# Dangerous ornaments list



## Little Leaf

If you know any dangerous ornaments, post them here. Give a pic and the reason why it's dangerous. This will be like a dangerous ornament list


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## thisismydesign

I don't have a picture of it being dangerous in my tank, unless the hydrogen peroxide bath I put it in worked (50% water and 50% hydrogen peroxide). If it didn't then I'll be sure to put it in this post.

*PennPlax Skull Gazer*

In my experience with it a quarter inch of white-ish slime covered the whole thing within a few days. In another member's experience it even killed her fish!










this photo is from Skyewillow's post


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## BittyB

Yikes! Really sucks people are selling things with dangerous chemicals or whatnot. Makes me nervous to put anything that isn't plain ole clay.


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## Skyewillow

Other members have posted Spongebob's pineapple by none other than Penn Plax.


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## Skyewillow

Bought this ornament from the same store. I don't know who makes it (the tag is gone), but I decided after the Suzaku Tragedy to soak it... Pulled it out of the water an hour later to check it... it smells like wet latex paint! Really people?!


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## bettalover2000

I have heard multiple accounts of this having a metal wire in it that will GUT their fish if they lay on it. I've obviously never bought it.


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## mhunki

The paint bubbled and pealed after only being in the water for three days.


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## LittleDeer

This Balinese Lantern was on sale at my Petsmart so I grabbed it. After being in a 1gallon (the tank one of my girls was in temporarily) for about 24 hours, the water had a strange oily substance floating on top and it smelled like burning plastic. It was so bad, and so strong when I took the Lantern out it gave me an immediate headache. I'm so thankful my girl is okay. I had given her a 100% water change afterward, and she didn't get sick at all. But it was still gross and terrifying and I have no idea what caused it. I did rinse it in warm water first like you're supposed to with all new decorations, and it was fine when I put it in. But the smell was horrific. And that oily substance was floating out of the holes of the lantern too. I threw it right in the trash.


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## jadaBlu

I noticed the same thing to me it smells like spray paint. I am noticing in the upper reaches of hollows of décor you can smell a spray paint smell I have several pieces that I soaked mostly made by Penn Plax that have the smell in the hollows but no where else. I am filling the hollows with AQ silicone and I am allowing to cure and will soak again to see if I still smell it. I left a message with Penn Plax describing the problem yesterday. I will post here if I get a reply. 





Skyewillow said:


> Bought this ornament from the same store. I don't know who makes it (the tag is gone), but I decided after the Suzaku Tragedy to soak it... Pulled it out of the water an hour later to check it... it smells like wet latex paint! Really people?!


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## Skyewillow

they gave me a reply to my email about the skull:


> Dear Ms Ryan
> 
> Thank you for your e-mail. We are deeply sorry for the loss of your pet and we sincerely apologize for all the trouble this incident has caused you and your son.
> I can assure you that all our products have a high quality control check before they live our premises, however we are performing a through quality control check on this product to see if in fact there is any substance that could be the culprit and may have caused the inconvenience you mentioned in your e-mail.
> We are also communicating with the factory to have them review the components used in the making of this product. I can assure you that we will go to the extremes to make sure this does not happen again.
> 
> Have a wonderful day and Best Regards
> Elizabeth Wilson


[heavy sarcasm] I'll be sure to have a fabulous day because my fish is dead!! Thank you! [/heavy sarcasm]


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## Stone

I have had countless ornaments from penn plax where the paint has bubbled and started peeling off, I am getting to the point that I am only using driftwood and rocks for decore, or coating anything i buy with some krylon fusion clear coat


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## Skyewillow

Even with Driftwood, you have to be careful. People tend to just pick wood up and sell it, without even knowing what it is. 

We had a piece in the tanks for a year, and when my fiance broke it to use a piece in the shrimp tank he wanted, it started poisoning the shrimp. Turned out to be pine!


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## thisismydesign

*In regards to the Penn Plax Skull*

Since I've soaked it in the hydrogen peroxide bath I haven't seen the layer of slime yet. It's barely been over a day, but after I tried the vinegar bath the slime had already started coming back. I'm hesitantly taking this as a good sign.

Hannibal (my baby betta) loves the batta hammock I got him. The wire is on the bottom and doesn't stick out if the top at all. I feel safe letting him have it. The problems listed seem (to me) to have been defects. If you want one of suggest examining it before putting it in your tank and return it if you don't feel safe. Just my two cents.


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## LebronTheBetta

I have the hammock, too. It will be safe and mostly useful to some fish as long as you take the wire out; that's what I did.

The skull looks like it's actually covered in watery blood. D: I wish PennPlax can just lose business.


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## MattsBettas

PennPlax makes good, cheap thermometers, but that's about all they're good for lol. 

Any decoration that doesn't pass the panty hose test (run a pantyhose all over the dry decoration, if it snags at all it could snag on fins) is dangerous and potentially damaging, especially to males with long fins. There are too many to list!


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## thisismydesign

LebronTheBetta said:


> I have the hammock, too. It will be safe and mostly useful to some fish as long as you take the wire out; that's what I did.
> 
> The skull looks like it's actually covered in watery blood. D: I wish PennPlax can just lose business.


I'll see what I can do about the wire.

The red skull isn't mine, but Skyewillow's. Mine isnt painted red. It still seems ok for now.


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## jadaBlu

Stone does the paint odor go away with the Krylon clear? Are you soaking the ornaments after you coat them?


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## BittyB

bettalover2000 said:


> I have heard multiple accounts of this having a metal wire in it that will GUT their fish if they lay on it. I've obviously never bought it.


I just checked on mine, just in case. The stem isnt showing any metal, but the very tip where it goes into the suction cup it is sort've exposed. Rust danger? Im getting some sealant for it.


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## Skyewillow

jadaBlu said:


> Stone does the paint odor go away with the Krylon clear? Are you soaking the ornaments after you coat them?


I'm interested in this too. Got home from the store to pick up tank supplies, and my giant's castle smelled funny too! Ugh!


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## Skyewillow

the offending ornament


Smells like paint when soaked in room temp water.


