Making a Cave for Fish
- Thread starter gaurang
- Start date
i've got some nice basalt that i'm going to put into my new tank in the form of a cave and some other stuff. it works great, either buy some from your LFS or just go collect them from anywhere outside. just make sure that they're clean and if they have trace chemicals that you soak them well before you put them in (basalt should be soaked at least a week to remove all of the acids).
I have always used rocks I find around my apartment complex to make caves. I scrub them down then I boil them or if they are too large to boil I pour a couple pots of boiling water over them. If you want you can silicon them togeather to make your cave. I have never needed to though. Good luck.
Chris
Chris
can any one provide me some url which explains the entire procedure of making a cave from different things..........
I have done this in a couple of my tanks.
I use the disposable gladware type containers they sell now.
Turn one upside down, cut an opening in one side.
set this on the substrate (you can use the sandwhich ones for a cave about 2-3 inches tall for instance)
then place flat slate or available rocks around it (to disguise it's plastic nature) and pour substrate on top to cover it.
I will post pics of some of these when I get home if i'm not too tired and go straight to bed.
I use the disposable gladware type containers they sell now.
Turn one upside down, cut an opening in one side.
set this on the substrate (you can use the sandwhich ones for a cave about 2-3 inches tall for instance)
then place flat slate or available rocks around it (to disguise it's plastic nature) and pour substrate on top to cover it.
I will post pics of some of these when I get home if i'm not too tired and go straight to bed.
I have a similar cave to what Mojo mentioned. ABS tube, with gravel siliconed on, then planted with java moss:
Hmmm it's hard to see, I guess, it's the thing in the very back, you can see a bit of the black ABS on the bottom.
Hmmm it's hard to see, I guess, it's the thing in the very back, you can see a bit of the black ABS on the bottom.
The PVC pipe works great..and easily covered for asthetics...Hope Jurapari Man does post a pic! Anyways, I know a guy that uses the clay drip trays for clay pots, he take 2 and silicons them together, puts a hole in 1 or 2 sides - his plecs love it. It looks good, been meaning to do it myself, and can easily be hidden with rocks/gravel...
If you use anytype of plastics make sure its food or water safe.
What do I mean? The hardware sells the black pipe and the white Pipe. Black is for sewege and what not and is not made for drinkable water. This mean it can leach toxins into the tank. Go for the white PVC pipes that says it can be for dinkable water. These pipes are really cheap. I spent 3 dollars for 5 feet cut into 1 foot increments (no charge for cutting). You can buy LACE rock (a very common rock for tanks) at the fish store, but you can buy ALOT cheaper at a local construction site that sells ROCKS or hardwared store. SLATE is also good for tanks. Those are the FLAT Rocks you can make natural caves.
BTW, if you have cichlids, then lace rocks work great by hardening and raising your ph slightly. A very natural looking Cave.
Pipes and plastics.=Not so natural looking
What do I mean? The hardware sells the black pipe and the white Pipe. Black is for sewege and what not and is not made for drinkable water. This mean it can leach toxins into the tank. Go for the white PVC pipes that says it can be for dinkable water. These pipes are really cheap. I spent 3 dollars for 5 feet cut into 1 foot increments (no charge for cutting). You can buy LACE rock (a very common rock for tanks) at the fish store, but you can buy ALOT cheaper at a local construction site that sells ROCKS or hardwared store. SLATE is also good for tanks. Those are the FLAT Rocks you can make natural caves.
BTW, if you have cichlids, then lace rocks work great by hardening and raising your ph slightly. A very natural looking Cave.
Pipes and plastics.=Not so natural looking
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