Answer: Unless you’re using some kind of sealant on the figure, its probably not a good idea to put it in your tank with your fish. The plastic, paint, metal, stickers, and other materials that make up the figure could contaminate the water and poison your fish.

You may be surprised to find that many people wonder, “Can you put action figures in an aquarium?” or “Can I put action figures in a fish tank?”. If you are reading this as a huge action figure fan, you are probably mortified that someone might put an action figure in a fish tank. If you are reading this as a fish owner or an aquarium hobbyist, you may also be mortified that people want to put action figures in a fish tank. Why would someone want to do this? Is it safe for the fish? Is it safe for the action figure? This article explains all that and more.

Why might someone want to put an action figure in a fish
tank?

The answer to this is pretty simple really, to jazz up the fish tank.People are always adding plants, rocks, and scenery to make their tanks more interesting for the fish and for them to look at. Small castles are added, small structures meant to make it look like Atlantis is in your home all add to the aesthetic of the tank. What better way to bring Atlantis to life than by including Aquaman? Or maybe you’re a Star Wars fan, and you want to make your fish tank feel like the Gungan city—maybe put a Jar Jar figure in there.

What are the dangers of putting an action figure in a fish tank?

Fish tanks and aquariums are all carefully controlled. If you are caring for tropical fish, they need climate-controlled water with the correct pH levels and in some cases far more intricate water requirements. Adding an action figure could not only upset the delicate balance of the tank, but it could also poison the fish. Depending on the material the action figure is made of it could do anything from make the fish uncomfortable to even killing them. A number of the different materials that make up an your average action figure are not safe for the fish tank. The plastic the figures are molded from, the paint used to color the figures, the stickers, and the metal screws, springs, and pins that hold different parts of the figure together. All of this can be dangerous to the fish in your tank.

How to Check if Your Action Figure Would Be Safe or Not?

Any action figure that is painted or covered with stickers is a no go. Paints are toxic and will pollute your fish’s water. Just like breathing in pollution makes us sick, swimming in pollution is unhealthy for your fish. The chemical that makes stickers sticky is harmful to fish, so even if you remove the stickers the residue will remain. It is better to be safe than sorry. One way to check if your action figure would be okay for your fish or not is checking if it is food safe. Any food-safe items are also safe for your fish, if the packaging insists the action figure is fine for small children as it is non-toxic and food-safe, then you are probably good to go. Just make sure you haven’t painted or stuck stickers on any of them.

If your action figure is ceramic, then it is probably quite expensive so you may not wish to put it in the tank, but you would be able to. Anything ceramic is perfectly safe. Ceramic material is after all what many typical fish tank decorations are made of. If you are not 100% sure that your action figure will be safe for your fish, then don’t use it. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the life of your fish.

Can I Use Sealant to Cover the Action Figure?

Whilst some sealants can make your action figures safe for use in a fish tank or aquarium, it is always a slight gamble. If you are willing to gamble with the life of your fish, that’s on you. Make sure you understand the repercussions of trying this out before you proceed.

It’s probably tempting to try out spray sealants, but this might not work for certain action figures that may have many crevices. If you’re not thorough, you can easily miss a spot. To make sure that you cover the whole figure, you are going to want to paint whatever sealant you use on, and you are going to want to paint several layers. The more the better. This is the only way you will guarantee that you cover the whole figure.

When it comes to which sealant you choose, there are a few choices. There is, of course, silicone aquarium sealant that may do the trick. This is going to be a very time-consuming task, but it is possible. You could also try to use epoxy resins, like are used for the waterproofing of a boat. But this is not as reliable, and you would struggle to get a full even coat. You will need to paint this over the figure many times before it would be safe for use. Even then, it would need constant monitoring. Do your research before purchasing any old epoxy resin, because some could potentially be harmful to your fish, which completely defeats the purpose of coating your figure to begin with. It is far easier to just choose a food-safe figure/figurine and save yourself the headache.

What Will Happen to the Action Figure?

To put it simply, the figure will be ruined no matter what. Using sealant on your figure is going to completely devalue it and leaving the figure in the water with or without sealant assures that the figure is ruined by any grading metric. The only way to display your action figure in a fish tank and ensure the safety of the figure and the fish would be to have it sealed in some kind of air-tight, clear container. This probably isn’t what most people would have in mind when they think of putting action figures in a fish tank, but technically it could work.

Conclusion

Can you put an action figure in a fish tank or aquarium? The answer is maybe. It depends on the figure, how much work you are willing to do to protect your fish, and the risk you’re willing to take. Unless your action figure is food safe, it is better to be safe than sorry and just avoid putting it in your fish tank.

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