwork would be decorative & likely used in conjunction with a mesh or netting underneath.
Given that zinc / paint seems to be a slightly troubled route, I just looked up the cost of stainless flat bar & it's not as bad as I feared. Potentially even balancing out against the cost of having mild steel galved + fettled + painted.
A few further thoughts...I've never welded stainless & don't have a TIG welder. I could get some stainless wire + gas, or I could get some stainless rods (25x3mm would be the material size), or, my Thermal Arc 175 SE has a lift TIG setting...which I've never tried.
Stainless wire + gas would probably be the simplest, but has anyone used the lift TIG setting before in that machine? Is it suitable?
Thanks again

 

[Turbo]

You just need the wire, normal argon mix mig gas will be ok. But the wire is not cheap!

25x3 will be very wobbly for a frame.

 

[Thrashsmith]

You just need the wire, normal argon mix mig gas will be ok. But the wire is not cheap!

25x3 will be very wobbly for a frame.

I use Buse Ferroweld 7, I think it's called. Reckon that's still ok?
Outer frame would be 25x8 most likely, 25x3 infill. Multiple overlapping hoops forming water droplets design.

 

[Wildefalcon]

Corten, plasma cut with a nice pattern?

 

[badabec]

Have the owners tried a decoy heron or an ultrasonic scarer?
In the USA they use electrified stainless steel wire around the edge of the pond.

 

[Brad93]

just powder coat.

Or any good quality epoxy paint won't leach.

 

[Dcal]

You can get paints for potable water tanks in ships.
If it's good enough for drinking water it shouldn't bother the fish.

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[Nomad]

A mate lost a lot of his fish to heron (him, his good lady, and their young son thought the heron was lovely when it first appeared - then the fish...)

Now sorted with a frame of bars over the pond and mesh over the top.

His pond isn't that big (10ftx x 6ft?) so a light frame was quick and easy too do, if yours is a much bigger pond it might be more difficult).

 

[Farside]

Corten, plasma cut with a nice pattern?

It'd look like a scrapyard in the garden.

 

[brightspark]

Have the owners tried a decoy heron or an ultrasonic scarer?
In the USA they use electrified stainless steel wire around the edge of the pond.

a lead pellet sorts them just what ive heard mind

 

[bigdrew1]

Bit slow to respond here but I have just seen this.

I have a painted steel mesh pond cover. Surely once the paint has dried there's no risk of anything leaching into the water. It's painted in a zinsser coverall if that makes a difference?.