copper decoration

I have an oriental style copper decorative fountain that i was thinking about putting in with an arboreal snake. Is it safe? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks

Does the fountain already have a patina to it? Is it "sealed" with wax?

Copper does react with water and the salts dissolved in water to form a patina which is relatively stable, altho it has a tendency to flake off.

I definitely wouldn't recommend using the fountain as a water dish for the arboreal... if you really really really want to have it in, my suggestion would be to find out whether or not the copper is "sealed" with wax to keep the orangish sheen, and if so, it'd be best imo to permanently keep it that way...

I'm not too familiar with what chemical coatings can and can't go inside a cage, but maybe shelack? Or some other clear compound.


And definitely don't have the water pump running or keep any water in the fountain if you put it in the cage.

If you want a less reactive metal, brass at the cheaper end and gold obviously at the ex-pen-sive end would work better.


I'll ask my metal working instructor what she thinks would be best next class too. Best of luck. -Whit