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## thisismydesign

Skull Gazer Update:

The slime coat thing on the skull is slowly coming back. I'm dissapointed. Overall I love the skull (the look of it, the size, and how it's smooth) so I'm kinda upset. Now I have to buy one from another brand online and ship it to me. Ugh, I'm on a very limited budget, Penn Plax, but you probably don't care.


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## JamieL

Skyewillow said:


> Other members have posted Spongebob's pineapple by none other than Penn Plax.


What's dangerous about the pineapple? I really wanted this, but I didn't buy it because I thought it was too expensive, now I'm glad I didn't. I was going to try to find it cheaper online, but I won't now.


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## Skyewillow

JamieL said:


> What's dangerous about the pineapple? I really wanted this, but I didn't buy it because I thought it was too expensive, now I'm glad I didn't. I was going to try to find it cheaper online, but I won't now.


It used to contain metal. I don't know if they've changed it (I'd heard that maybe they have).


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## JamieL

I wonder if they have, on the petco website it says "Made of non-toxic, fish-safe materials and colors". It's on sale, but I still don't know if I should chance it. I just bought a new tank and I need more decor though. 

Also, my other tank has the hammock and I haven't had an issue, I just bought a new one and it clearly has no metal anywhere, only plastic, even where the suction cup attaches. It seems flimsier than the other one, I wonder if zoo med changed this item too.


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## BettaLover1313

Skyewillow said:


> the offending ornament
> 
> 
> Smells like paint when soaked in room temp water.


I have this same ornament, and mine doesn't smell like paint at all. Kind of weird there. I've had it for several months now too.


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## Skyewillow

BettaLover1313 said:


> I have this same ornament, and mine doesn't smell like paint at all. Kind of weird there. I've had it for several months now too.


I just bought this last week, they may've change something, or it's a bad batch.


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## invincible4372

I don't understand why you'd place an ornament in a hydrogen peroxide bath... Are you testing to see if the ornament would get oxidized? Or perhaps to clean it? I feel like that wouldn't be safe to put into a tank. After it's been placed in the bath, a layer of coating may get stripped exposing toxins or paint. Am I being too paranoid?


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## Stone

Yes it goes away, just double the curing time of the paint/clearcoat, if you really want to you can let it cure then let it soak in a bucketof declorinated water for a few days


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## Skyewillow

Stone said:


> Yes it goes away, just double the curing time of the paint/clearcoat, if you really want to you can let it cure then let it soak in a bucketof declorinated water for a few days


great! Thank you, Stone!


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## Stone

and I do not care that whoever makes the ornament and say the stuff is non toxic, i still do not want my fish eating paint chips in my case with the water we have it always seems to make it bubble and peel off I definately do not want my bristlenose plecos eating all that paint


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## BettaLover1313

Skyewillow said:


> I just bought this last week, they may've change something, or it's a bad batch.



That could be too.


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## thisismydesign

invincible4372 said:


> I don't understand why you'd place an ornament in a hydrogen peroxide bath... Are you testing to see if the ornament would get oxidized? Or perhaps to clean it? I feel like that wouldn't be safe to put into a tank. After it's been placed in the bath, a layer of coating may get stripped exposing toxins or paint. Am I being too paranoid?


It was to clean it and to kill any bacteria that was causing the white slime to grow. It was 50% hydrogen Peroxide and 50% water. After that was done I rinsed it really well in hot water then let it dry. The slime slowly grew back so it didn't fully work.


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## invincible4372

(Disclaimer about my reply: I'm only a student in the health field. I'm not a doctor or a professional. I'm just sharing what I learned in my classes. Also, I am not trying to degrade or demean anyone who has used this method. I just want to share my opinion)

For using Hydrogen Peroxide as a cleaning agent for your decorations, I don't think a 50:50 solution would be safe. That ratio is used to clean toilets and such. Especially if the concentrations of the original bottle is different. There are like 3% and etc., and if you used a strong concentration, it could have been deadly. I heard that people don't use soap to clean the tanks or their decor. I don't either. You don't want traces of hydrogen peroxide in your water. I'm not a professional chemist and what I'm saying may not be true. It may not be as strong as chlorine bleach or ammonia solution. But it is still dangerous. I suggest just cleaning things with hot water to kill any bacteria. It won't be as squeaky clean as using peroxide, but it's your safest bet. The slime could have been anything; not necessarily bacteria. As a cleaning agent around the house, for toilets and sinks, peroxide is excellent. It's a death trap to any microscopic organism that's alive. But to use around children or pets, I wouldn't risk it. I really wouldn't. I apologize if I sounded as if I thought I was better than anyone. I just wanted to share what I learned from school.


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## Skyewillow

Hot water is suspected to cause the sealing coat to degrade and release toxins into the water. Bleach CAN be used in low doses, but needs soaking in dechlorinated water afterwards.

Vinegar is a good product to use, since it sterilizes but isn't harsh. Again, ornaments cleaned with this product need to be rinsed.


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## Skyewillow

Bad luck:

This one started to smell today


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## Happyhobbit

bettalover2000 said:


> I have heard multiple accounts of this having a metal wire in it that will GUT their fish if they lay on it. I've obviously never bought it.


Oh my gosh, I'm going to take that out of my fish's tank right now! I knew I should have read the reviews!


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## Stone

the leaf hammock I have several of them, I have never looked to see if there is a wire in them or not, I have never had an issue with them, I have not seen an exposed wire on any of them, I am starting to think this one is more urban legend than fact


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## BettaLover1313

Skyewillow said:


> the offending ornament
> 
> 
> Smells like paint when soaked in room temp water.


I stand corrected, I had it separate from the other decorations (just always assumed it was a fish smell) and it definitely smells like paint. I feel bad for letting it stay in my tank for so long; it's now out though. Don't need it to cause any troubles for my fish long-term.


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## NorthernLights

*leaf*



Stone said:


> the leaf hammock I have several of them, I have never looked to see if there is a wire in them or not, I have never had an issue with them, I have not seen an exposed wire on any of them, I am starting to think this one is more urban legend than fact


I don't know if they really do gut people's fish, but they definately can rust. I've owned 3, none of which had visible wires. I pulled the wire out of the first one after a couple of months after I started seeing rust near the base of the leaf. The wire was very rusted. The other two I had to work to get the wires out (they were pretty well in there), but I did that before they went in the tank and it saved me a lot of worry. I have two other ZooMed plants that had metal stems and needed wire removal (the suction cup bamboo fronds).

