# Leaf hammock



## Findlay (Jul 22, 2011)

So I noticed my boy likes to hang around this one spot in the front of his tank. Then he would look tired and stick himself behing the top of his heater. This got my worried mind racing for a safer solution.

Yep... I fell for yet another impluse buy and purchased the "Zoo Med Betta Leaf Hammock".

I wish I woulda looked it up before I bought it... eh. Lots of bad reviews!! Possible guttings? Rust? Sweet. :|

But... I like to make my own opinions. So, after lots of looking over and the 'pantyhose test', I put it in Findlays tank.

Three words - he loves it.

I feel okay about it. I really don't see how a fish could be gutted by this product, unless the wire is somehow exposed... which the leaf would have to be ripped. The rust issue, I can understand. There is a tiiiiiny hole where the wire has to be inserted. I'm thinking of dabbing a bit of water sealant over the hole. Problem solved? We'll see.

So for now, I will keep my eye on him and his leaf hammock... and by that I mean watch him like a hawk! If it makes him happy, I'm happy... but I don't want to hurt him.

How did this turn into a novel? Sorry folks ;-)

Anyone with experience with this product?


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## GunsABlazin (Jun 1, 2011)

i have 4 of these, all of my boys adore them!


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## UglyMuffin777 (Jul 21, 2011)

Oh, haha I have one for Cosmo. He adores it!!! Its so funny how silly the idea is, but it works!


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## MaggieLynn (Jun 24, 2011)

I dont but I have been thinking about getting this and or the floating log, my view is if i purchase this i would just check it everyday make sure its looking good, the issues i have heard is the wire rusting through the leaf and gutting the fish so i think checking it would be ok. im not sure though


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## Findlay (Jul 22, 2011)

It is such a good idea - wish I would have thought of it $_$ hah

Any troubles with rusting?

I know rust itself isn't what is dangerous... but it's still kinda scary!


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## UglyMuffin777 (Jul 21, 2011)

That would just make me sick/terribly sad if I came home and found out my darling baby (Cosmo) was gutted. oooohhhhh **shudder


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## fishcurl (Jul 14, 2011)

I researched these hammocks, too. I found what you did: that while bettas love them, they can be injured or killed by the wire that runs through it. Even if the wire isn't sticking out, it could become so over time.

A member here had one kill her fish - the wire gutted it. No joke, scary stuff 

However, where there's a will, there's a way! Especially if aquarium sealant is involved. I used it to "baby proof" my hammock as it were. Basically I gooed it over the vein on the underside where the wire is and anywhere else that had the remotest chance of wearing through.

For good measure I also used sealant to attach the leaf to the cup because I read it had an annoying habit of falling out.

After the sealant cured, I gave the whole thing a good rinse and stuck it in Flambé's tank.

Well let me tell you, he LOVES the thing. He likes to rest on the stem where it meets the suction cup (good thing I glued it!). He also likes swimming around it. I caught him doing a double loop de loop around it the other day :lol:

Anyways, while I'm fairly confident that I've made the leaf as safe as I can, I'm still checking it every water change to make sure the sealant is holding up.

EDIT: Of course you can always make your own wire-free hammock with aquarium sealant, suction cup and an aquarium safe silk leaf. I had the sealant on hand and the hammock was on sale so that's why I spent the time I did on it.


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## Findlay (Jul 22, 2011)

fishcurl said:


> EDIT: Of course you can always make your own wire-free hammock with aquarium sealant, suction cup and an aquarium safe silk leaf. I had the sealant on hand and the hammock was on sale so that's why I spent the time I did on it.


What a good idea! I might have to try that, if just to give the hammock a different look... and make me feel a little better.

Like I really needed another excuse to go back to the pet store


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## HatsuneMiku (Jul 29, 2011)

i threw betta bulbs into my tanks .. the leafs grow out to look like leaf hammocks .. any my betta sleeps on them .. and no worries for rust ..

@maggielynn .. i don't know about anyeone else but i have 2 of those floating betta logs made by zoo med .. and both of them has had paint come off every time i take them out to wash them .. more paint comes off .. till one day i got mad and decided to scrub all the paint off of it .. same thing happened to my bf's betta log too ..

i don't know if it's harmful or not .. but it doesn't seem like it left any paint in the tanks .. it just came off when i took them out of the tank to rinse .. and both of my bettas that have that log are fine and not sick .. but just a warning to anyone that get's that log .. keep an eye on it .. just incase ^_^


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## anglnarnld (Aug 27, 2010)

Could the same thing happen with the log like "wire wise"??


