Post home made caves

[pots]

I made some caves and they are cheap to make. I use chicken essence jars and stick small gravel on it with aquarium silicone and let it dry a couple days. I also use plastic craft mesh and shape it in to a tunnel and stick gravel on it.

 

[sbrodacz]

Got any pictures pots?

 

[tcarswell]

"There are two very simple ways to test rock to be sure they are safe for your aquarium. The first method uses Muriatic Acid (MA). This can be found at either a swimming pool supply store or possibly a hydroponic supply store. To test any given rock, put a few drops of MA on the rock, wait a couple of seconds and watch for bubbles. If bubbles are seen, this rock is NOT safe. Distilled white vinegar can also be used in a pinch. The MA test is more accurate though.



Safe Rocks:

• Crystalline Quartz
• (Rock Crystal, Amethyst, Citrine, Rose Quartz, Smokey Quartz)
• Granite
• Jade
• Lava Rock
• Microcrystalline Quartz
  (Jasper, Agate, Chalcedony, Sard, Carnelian)
• Onyx
• Petrified Wood
• Quartz
• Slate

Unsafe Rocks:

• Coal
  (Commercially harvested coal is treated with an oil by-product to reduce dust)
• Coral
• Dolomite
• Fools Gold
  (or any other rock with metallic veins--Acid Producing)
• Fossils
• Limestone
• Marble
• Sandstone"

Thanks for the insight. I use miuratic acid 2-5 times a week to solder sheet metal... Gallons on hand. It may be hard to find though without a sheet metal / metal roofing license as they are really cracking down on the stuff due to the users that cook it for whatever reason.....

 

[mrphuck]

no they arent i have to stock hundreds of gallons of that stuff for alaska industrial hardware and im sure most people know about our "cooking" problem. when I make caves and other hidey holes I usually make it so you can see into it somehow. i dont like not knowing what my fish are up to, if they have privacy then i am not god!

 

[kallmond]

Lol @ the 'god' comment.

I have a couple of terracotta caves (pots broken in half) leaned up against my glass so I can see in. The smaller fish can get in through the hole in the bottom of the pot, and larger fish can't.

I cycled fishless for a week, I have 1 of my son's platys keeping the 55g 'warm' while I wait for payday to buy the stock, at which time the platy goes back to my 2 year old's 10gallon.

So last night, look over and see my 1 platy hanging out in that cave. I walked up to the aquarium and looked in and scared the bejesus out of my poor fish. You should have seen how fast he flew out of that little hole.

 

[sbrodacz]

You only cycled it for a week?

 

[kallmond]

After a week water was testing fine. how long does it normally take you?

Sort of off topic. The real point was the poor fish looked like he would have descaled himself trying to get out of the cave..

 

[fishbum]

Terracotta can be sanded smooth so it does not tear up your fish.

 

[bob965]

How do you guys make little entrances on clay pots? Everybody at Lowe's told me it was impossible as it would break the entire vase.

I used a sawzall. There's a type of blade you can buy that has an abrasive edge instead of teeth. Works pretty slow, but it gets the job done.

 

[snakeguy101]

i coated some cinderblocks with epoxy and they make awesome caves for my fish