Also, I bought a nice silk plant made by Top Fin a couple of months ago, only to discover when I got it home that the stem was metal. It fell apart when I tried to remove it.


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## jeano

I think they changed the design of the leaf hammock. They used to have wire(and probably still some out there) but mine have no wires and only plastic. I think a good way to tell is that if you bend it, does it stay bent? Then you probably have a wire one.


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## LittleDeer

+1 to what Jeano said about the leaf hammock

I do believe they are removing the wires now.


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## AltheaGlyndwr

So I don't understand what you guys are saying about the decor smelling like paint... How do you know if the decor is affecting the fish's health? What is this about a coating on the outside? I have the lantern and I have had it in my tanks for almost a year now... Is that wrong? :/ I'm confused and now pretty worried. How do I know? I always rinse new decor off in hot water and when I do water changes I clean the decor with hot water too...


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## Skyewillow

When something has a strong scent, it means that there's chemicals causing that scent, and it's slowly diffusing into the water. Similar to how Carbon Monoxide would diffuse into the air of a house, causing toxicity.

If you're really worried about it, just take it out of your tank real quick, take a quick sniff. If it smells like water, or like a lake, it's fine, but if it smells like paint, or chemicals, then either toss, or reseal.


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## AltheaGlyndwr

Okay, how do you reseal things and with what exact product? I like the idea of siliconing harsh edges or holes you know are too small for your betta but where/what exact product do you get for that?

I have quite a few decorations from petsmart, I have that lantern thing, some kind of chinese little temple, the really neat bridge with "broken" rungs, one of the mayan stone head guys, and the camo like tan desert cave thing... :/ I've had all of them almost my entire fish keeping career...  Have I seriously just been poisoning my fish?


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## LizbethDawn

I have the Sponge Bob pineapple and Squidward house and I had that slime in my tank plus cloudy water and I thought it was something I was doing -.-

I fixed it by cleaning everything in water as hot as I could stand it and letting it dry for a couple days in the sun. I didn't ever see any chipping paint, slime, or cloudy water after that.

I've got like 5 or 6 of the hammock and none have a wire so I've never had a problem with mine.

*Penn Plax Hideaway Pipes*








Took a chunk out of one of my boys. Pulled it out and the inside lip of mine had some nasty edges. Fixed it with some aquarium silicone but I guess you could sand them down too I just had silicone and not sandpaper on hand.


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## wish4coner

This is a GUPPY ornament that they don't list as such, and have over all of the betta ornaments at Petsmart. I did not realize that, inside are small holes leading up to white cottage part in the middle. The window is a hole. A female went up through hole inside, that you can't see, and tried to get out of the hole. Not even a chance to save her. 

I now run my hands inside every ornament to see if they have holes, or sharp edges. There are ceramic logs that "look like" real logs but, if you run your hand inside, it is all sharp edges. Again, these are guppy ornaments but put with the betta supplies.


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## wish4coner

Those moss logs also add big time algae to your tank. I put them in, as it said "good for bettas" and, I kept noticing a smell from my "daily cleaned" fry tanks. Yep, it was the moss. I am now buying only hand made ornaments.


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## Skyewillow

I swear, these dang ornaments. I seem to have a knack for picking the bad ones!

Bought 2 of these, got them in Wed, soaked overnight, smelled like paint this morning.









I'd like to do some more natural stuff for the most part, but occasionally, an ornament suits my mood, I don't think that I should be having such terrible luck! Yuck!!


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## BettaLover1313

Skyewillow said:


> I swear, these dang ornaments. I seem to have a knack for picking the bad ones!
> 
> Bought 2 of these, got them in Wed, soaked overnight, smelled like paint this morning.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'd like to do some more natural stuff for the most part, but occasionally, an ornament suits my mood, I don't think that I should be having such terrible luck! Yuck!!


Very glad I opted not to pick that up now for Merlin since I threw out his large ornament. Hoping that the different ornament I bought him doesn't smell like paint!


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## Skyewillow

BettaLover1313 said:


> Very glad I opted not to pick that up now for Merlin since I threw out his large ornament. Hoping that the different ornament I bought him doesn't smell like paint!


Soak it for a couple of days in a bucket first.


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## BettaLover1313

Skyewillow said:


> Soak it for a couple of days in a bucket first.


Will do!


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## BettaLover1313

The below plants from PetSmart have a wire at their center, so be sure to remove it before putting it in your tank (unlike me who just noticed it today). No, the plastic covering does not cover the wire completely-the bottom is bare. Without the wire and the plastic you can remove, it should be fine in a tank since it's just silk leaves.


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## HeadlessLegoMom

Anyone know if these floating glass aquarium thingies are safe: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquarium-Ta...0980325764?pt=Decorations&hash=item27cf38b984


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## Skyewillow

they're not painted, so in theory, they should be. Try soaking them first.


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## Elsewhere

Sorry if the image is huge...

Atlas ripped his fins on this and got stuck in a hole when he was bigger. I took it out after the first time, and noticed the plastic plants seemed a little strange. The tank was clean and parameters were normal, but the plants had a strange smell to them, so I took them out and it's now in my snail tank. I asked if it was Betta safe and they said yes (this was before I was experienced), but I would say it isn't :/


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## GinjaHaZ

BettaLover1313 said:


> The below plants from PetSmart have a wire at their center, so be sure to remove it before putting it in your tank (unlike me who just noticed it today). No, the plastic covering does not cover the wire completely-the bottom is bare. Without the wire and the plastic you can remove, it should be fine in a tank since it's just silk leaves.


Didn't know those had a wire! I have the same green one so I'll take it now, but it hasn't caused a problem in the time I've had it.


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## NorthernLights

That's the exact Top Fin plant I had. When I tried to take out the wire, it fell completely apart. How'd you do it?


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## GinjaHaZ

NorthernLights said:


> That's the exact Top Fin plant I had. When I tried to take out the wire, it fell completely apart. How'd you do it?


