Using Terracota in the Aquarium

Black_Moor

Black_Moor

Aquarium = The Anti-Prozac!
Dec 10, 2005
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Seattle
I've read that Terracota is safe for the Aquarium and I like the look of it in the water, however I don't want a round pot, and would like to break one in halve for a simple cave.

My question is how best to break it without destroying the entire thing and then how to best smooth off the edges .. would regular sandpaper work?
 
ive tried a lot of ways, hacksaw, tile blades, dremels. they all take forever so i soak them overnight and just use a hammer to carefully chip away, you can also score and then hit probably can use some tile nippers to shape it too. but they are pretty cheap so a mistake or two isnt that bad. you might want to test the pots first becuase someone i knew had some fish die from pots and his were brand new ones, they might of had some weather or mold proofing on them, im not sure; but ive never had any problems myself. rough sandpaper would work the mesh for drywall will stand up beter though otherwise use a dremel or power sander if you got one.
 
Mesh for Drywall, I know where I can get my hand on some of that. Great idea :)

Hmms, as for making it wet then scoring it.. I may have an idea on that too. I'll use a Guitarstring to score it :D

I have seen alot of Terracotta pots lately at the local thrift stores as i'm always going in there searching for old furniture etc to refinish. Thanks for the reply :)
 
Boy, did I break a lot of pots! I had 80 tanks all with pots for Apisto breeding. The only thing that I have found is a blade made by Stanley. It fits into a 10" hacksaw holder. Instead of being flat, it is round so you can cut any shape you like. I believe it's called a "Round 10" Carbide Blade". They cut pretty easy and don't take much time either. For a few bucks I never broke another pot and have gone through 2 of these blades so far.
 
TheMightyQueenPixie said:
Why dont you just bury it half way in the gravel...? I used small clay pots in my cichlid tanks for years, half burried and they always spawned in them...
Click to expand...


I could do that, but it won't be enough gravel depth how I lay it out.. I plan on shallow to the front deeper to the back for planting and part of the Terracotta is to be like a dish in the gravel to hold flourite while more torwards the front i'll have my rocks, driftwood and a open swim space for the tank which I'm planning on having for Rainbow Bosami's, the book says they require a ball of yarn for spawning if I choose so.

So i'm setting it up as the book on them suggest :)
 
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