can people post them? i am thinking about getting some clay pots for fun for my fish tank, and would like inspiration. also, i have a rock/cave thing from petco, but its been sitting on my bathroom floor for months, and to make sure theres nothing toxic on it so i can put it in my tank, what should i do? should i just rinse it off with water?
pics of clay pots in fish tanks
- Thread starter allecb
- Start date
My opinion is that clay pots tend to make an aquarium look like a trailer park. No offense to anyone living in one, but I think you know what I mean.
As for your petco cave, not to be negative, I'd recommend trashing it in favor of natural decor. Real rocks, driftwood, etc. If you're broke, I understand. Some LFS charge way too much for rocks and wood.
But if it's super nifty and you want to use it, I would scrub it with water, an old toothbrush, and use a little clear unscented liquid hand soap (like softsoap from walmart). Most will tell you never use soap, but i feel that this type is okay if completely rinsed. This soap is the only soap my wife (a nurse) and my friend ( a tattooist) recommend for cleaning wounds or fresh tatoos. It is mild and contains no contaminants like pigments or fragrances that are left behind after rinsing.
DO NOT use : dish soap, laundry soap, shampoo, etc. These leave hard to remove harmfull residues. DO NOT use: Scrubbing bubbles, ammonia, clorox, borax, or generally anything chemical. If you don't have the exact type of soap I mentioned, then don't use any. Just scrub under running water with brush, taking care to scrub everywhere.
After the scrub down rinse it off really well and then boil it for 20 minutes or so using COLD water from tap/faucet to fill a pot and bring it to a boil on stove. Don't bother treating the water you're boiling, it's just getting washed down the drain anyhow. THis boiling process is hot enough that it will kill bacteria and etc.
Carefully remove it after 20 minutes and let it air-dry on a paper towel. Then you're good to go.
If you are seriously concerned about mold, fungal, or bacterial growth and feel that the boiling process may not completely kill it, some people recommend a 10% bleach to 90% water mixure. I do not, and never will. Bleach is a dangerous toxic and deadly chemical that is very hard to completely rinse off even when pre-diluted.
WARNING!
If the cave thingy is plastic, or is painted, cheap, etc. the boiling may warp the plastic or damage paint. Excessive heat will also cause the release of chemicals/toxins from some types of plastics. Usually boiling water isn't hot enough to cause this, but just thowing it out there.
Found these on google image search. Look trashy to me, but opinions are individual and I don't know everything. Maybe you'll be the one to change my mind on the subject.
As for your petco cave, not to be negative, I'd recommend trashing it in favor of natural decor. Real rocks, driftwood, etc. If you're broke, I understand. Some LFS charge way too much for rocks and wood.
But if it's super nifty and you want to use it, I would scrub it with water, an old toothbrush, and use a little clear unscented liquid hand soap (like softsoap from walmart). Most will tell you never use soap, but i feel that this type is okay if completely rinsed. This soap is the only soap my wife (a nurse) and my friend ( a tattooist) recommend for cleaning wounds or fresh tatoos. It is mild and contains no contaminants like pigments or fragrances that are left behind after rinsing.
DO NOT use : dish soap, laundry soap, shampoo, etc. These leave hard to remove harmfull residues. DO NOT use: Scrubbing bubbles, ammonia, clorox, borax, or generally anything chemical. If you don't have the exact type of soap I mentioned, then don't use any. Just scrub under running water with brush, taking care to scrub everywhere.
After the scrub down rinse it off really well and then boil it for 20 minutes or so using COLD water from tap/faucet to fill a pot and bring it to a boil on stove. Don't bother treating the water you're boiling, it's just getting washed down the drain anyhow. THis boiling process is hot enough that it will kill bacteria and etc.
Carefully remove it after 20 minutes and let it air-dry on a paper towel. Then you're good to go.
If you are seriously concerned about mold, fungal, or bacterial growth and feel that the boiling process may not completely kill it, some people recommend a 10% bleach to 90% water mixure. I do not, and never will. Bleach is a dangerous toxic and deadly chemical that is very hard to completely rinse off even when pre-diluted.
WARNING!
If the cave thingy is plastic, or is painted, cheap, etc. the boiling may warp the plastic or damage paint. Excessive heat will also cause the release of chemicals/toxins from some types of plastics. Usually boiling water isn't hot enough to cause this, but just thowing it out there.
Found these on google image search. Look trashy to me, but opinions are individual and I don't know everything. Maybe you'll be the one to change my mind on the subject.
Can you show pictures of your natural rock formations? I'd like to make hiding places for my shrimp.
I guess it's the gardener in me... but I kinda like the clay pots. Especially the unusual shaped ones. Anyone know where I can find the urn shaped one?
Oh... here's an idea.... take a plain old clay pot and put a bunch of natural looking rocks in it. Like it fell of the table and landed in the tank. Hmmmm.... Thanks for the idea!!! LOL
I guess it's the gardener in me... but I kinda like the clay pots. Especially the unusual shaped ones. Anyone know where I can find the urn shaped one?
Oh... here's an idea.... take a plain old clay pot and put a bunch of natural looking rocks in it. Like it fell of the table and landed in the tank. Hmmmm.... Thanks for the idea!!! LOL
I used some white ceramic teacups for caves (the ones they use in chinese restauraunts). I've also used the terra cotta pots too. Both worked well to provide my frog a hiding place.
You can see my "potted" 55g below. I agree that it detracts from creating a natural look, but it's my African knife's favorite spot, so I'll probably keep it...although maybe I'll also try building a natural cave from rock...
If u have small fish u can use clay pots but put some mesh on them planted with moss or ferns, never know thwy were there..... ;-)
This is my trailer park tank. It's brackish water and 2 figure eights call it home. Natural beauty is not high on the list of requirements for puffers, but a complex environment to explore is. The layout changes frequently, with plants and decor coming and going. My biggest gripe about the terra cotta is the color, could it be more ORANGE?! But my puffers love it, especially the strawberry jar, so I put my sense of taste and style aside and embrace the orange.
I have a small terra cotta pot in my two smaller tanks and I have them behind a piece of driftwood and the java moss has started to creep over onto them. It gives the fish a nice place to hide. Make sure you make the hole in the bottom bigger so your fish dont get stuck...learn from my mistakes! LOL
These pics are a few months old and the moss is hiding the pots more now.....
These pics are a few months old and the moss is hiding the pots more now.....