I had no luck either. :/


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## BettaLover1313

NorthernLights said:


> That's the exact Top Fin plant I had. When I tried to take out the wire, it fell completely apart. How'd you do it?


I didn't get the wire out, sadly, it was too stuck in there, but the portion I did get out was enough to show that the bottom hadn't been covered by the plastic. 



GinjaHaZ said:


> Didn't know those had a wire! I have the same green one so I'll take it now, but it hasn't caused a problem in the time I've had it.


It wasn't causing a problem in my tank either, but the fact that it's metal and can rust, I wanted it out of my tank. I tried to get that wire out and discovered that the bottom hadn't been covering by the plastic so it could have potentially rusted, even if very slowly.


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## GinjaHaZ

BettaLover1313 said:


> . It wasn't causing a problem in my tank either, but the fact that it's metal and can rust, I wanted it out of my tank. I tried to get that wire out and discovered that the bottom hadn't been covering by the plastic so it could have potentially rusted, even if very slowly.


It's late and I don't want to wake up my dad, but I'll give it a closer look tomorrow. I change my plants out pretty often so maybe and hopefully it won't be too big of deal for now.


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## BettaLover1313

So...that swim-through I bought for Merlin...yeah...smelled like paint after letting it soak -.-' Guess who made it? You guessed it! Top Fin!!! (Also sold at PetSmart). 










Hoping the latest swim-through I bought for Merlin doesn't smell like paint or anything weird!!! (I didn't buy this latest one from PetSmart and it's made by Hagan).


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## AltheaGlyndwr

How do you go about resealing something? What product do you use?


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## Elsewhere

BettaLover1313 said:


> So...that swim-through I bought for Merlin...yeah...smelled like paint after letting it soak -.-' Guess who made it? You guessed it! Top Fin!!! (Also sold at PetSmart).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hoping the latest swim-through I bought for Merlin doesn't smell like paint or anything weird!!! (I didn't buy this latest one from PetSmart and it's made by Hagan).


That's disappointing, I almost bought this for Pigg! Good thing I went for the driftwood instead...


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## LebronTheBetta

BettaLover1313 said:


> So...that swim-through I bought for Merlin...yeah...smelled like paint after letting it soak -.-' Guess who made it? You guessed it! Top Fin!!! (Also sold at PetSmart).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hoping the latest swim-through I bought for Merlin doesn't smell like paint or anything weird!!! (I didn't buy this latest one from PetSmart and it's made by Hagan).


I have this.. I also have the one it matches with. It doesn't smell, well I didn't really smell it. But I've had it since last November, maybe they changed how it was made? :/


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## BettaLover1313

LebronTheBetta said:


> I have this.. I also have the one it matches with. It doesn't smell, well I didn't really smell it. But I've had it since last November, maybe they changed how it was made? :/


Could be that they changed how it was made. I was really hoping it would work too, since Merlin's been a bit grumpier than usual, now that he's feeling better, about not having something else to swim through besides his floating log. Hoping the latest one I bought is all right.


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## HeadlessLegoMom

I am SO MAD right now. I just went to do my partial daily water change and noticed that the sea anenome I purchased was literally peeling and all the stuff I saw floating in the tank was coming off of it, not the normal things you see floating in a fish tank. I can only do a 90% water change because I don't have enough room temperature water and my daughter is having a kicking and screaming tantrum. I hope this doesn't kill him. I am so mad because they ASSURED ME that it would be aquarium safe and I know better than to use anything silicone from China or Hong Kong! 
:evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::twisted::twisted::twisted::twisted::twisted::twisted:


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## HeadlessLegoMom

Their response: _"Dear customer, thanks for sharing challenges with us and we are really sorry for the item didn't perform up your satisfactory. Please accept our sincere apologies. As you know there might be many uncontrollable things during the delivery, any damage might happen due to the long time travel. In order to resolve your challenges, we would like to issue the half refund to you as a compensation and there is no need to send back then since the return shipping cost is more than paid. Do you accept? It would be much appreciated you don't leave us any negative and neutral feedback since we are trying our best to assist you to resolve the challenges and neither of us wish such things happen. Waiting for your reply soon and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. Thank you so much in advance. Yours faithfully. "_

*They are responding as if the item was damaged during shipping! :sarcastic: I can't believe that they are content misrepresenting themselves saying that this item is safe for an aquarium and then can't even be bothered to refund the whole $2 I paid for it!!!*


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## LizbethDawn

I have one of these that only has two columns and by the time I saw the post for it it had been in the critter keeper with my new CT for a few days and I took it out tonight to do a water change and there's no paint smell on mine. It's just a petco store brand so I'm wondering if these column and greek temple decorations are a case by case basis.


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## HeadlessLegoMom

Now they said to me: "We re-send item?" I don't want another one! If the fish dies because they misrepresented the item, it costs a lot more than the two measly dollars I spend on their toxic anenome. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr


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## HeadlessLegoMom

*I read the reviews a little too late, but not too late to help someone else! For anyone that is considering purchasing those silicon sea anemone for their vibrant, pretty colors and graceful movement, here are the negative Amazon reviews (Guess it wasn't just me that had this issue):*


_I use salt in my water. I guess you can call it a brackish tank, but my fish are always healthy and last for years!
After 1 week all the silicone coral I purchased started looking real bad with a milky coating. After removal from the tank I can see that they are actually rotting away. Don't buy these if you use salt!!_



_I read a couple of the negative reviews, but really liked the look of these ornaments, so I went ahead and ordered four of them in different sizes and colors for my new tank. Unfortunately, the other reviewers proved correct. Just about a month after adding them, the color started to lose vibrancy and all 4 began to appear covered in a film of gunk. My water was also becoming cloudy for no reason I could figure out (I rinse my filter pads bi-weekly and use carbon, and filter my 55 gallon tank with a sump and pump that does 750 gph and is designed for a larger tank, so filtration wasn't the problem with water quality). I removed all four, and noticed that when I tried to wash them, they had a really strong, nasty plasticy odor and I suspect they have been off-gassing into the water for some time. They also felt squishy like they had started to actually physically deteriorate. After pulling them, I put in a new charcoal filter pad and did a partial water change (only 5 gal) and added some Stresscoat for good measure. After just a few hours, the water which had been cloudy for days started to clear. Mystery solved. I'm just glad I pulled these before they resulted in permanant damage/fish loss. Avoid these if you want to keep healthy fish! _