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## CoverMeInClay (Jul 12, 2011)

I have the hammock and the most my little guy will do is hover over it when he checks out one of his plants. He tends to sleep under a plant on the floor of the tank. He probably wouldn't like it if I removed it though.


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## audjree (Jul 8, 2011)

i have one for my betta. the wire does stick out if you bend it into a different shape. i didn't want it to rust or have my betta get injured, so i took it out, bought some aquarium sealant, put a BUNCH of sealant on the wire (i seriously made sure there wasn't any wire touching the water, haha), then waited about 3 days and put it back in. 

my first betta really loved it, he liked to sleep on it at night, and chill on it during the day when he was bored. after he died, i got another betta, and he does the same thing. c:


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## BlueEyes (Jul 19, 2011)

This little leaf hammock thing sounds really interesting, but I agree that it will have to be worked on before putting it in with the betta itself. I'd be devastated if something were to happen to my baby because of a "leaf hammock." 

I may get one of these when I get my first betta, to see if he likes it.


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## TechDuckMan (Jul 4, 2011)

My betta loves the hammock. She has never had any problems with the hammock. Just recently I added a moss ball, which is her new daily toy.


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

I just ordered a leaf hammock yesterday... waiting for it to come in so I can fix it then see how my betta Hercules likes it... my betta's King and Tihs have moss balls in their tanks, they like to lean agains them to sleep at night, lol


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## UglyMuffin777 (Jul 21, 2011)

Cosmo and his betta bed!!! :lol:









Edit** Whoa, sorry its huge!! :shock:


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## Foisair (Aug 3, 2011)

I got a hammock for my first betta and he loved it. I didn't even think of making sure it was sealed and sure enough, it rusted. So it was rehomed to the trash can.  Since I've upgraded to a bigger tank I got Beast a floating log. When I scrub it, paint does come off. When it is sitting in the tank though, I don't see anything floating. Beast loves it and seems to be in good health.


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## HatsuneMiku (Jul 29, 2011)

anglnarnld said:


> Could the same thing happen with the log like "wire wise"??


so far i haven't noticed that there are any metal parts with the log to develop rust .. the cause of the paint to come off is not rust


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## coet (Jun 26, 2011)

Have to ask; What is the wire even for? Could I just remove it completely?


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

It holds the leaf to the suction cup... the wire runs through the leaf so I dont think you can remove it


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## coet (Jun 26, 2011)

Ah, I gotcha. I'll just pick up some Aquarium sealant and coat the bottom of it in the aquarium sealant then. I've got two, but I'm scared to let my bettas have them because I don't want them to get hurt.


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## anglnarnld (Aug 27, 2010)

Does the paint come off in the tank or just when cleaning?


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## SamanthaC02 (Aug 4, 2011)

I got one of the hammocks and my betta never used it, he already had a favorite hangout spot on top of one of the other plants I guess, I gave it to my sister-in-law and her betta loves it and hangs out near it all the time.

Also I've heard of bettas dying after eating paint that came of off tank decorations. I was just looking at the zoo med log the other day but I think I wont get it now!


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## Findlay (Jul 22, 2011)

coet said:


> Have to ask; What is the wire even for? Could I just remove it completely?


I was thinking it was more to hold the shape of the leaf and make it stay horizontal? The leaf has a little knob at the end that sticks into the suction cup

If you can find a way to work the wire out, I say go for it!! I'm thinking about taking it out. Only thing, the leaf might be... maybe a little floppy and not stick straight out, making it hard for a betta to rest on.

Most things, aqauarium wise, are trial and error. :roll:


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## Foisair (Aug 3, 2011)

anglnarnld said:


> Does the paint come off in the tank or just when cleaning?


I've only noticed it when cleaning and that's only if I scrub it with a toothbrush.


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## Orsini (Jul 24, 2011)

Could you pull the wire out and use something else instead? Like a toothpick or something that you shave down? Or just glue the ends


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## anglnarnld (Aug 27, 2010)

Okay ^^ && You guys should post more pictures of bettas on their leaf  So cute!


