Christmas sparkles

[Cory]

What are they made of? You know the ornaments that go on the Xmas tree that are covered in sparkles? I had them on my hands and thought "these cant be good for a reef".

Are they?

 

[lg7228]

Do you mean glitter? If so they are made of plastics, aluminum foil, titanium dioxide and iron oxides. I think it is more of a concern if the fish ingest it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm not sure what you are referring to.

 

[Cory]

Sorry I call them sparkles, but glitter is probably the name. Here's a pic of the top of our tree:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Glitter can be a variety of different things, mostly plastic with a metal coating such as aluminum as lg7228 mentioned, or a diffraction grating imbossed on the plastic. Tinsel is also metallized plastic.

I wouldn't add glitter to a reef, but I don't think the risk is high from stray glitter.

 

[Cory]

Thanks guys!

So if one aluminum sparkle was on my arm and it got in the reef when I put my hand in it, would it dissolve raising aluminum? Would it be much in ppm? 40 gallons total.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It would be very little since it is a very thin coating on the plastic.