_It looks great in the beginning . . . but, after about a couple of weeks, the color fades. Then, it starts to break. I bought several at the same time. Quite a dissapointment. _



_Looks great when it's in the tank. But once it's been in there for a while and gets dirty. It's horrible to clean. So much so that I was never able to get it fully clean. So in the trash it went. Not worth the money in my opinion. _

_I got the purple color for my daughters tank and we were so excited when it came...much prettier than we thought it would be...when we added it, it had great movement, was very vibrant in color and VERY realistic, the fish were even impressed! Then about a month later it, it started to become muted in color and the tentacles started sticking together affecting its movement so it no longer looked real....very unhappy with it now...such a bummer ....wish I could get my money back...hmmm, I wonder if I can?
:-( _



_This is an update from a previous review, changing from a 4 star to a 1 star. Item arrived as described, shipping was quick, here it comes...but after 24 hrs in tank a slimy film appeared all over the anemone, I washed and removed all the slime also had to clean tank due to particles coming off the anemone. After about 2 or 3 days the slime reappeared, removed and washed again. This is ongoing I like the anemone in the tank but what chemicals is it putting in my tank is the big question so I will be removing this from the tank. I wouldn't recommend this item. _



_This looked really cute for about a month and then it got really gross. The coloring started to go and it almost looked as if it was disintegrating. I am not really sure this thing is good for the fish once it starts to go. I threw it away as it looked horrible and I was concerned that it would have an ill effect on my fish. _




_When I saw them I was exciting, it was delivered on time but the package didn't come with any instruction of maintaining, and believe me, you need it!. You can't use hot water to clean it and sterilized. You can't use on salt water. After a few days the water got cloudy and I realized that the reason for that was the white paint on the tips of the anemone, because with the water the paint disintegrates and leaves chemicals on the tank. Besides the silicon loose the structure and get sticky. Won't buy it again. _




_After a couple of months, it developed a milky scum coating, as if the plastic was dissolving and softening. I do not recommend this anymore. Stick with glass, stone, ceramic, and reliable materials. _



_I use small amounts of salt in my freshwater tanks I never get Ick and the fish do well. My silicone como turned to an awful slimy sticky mess and got on my Betta who I guess slept in it. I saw white spots on the fish and thought oh heck...then noticed the como. It should not have degraded so easily with small salt in the water. So it got tossed and I'm still trying to get the goo off my hands. No harm to the fish though as far as I know. Too bad it looked pretty cool for a few weeks. _


----------



## BettaPrincess13

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12196461

*Top Fin Red Betta Bridge*

I loved this bridge and so did Carl but after a month of having it i noticed the paint was bubbling up. I just did a water change this morning and I decided to take it out and see if it was something I should just toss. Yep when I took it out I noticed paint had chipped off into my tank. I tossed it. it didn't smell like paint but it just didn't look like something safe for my tank. I loved this bridge but its not worth my fishes health. I saw another bridge I might look into buying and hopefully it won't be a disappointment. I really liked this ornament :/

anyone have this bridge that knows if this is a good ornament to put in my tank? it looks like a nice bridge without a lot of paint that might be safer than the red one I had

http://www.petco.com/product/114630/Blue-Ribbon-Blue-Stone-Bridge-Aquarium-Ornament.aspx


----------



## GeorgeNC1

bettalover2000 said:


> I have heard multiple accounts of this having a metal wire in it that will GUT their fish if they lay on it. I've obviously never bought it.


I have this in my tank! And my betta loves it, I don't see a wire so I hope they're safe now


----------



## ForbiddenSecrets

I'm going to call this a maybe dangerous. Some people reported it leeching or peeling paint however I've had it for two years and never had a problem with that. 

I will say however that it did have a strange sharp bit on the inside that was easily removed. If you get it just make sure you check it for random pointy bits.


----------



## Flyby Stardancer

I pulled this out of my QT tank today, because it was starting to smell bad. It's staying just outside the tank, instead.










I have the blue one.


----------



## Hopeseeker

Has anyone heard if the Zoomed Betta Log gets toxic after the paint sorta melts off? I really don't like them, they always come with at least 1 rough edge and have to be replaced every few months, because of the paint situation. I would do away with them completely, but my tailbiter adores hiding in it when he does his flaring exercise. He just loves to battle his reflection on the glass of his part of the aquarium...lol!


----------



## HeadlessLegoMom

I just got a betta log yesterday and Buttercup seems to like it. He bites his tail whenever we go out for more than 2 hours, so I was trying to give him more things to do. The paint starts to peel off???


----------



## Skyewillow

Hope seekers and headlesslego mom, have either of you tried craft mesh tubes?

I'm currently working on my personal tailbiter's issues and ended up making him a "cottage from perler beads to get him to stop.


----------



## HeadlessLegoMom

What are perler beads? What about having a cottage made him stop? Do you have a picture?


----------



## tngirl92

I don't know if this has been posted yet, but the Top Fin Pineapple with Umbrella has bubbly paint after just a few weeks. No idea how it affected our fish, but it definitely clouded the water and gave it a funky smell. Too bad, because it's super cute.


----------



## Skyewillow

HeadlessLegoMom said:


> What are perler beads? What about having a cottage made him stop? Do you have a picture?


I have a thread about it right here.

Some bettas do it out of stress, the cottage gave him someplace to feel secure.


----------



## percyfyshshelley

GeorgeNC1 said:


> I have this in my tank! And my betta loves it, I don't see a wire so I hope they're safe now


I just bought a couple more of these, and completely destroyed one trying to get the wire out.... And there was no wire. So that's good if theyve changed the design. The wire free ones are a bit more floppy but still stiff enough to support a weary betta.

Oh the pix didn't post. We're talking about the betta hammocks.


----------



## Samijo

I went to Walmart today to pick up some new decorations for Bert. When I got home I soaked the small castle in hot water.. :| It smelled like spray paint.. (Sorry for the blurry picture.)


