DIY Denitrator Question

Question
Hello,
I made a denitrator for my 40 gallon tank out of a 2.5 ft section of 3 inch PVC pipe. I glued the ends and let it dry for two weeks and then checked to make sure that it was good and water tight. It took a few weeks to work out the kinks but I finally got it working correctly etc. I feed the filter with cheap vodka once a week and it keeps the nitrates down in the 5-10 ppm range. I have three rather large goldfish and they are quite messy so this seemed like my only option, however i am also thinking of making a sulfur denitrator as well to replace this one as I believe it will require no alcohol feeding.
My Question of course comes from my building materials. Is it safe to use PVC for this kind of filter construction? Is there anything I should worry about from using PVC pipe? Also I was wondering if it was safe to use brass or copper fittings on fish tank plumbing or does it have to be plastic. I really dont want to poison my fishies!!!
Thanks a bunch I you can help me in my quandary.
Chris

Answer
Hello,

First I'd like to say I completely support your choice to save money and construct yourself a denitrator. However- I also must add that it is always hard to say if one of these is 100% safe or not. I personally only trust aquarium grade products in my own tanks. This doesn't mean that your constructed products are not good or safe, that is just my personal preference. So- I can not say whether PVC pipe is safe or not for your aquarium. However, I can say that brass and copper should probably not go in the water.

Both brass and copper can leech poisons into your tank, especially if you have hard water. As they rust or break down from the moisture, they can also release toxins. If possible, you should stick to plastic.

I hope this has helped.

Good-luck,
From Stephanie