custom decorations

mwellsasu · 02-06-2010, 01:04 PM

I hope someone can help me with this. I want to make my own aquarium decorations, particularly some places for loaches and other skittish fish to hide. I went to the local pet store and was amazed at how expensive they are. I’ve done some research online and I’ve read you can use PVC with either silicon or hot glue to affix things such as rocks. I do not have any PVC but I do have a plethora of empty flavored water bottles that I would normally recycle. I will attach a picture so you can see. Would it be safe to use these in the aforementioned idea? If so what would be the best method to make sure they are cleaned thoroughly? If these will work all I would need would be the silicon and/or hot glue sticks. Any and all help would be appreciated. Oh before I forget the tank is a 50 gallon bow front with heater and external filter. I have also added a strip air stone for both aesthetics and aeration.

http://home.grandecom.net/~mwellsasu

ValRasbora · 02-06-2010, 05:16 PM

often you can use terra-cotta pots. (usually very cheap, like 2 for $1) and turn them over sideways for a cave. If you wanna go fancy you might be able to engrave them. I have a cheap little engraver-thing that was $1.

wananwu · 02-06-2010, 06:01 PM

I went to Home depot and got a couple of feet of pvc pipe (I used 1/2 inch, just get the size you need),and used it to make caves for my gudgeons. Take the pvc pipe and cut the the bottom third off of it so that when you look at it from the end it looks like a "C". Then cut it to the length that you would need. After that cut the ends so that it looks like an elongated /trapezoid\. Get some sand paper and use it to round off the edges as well as scuff the surface for the next step. This is optional but i did it and it looks great. Get some aquarium silicone adhesive and glue some extra gravel all over the outside so that it blends in with you tank. Just make sure you let it set-up before you put them in.

OrangeCones · 02-06-2010, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwellsasu

I do not have any PVC but I do have a plethora of empty flavored water bottles that I would normally recycle. I will attach a picture so you can see. Would it be safe to use these in the aforementioned idea?

Personally, I wouldn't use them in an aquarium. They don't even recommend that they be re-used to hold drinking water.

Orion · 02-07-2010, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeCones

Personally, I wouldn't use them in an aquarium. They don't even recommend that they be re-used to hold drinking water.

I agree. I think the safest bet would be to use the terracotta pots and/or PVC pipe.

littletankbigworld · 02-07-2010, 11:16 AM

You can also buy a bag of river rocks, glue them together with silicon to make caves, and viola! That's what I did.

littletankbigworld · 02-07-2010, 11:17 AM

Or you can buy lava rock or slate.

default user · 02-07-2010, 01:13 PM

I made some of my own caves with some river rocks I got and just glued them together with silicon. Make sure your rocks/pipe is clean before you put them in the tank. I would soak them in a bucket of water with some water conditioner to get rid of any possible harmful that might be on them. Also make sure you use 100% silicon with no additives (i.e. mold inhibitors and what not)

this might help you some Aquarium Safe Glue/Silicon

02-06-2010, 01:04 PM	#1
mwellsasu Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 1	custom decorations I hope someone can help me with this. I want to make my own aquarium decorations, particularly some places for loaches and other skittish fish to hide. I went to the local pet store and was amazed at how expensive they are. I’ve done some research online and I’ve read you can use PVC with either silicon or hot glue to affix things such as rocks. I do not have any PVC but I do have a plethora of empty flavored water bottles that I would normally recycle. I will attach a picture so you can see. Would it be safe to use these in the aforementioned idea? If so what would be the best method to make sure they are cleaned thoroughly? If these will work all I would need would be the silicon and/or hot glue sticks. Any and all help would be appreciated. Oh before I forget the tank is a 50 gallon bow front with heater and external filter. I have also added a strip air stone for both aesthetics and aeration. http://home.grandecom.net/~mwellsasu

02-06-2010, 05:16 PM	#2
ValRasbora Large Fish Join Date: May 2009 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 603	often you can use terra-cotta pots. (usually very cheap, like 2 for $1) and turn them over sideways for a cave. If you wanna go fancy you might be able to engrave them. I have a cheap little engraver-thing that was $1. __________________ Fish aren't boring like everyone says! 20 gallon planted swordtail, platy, neon tetra, harlequin rasbora, albino corydoras, otocinclus Betta bowl (heated) nothing so far. soon to do a 10g betta tank with betta imbellis. Work in progress !

02-07-2010, 11:16 AM	#6
littletankbigworld Large Fish Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 681	You can also buy a bag of river rocks, glue them together with silicon to make caves, and viola! That's what I did. __________________ 29 gallon tank-2 orange Mickey Mouse platies, 2 white Mickey Mouse platies, 2 dalmatian mollies, 3 bleeding heart tetras, 2 serpae (blood) tetras, 1 peppered corydora catfish, 1 upside down catfish, 4 otocinclus catfish -hornwort plants, sword plant 5 gallon tank-molly fry, platy fry -hornwort plants 1.5 gallon hospital tank-empty Updated: 1/20/10 R.I.P. Mimzy 9/20/09 R.I.P. Oreo 9/22/09

02-07-2010, 11:17 AM	#7
littletankbigworld Large Fish Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 681	Or you can buy lava rock or slate. __________________ 29 gallon tank-2 orange Mickey Mouse platies, 2 white Mickey Mouse platies, 2 dalmatian mollies, 3 bleeding heart tetras, 2 serpae (blood) tetras, 1 peppered corydora catfish, 1 upside down catfish, 4 otocinclus catfish -hornwort plants, sword plant 5 gallon tank-molly fry, platy fry -hornwort plants 1.5 gallon hospital tank-empty Updated: 1/20/10 R.I.P. Mimzy 9/20/09 R.I.P. Oreo 9/22/09

02-06-2010, 06:01 PM	#3
wananwu Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 9	I went to Home depot and got a couple of feet of pvc pipe (I used 1/2 inch, just get the size you need),and used it to make caves for my gudgeons. Take the pvc pipe and cut the the bottom third off of it so that when you look at it from the end it looks like a "C". Then cut it to the length that you would need. After that cut the ends so that it looks like an elongated /trapezoid\. Get some sand paper and use it to round off the edges as well as scuff the surface for the next step. This is optional but i did it and it looks great. Get some aquarium silicone adhesive and glue some extra gravel all over the outside so that it blends in with you tank. Just make sure you let it set-up before you put them in.

02-07-2010, 01:13 PM	#8
default user Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 20	I made some of my own caves with some river rocks I got and just glued them together with silicon. Make sure your rocks/pipe is clean before you put them in the tank. I would soak them in a bucket of water with some water conditioner to get rid of any possible harmful that might be on them. Also make sure you use 100% silicon with no additives (i.e. mold inhibitors and what not) this might help you some Aquarium Safe Glue/Silicon