----------



## Skyewillow

Samijo said:


> I went to Walmart today to pick up some new decorations for Bert. When I got home I soaked the small castle in hot water.. :| It smelled like spray paint.. (Sorry for the blurry picture.)


who makes that? I have the green and it did the same thing. I've sprayed it 3 times with krylon fusion, and it still stinks.


----------



## BittyB

All this thread confirms to me is Im not buying any decorations that are sold by these large companies. I think a lot of you having bad troubles with these things should maybe think of a different route like going DIY or getting creative in using non aquarium items that are for sure safe material and not painted (IE - a wood carving you can water log, a stone carving, etc).

I am definitely not trusting them nor thinking having a cute decor is worth a mishap. Too worrisome for me.


----------



## Samijo

Skyewillow To be honest I'm not sure. I should have been paying more attention. I seen it and thought it was cute. Next time I'm just going to go with a plant or something not painted. I got a little sign there to that said "No Fishing" And after it got done soaking, some of the paint rubbed off... So if you buy from Walmart, be careful!


----------



## GeorgeNC1

How long does a decoration need to soak in hot water? I have a couple of painted decorations in my tank, I did not soak them because I hadn't seen this thread yet and didn't know of the danger. So far they look fine inside the tank


----------



## Skyewillow

BittyB said:


> All this thread confirms to me is Im not buying any decorations that are sold by these large companies. I think a lot of you having bad troubles with these things should maybe think of a different route like going DIY or getting creative in using non aquarium items that are for sure safe material and not painted (IE - a wood carving you can water log, a stone carving, etc).
> 
> I am definitely not trusting them nor thinking having a cute decor is worth a mishap. Too worrisome for me.


You have to be careful with wood and stone too, things like pine will poison your tank, and some stones will change your water parameters. So it's not always as easy as going with all natural decor. Usually it is the safer bet though.

I went DIY on some of my decor, and I've had a lot of fun with it.


----------



## BettaBelle983

*Marina Plastic Thermometer with Suction Cup*

I just came back into my room from eating dinner and cleaning up. I went to check on Moony. I found him trapped vertically in between the thermometer and the tank wall. I have given a link to the exact one I had in the tank. 

I'm sure he might of gotten himself out since he got in but I'm not taking that chance.

http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Plasti...?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1375139092&sr=1-9

I'm thinking of purchasing this one: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3744+23736&pcatid=23736 or one like I had before: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3744+3921&pcatid=3921 

But I'll stay far away from the top one.


----------



## HeadlessLegoMom

I read a post on here about a betta that somehow broke the thermometer and eating the stuff inside, so I got a digital thermometer by Zoo Med with a suction cup that I am very happy with...


----------



## Samijo

I went to petsmart today, and got a few new decorations for Bert...This smelled like spray paint so bad.. I'm glad at lest two out of the three decorations was good...


----------



## Destinystar

Skyewillow said:


> who makes that? I have the green and it did the same thing. I've sprayed it 3 times with krylon fusion, and it still stinks.


Hey Skye I have never used the krylon fusion and was wondering if it has any odor to and which type do you use to spray on the decorations ? I was thinking of trying some...Thanks.


----------



## itamag

BettaBelle983 said:


> I just came back into my room from eating dinner and cleaning up. I went to check on Moony. I found him trapped vertically in between the thermometer and the tank wall. I have given a link to the exact one I had in the tank.
> 
> I'm sure he might of gotten himself out since he got in but I'm not taking that chance.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Plasti...?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1375139092&sr=1-9
> 
> I'm thinking of purchasing this one: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3744+23736&pcatid=23736 or one like I had before: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3744+3921&pcatid=3921
> 
> But I'll stay far away from the top one.


I had the bottom one. Haven't had any problems with it, but it took more time to measure the temp than other thermometers I've had. I mean, say If the temp on my current thermometer take maybe ten seconds to settle down completely, this one took about 20-30.



HeadlessLegoMom said:


> I read a post on here about a betta that somehow broke the thermometer and eating the stuff inside, so I got a digital thermometer by Zoo Med with a suction cup that I am very happy with...


It happened to me, but with a thermometer with a red liquid inside. I went to the store I bought it in and they said it is especially made to not harm the fish, and Felix lived to tell the tale :-D . It looks like this if you're interested: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/1/2/12-laboratory-thermometer_1.jpg


----------



## itamag

Sorry for the double


----------



## HeadlessLegoMom

I'm glad that Felix is okay. I think that happened the day I joined the site and I was so worried about being able to keep my betta alive and swimming!


----------



## Skyewillow

Perseusmom said:


> Hey Skye I have never used the krylon fusion and was wondering if it has any odor to and which type do you use to spray on the decorations ? I was thinking of trying some...Thanks.


I used the clear coat. IF it works there is no smell after soaking (which is the case on my roman ruins that I bought from petco.)









one coating on the ruins, and there's no more paint smell when they were soaked, I let it dry for 2 days just to be sure.

on that castle, 3 coatings hasn't helped at all.

this is the paint I used. there's other krylon fusion clear coats (that would probably work better), but this is the one my fiance bought.


----------



## jadaBlu

I am filling the interiors of some my cavernous ornaments that smell like paint with sand and sealing it in with AQ silicone. This is where the paint smell is coming from with my ornaments. I actually soaked multiple ornaments and found it's a widespread problem if you smell the inside you will smell paint.


----------



## FishyFloorzack

So two days ago i bought http:// http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-X-Large-Wood-Aquarium-Ornament/16918648 and well i soaked it after seeing this and it smelt like spray paint! I didn't put it in the tank, but is it still safe or is it like don't risk it?


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## Skyewillow

yea, and it's almost impossible to coat the entire inside with that paint. That's a really good idea, Jadablu


----------



## Namialus

Has anyone used this? I have it in my tank, but I'm worried because the paint *might* be fading.. searched it up, it said it was non-toxic. Now I'm wondering if it might be metal, like so many ornaments.. http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/medium-...romSearchBox=&addFacet=#product-infor-reviews


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## redthebetta

Skyewillow said:


> Other members have posted Spongebob's pineapple by none other than Penn Plax.