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## coet (Jun 26, 2011)

Findlay said:


> I was thinking it was more to hold the shape of the leaf and make it stay horizontal? The leaf has a little knob at the end that sticks into the suction cup
> 
> If you can find a way to work the wire out, I say go for it!! I'm thinking about taking it out. Only thing, the leaf might be... maybe a little floppy and not stick straight out, making it hard for a betta to rest on.
> 
> Most things, aqauarium wise, are trial and error. :roll:


True. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. I have two, and I have to get a third anyway. Getting a fourth wouldn't hurt, especially when I'm trying to keep my boys safe. I'll let you know the results~


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## Findlay (Jul 22, 2011)

Update - I took the wire out!! It was kinda tricky, go slow, be careful!

The leaf stays straight, no problem. 
I think my boy likes the hammock more, now that the 'leaf' moves more naturally.

I feel a bazillion times better now that the wire is out of the equation!!


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## Findlay (Jul 22, 2011)

Here's another pic of Findlay (flaring, hehe) on his leafy!


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## Erin2854 (Jul 23, 2011)

My betta loves his hammock! Took him a week or so to figure out what it was for, but he hangs out on it alot!


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## coet (Jun 26, 2011)

Findlay said:


> Update - I took the wire out!! It was kinda tricky, go slow, be careful!
> 
> The leaf stays straight, no problem.
> I think my boy likes the hammock more, now that the 'leaf' moves more naturally.
> ...


That's great to know! I'll definitely be extracting wires tomorrow!


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## downerbeautiful (Aug 5, 2011)

I hear nothing but glowing reviews on the leaf hammock, yet my fish HATE it and I don't know why?! 

I've followed instructions and placed it the .75"-1" below the surface, closer to the surface, and a couple inches below, yet my fish avoid the leaf. Are my fish just special?


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## Findlay (Jul 22, 2011)

downerbeautiful said:


> I hear nothing but glowing reviews on the leaf hammock, yet my fish HATE it and I don't know why?!
> 
> I've followed instructions and placed it the .75"-1" below the surface, closer to the surface, and a couple inches below, yet my fish avoid the leaf. Are my fish just special?


Do you notice them going to a specific spot at the top of the water? I'm assuming you've already put it in a place they frequent... but that was the trick for me.

It says to "train" your fish by feeding them near/on it... buuut I don't know about that. Bettas are pretty determined lil things, stuck in their ways  You can try?

Give it some time, move it every few days (without adding stress)... experiment. 
Really though, It may be they just don't like it! 
I can imagine it's not for every fishy. 
My guy doesn't make tooo much contact, just hovers, feeling comfortable that it's there.

Hope it works out for ya!


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## downerbeautiful (Aug 5, 2011)

When I placed it in places they frequent, they don't go to it. So I moved it again, and the same thing happens every time. I think they just hate it 

I did try the feeding thing, but the current just moves it away. 

In other words, this one isn't on me, right?


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## Foisair (Aug 3, 2011)

Going back to the betta log, it seems my snail has kicked Beast out of his for the time being....:lol:


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## fishcurl (Jul 14, 2011)

downerbeautiful said:


> When I placed it in places they frequent, they don't go to it. So I moved it again, and the same thing happens every time. I think they just hate it
> 
> I did try the feeding thing, but the current just moves it away.
> 
> In other words, this one isn't on me, right?


Your fish are trend setters in that they ignore the latest fad in betta beds ;-)

Although I'm curious about the current in your tank. Is it strong enough to push them away? Perhaps the current near the top of your tank is too strong - Bettas like calm waters.


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## Findlay (Jul 22, 2011)

@Foisair: That is too stinkin' cute!!


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## audjree (Jul 8, 2011)

Findlay said:


> It says to "train" your fish by feeding them near/on it... buuut I don't know about that. Bettas are pretty determined lil things, stuck in their ways  You can try?


my first betta had a liking to it right away, but my second betta needed a little "training," so i tried feeding him over the leaf just once, and now he goes on it during the day and sleeps on it at night. i guess it just depends on your fish. haha


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## dragonflie (Aug 5, 2011)

Wait, I want a floating log!


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## anglnarnld (Aug 27, 2010)

Im getting both . Never know till you try DDD


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