Clay Pots....Safe??

[Brody3665]

I just bought a few small clay pots from walmart and wondered if I need to do anything special before I place them in the tank..

Also anyone have any ideas on breaking them into a specific shape (Half pot to make a cave etc.) or just stick it in whole. I bought some clown loaches and want to give them a few hiding spots...

Thanks

 

[Penfan66]

Most of the time you can just wash the pots (without soap) and put them in the tank. If you are concerned about something foreign on them, you could boil them first or bleach them then wash.

As far as making shapes, make sure you score them deeply on the sides. This will make for a cleaner break. Or if your handy with tools, you could buy an abrasive blade for a circular or cut off saw for a very smooth cut.

 

[Clurin]

I have a bunch of these in my 10 gallon. I broke them by using a hammer - whack on one side until you see a crack, turn 180 degrees, repeat. You should be able to hand-pry the two halves apart pretty easily.

The one nice thing about wal-mart pots is that they're dirt cheap, so if you get a few extras, even if a couple break in a way you don't like, you still have more! :dance2:

 

[wataugachicken]

even better is when they're already cracked and on sale

 

[mrakins]

I just soaked mine for a couple days first to get anything out of them. Actually, I meant to soak them overnight and then forgot them for a couple days. I didn't break mine, just buried them a couple inches in the substrate instead.