So what is wrong with that? I have one :shock:


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## redthebetta

Skyewillow said:


> It used to contain metal. I don't know if they've changed it (I'd heard that maybe they have).


Never mind, I saw this. I think they fixed it because Red seems to have no problems with it.


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## HeadlessLegoMom

I think people said the paint was bubbling, but I can't remember if it was that or a chemical smell. Did you read through the thread?


----------



## redthebetta

Yep, I think they fixed it now.


----------



## Indigo Betta

This is dangerous for Dwarf Gouramis my Garry got stuck inside it and hurt himself badly trying to get out and bettas would probably do the same, its alright for smaller fish like tetras and guppies but nothing larger than that.


----------



## Tree

BettaLover1313 said:


> So...that swim-through I bought for Merlin...yeah...smelled like paint after letting it soak -.-' Guess who made it? You guessed it! Top Fin!!! (Also sold at PetSmart).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hoping the latest swim-through I bought for Merlin doesn't smell like paint or anything weird!!! (I didn't buy this latest one from PetSmart and it's made by Hagan).



I had one of these in my tanks and my fish died. It made my tank smell really bad too. Not sure if it was because my first fish was sick already when I got him or it was this thing. =( 

I want to show you all this one: 










I could not find the same one. But it's the tall temple that has the small opening at the very top. This one killed my beloved Johny Bravo. =( He got stuck at the very top and I found him trying to get out. I freed him and this is what happened: 











He died two days later. I tried to save him with meds but to no avail. =(


----------



## TaylerHill

I bought this Petco heater for one of my boys and at first it was great. It heated the tank nicely. After a week or so the black paint started flaking off and leaving these black specks everywhere in my tank. It didn't harm my betta but I removed it as soon as I noticed the paint chips.

http://www.petco.com/product/102227/Petco-Submersible-Aquarium-Heaters.aspx


----------



## Sylerwin

LittleDeer said:


> This Balinese Lantern was on sale at my Petsmart so I grabbed it. After being in a 1gallon (the tank one of my girls was in temporarily) for about 24 hours, the water had a strange oily substance floating on top and it smelled like burning plastic. It was so bad, and so strong when I took the Lantern out it gave me an immediate headache. I'm so thankful my girl is okay. I had given her a 100% water change afterward, and she didn't get sick at all. But it was still gross and terrifying and I have no idea what caused it. I did rinse it in warm water first like you're supposed to with all new decorations, and it was fine when I put it in. But the smell was horrific. And that oily substance was floating out of the holes of the lantern too. I threw it right in the trash.


I've had this same decoration in my 10 gallon for almost a year without issue. HOWEVER, I've noticed that with another decoration that I have, they seem to have re-released with a glaze over it that wasn't on the one that I had. Perhaps it was a case like that?


----------



## Tree

found it! this is the one that killed my betta above.


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## Sylerwin

This Buddha statue from Petsmart, (Top Fin) began bubbling after a few months in my tank. Granted, a few months is a while, but, as soon as I saw it I removed it. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12196462&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No


----------



## MsAqua

Not sure if this is anywhere but I had this: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753242&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

In Diablo's tank for a couple weeks. The paint started to bubble, it left a film on the top of the water, and when I took it out of the tank it smelled awful (likely spray paint).​


----------



## ricepattyfish5

LebronTheBetta said:


> I have the hammock, too. It will be safe and mostly useful to some fish as long as you take the wire out; that's what I did.


I have four of these leaf hammocks (one of them I have had for almost three years) and I have never seen the metal wire nor have they caused any of my babies any pain. It is the EXACT same one shown in the picture earlier in this thread too. So that is strange to hear.


----------



## KeshiaB

Not an ornament as such, but I just wanted to warn anyone out there about placing Chinese Jade or Garnet in your tanks. I tried this once to add some colour to my tank, within 2 days my PH had skyrocketed (my water is normally slightly acidic but it went off the charts alkaline)! This was in a 5L tank, but I think these stones would do the same to bigger tanks.

My betta was fine by the way, luckily the tank was new and I was testing the water every 2 days!


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## eleventytwelve

The fake plants on this thing tore up my halfmoon's tail and fins... I've since removed the plant part of the decor and replaced them with real ones.










http://www.petco.com/product/112187/Petco-Asian-Gazebo-Aquatic-D%C3%A9cor.aspx

There are also small holes in the rocks that my betta used to swim through but I was a little worried he would scrape himself so I filled them with java moss.


----------



## eleventytwelve

I've also read reviews that the paint peels on that item, but I haven't had any problems with it thus far ... I'll keep observing, though.


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## aquagreen

I'd like to bump this because I think this is great information. Just realized I had one of these decorations in my betta's tank!!! (Not anymore!)


----------



## almes2014

Good materials for tanks are: quartz, glass (great for pops of color), sand, silk, ceramic for aquariums (but make sure the paint doesn't peel off and cause a decline in water quality), and, in my experience, soft plastic aquarium plants. That list is based on my knowledge of chemistry (I'm a science major)...none of those materials are reactive with stuff in water. 

Personally, I'd steer clear of any non-glass items that are brightly colored -- they're most likely to peel away.


----------



## lovee1795

This is a good thread, however I have the pineapple mentioned on the first page and I've had it since last September without any issues. Now, last week I was pulling it out of the tank to clean it during a water change by the "plant" part and it literally just fell apart. I bought a new one on Amazon, and while browsing I realized there's a version made by Penn Plax and a version made by a different company that are almost identical. The other version has larger windows (so I guess, in theory, would be better for bettas). I bought that version to replace the now broken pineapple I have. I'm not sure who made the one I have at the moment anymore. From other things I read, if there's issue with the pineapple it's probably the Penn Plax one. Also, I have one of the betta hammocks as well since September and I clean it at every 100% water change and have never found anything wrong with it.


----------



## Sylerwin

http://pet.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pPETS-7262838t300x300.jpg

paint peels off of the pink castle ornament from petsmart


----------



## SweetCheeksMum

This is a great idea to have this list, I would have added this sooner if I knew it was here.
Paint peals off this betta log after a few weeks....








I took this picture when I noticed it and sure enough it was all threw the rocks when I cleaned the tank right after snapping this picture. And it was to late for Vincent 









I also wanted to add my experience with the pineapple and squidwards house... I have both in my sons tank. I've had them in there since early November and they have been fine. No pealing, no weird smell, no slime. They must have fixed their issue? The only thing I had to do was file around the holes a little to get rid of a few sharp edges.


----------



## BlueLacee

glad I read this thread. I have seen some around my pet store but opted not to get them and choose more important things that I needed (food and conditioner). I've been thinking about going back and getting them/ considered getting them lots of other times. once I was standing in the check out like with one and then changed my mind last minute because I couldn't find my phone


----------



## lovee1795

The pineapple issue was definitely the Penn Plax version of it. The one I bought off of Amazon is actually Nickelodeon brand. As I said before, it is identical to the Penn Plax one, same placement of windows and everything but the different brands is obvious just by looking at them. The Nickelodeon one is just completely made better in anyway. So if you want the pineapple, get it, just make sure it is not the Penn Plax brand.


----------



## Taeanna

I can also put forward a good safe decorative option for items are the ceramic oil and candle burners dollar stores sell, they are smooth glazed and so cant tear, rip or leech paint. 
Also they come in so many varieties! I have three boys and I currently have a teapot a small japanese clay pot and a giant white bowl that really pops next to the plants.


----------



## gracierat

Taeanna, those sound interesting! Do you have photos you can post of them set up in your tanks? I would love to see them!


----------



## LadyNightraven

SweetCheeksMum said:


> This is a great idea to have this list, I would have added this sooner if I knew it was here.
> Paint peals off this betta log after a few weeks....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I took this picture when I noticed it and sure enough it was all threw the rocks when I cleaned the tank right after snapping this picture. And it was to late for Vincent


Ugh. I bought that log from Amazon and am waiting for it to arrive. Now I'm kind of afraid to use it when it does get here.

I'm so sorry for the loss of Vincent. He was a beautiful fish.


----------



## LadyNightraven

Sorry for the double post, but I wanted to add that I had this beehive decoration from Petsmart when I first set up Rakki's tank. It was cute, really added some color to the tank, and I loved how smooth it was. Unfortunately, the paint started to bubble after a few weeks. I ended up removing it and tossing it in the trash. Thankfully, Rakki was perfectly fine. I felt a little bad taking it out because he really loved the thing, but I didn't want to take any chances.


----------



## SweetCheeksMum

LadyNightraven said:


> Ugh. I bought that log from Amazon and am waiting for it to arrive. Now I'm kind of afraid to use it when it does get here.
> 
> I'm so sorry for the loss of Vincent. He was a beautiful fish.


Vincents was from Amazon too


----------



## loveaBetta

*Decore*

I got couple halloween and xmas a dragon and grome decore from petsmart after being in tank the paint peels off 
'


----------



## Cari

I owe this thread a huge thank-you...

I had two betta leaf hammocks in my tank...one had the wire and one didn't, the one with the wire was starting to rust and I hadn't even noticed it. I threw it out. Who knows what harm that could have done.

I also had the plant on the left:










I took out the wire just now. Wasn't rusted, thank goodness. I put the plant back together just fine without it, which leaves me to wonder...why do these companies even bother to use wire when the plant works just fine without it? :roll: unless your betta is a huge monster and insists on ramming into it, the plant doesn't need a wire in it to stay stable.

Now after reading this thread, I'm really worried about two of the new decorations I bought for Flareon...the pink trees here. I haven't noticed anything yet, and the stems of the flowers(?) don't have any wire, and Flareon seems to like swimming on top of them and his fins look fine...but I guess I will have to check for any paint peeling.


----------



## Alyssum

Cari: I have the red version of that plant. How did you go about removing the wire? I inspected it and I couldn't see any exposed wire and it was sealed with glue at the bottom on all sides. Is it really that unsafe if it's sealed in plastic and glue? It is a bit annoying that they put this stuff in without regards to actual safety of the animals. Thankfully, the decorations I bought don't smell even though are from petsmart. I have this thing from top fin that I got on sale:











It seems alright so far. I've had it in the tank for about 3 weeks and I haven't noticed any chips or anything. It doesn't have any paint smell, though I've read the paint will come off if you have a pleco, but I don't think I'll have to worry about that. I wonder how many of the thousands of these decorations that are sold lead to fish death?


----------



## Cari

Alyssum, mine was sealed too, but I took the wire out anyway just to be safe, I didn't want to chance it. Here is how I did it (going by the colors of mine)...

1. Pull out the bulb thing in the very center that is holding all the individual leafs in place
2. Pull off all the leaves including dark green at the very bottom
3. Push out the stem/wire + hot glue from the base by pushing something through the bottom hole (I used a round chopstick), making sure the hot glue inside the hole doesn't separate from the green stem
3. Once the stem is out, there should be a chunk of hot glue still at the bottom, don't remove since that's necessary for putting the plant back together
4. Figure out which end of the stem the wire is already poking out of. For me it was both ends. If it isn't poking out just nip the top of the plastic carefully with some scissors.
5. By applying some pressure you should be able to wiggle/push/pull the wire out. I was able to press the bottom (hot glue area) onto my desk, pull down on the green plastic stem, and the wire started to poke further out of the top, and then all I had to do was pull it out (using a paper towel for better grip). It will come out, you just have to try a few things and see what works.
6. Then just put the hot glue end of the stem back into the base (it should still fit snugly) and put the whole plant back together. It won't be as stiff as it was before, but it's just a plant, it's not a big deal unless like I said your betta is a giant and likes to ram into plants because it thinks its Godzilla or something


----------



## Taeanna

Cari I use those exact plants in my tank and my boys adore them. They have gotten in around under and jammed into just about every gap without any problems. I went crazy with a bit of pantyhose looking for scratchy ends.
Because they are so cheap I do tend to buy and toss them with ridiculous frequency rather than use them long term. For one thing the material picks up the brown algae I am having problems keeping down in the divided tank and looks gross.
If I had the money I would likely rip out the wires and glue the entire plant together with gel superglue to make it safer, but to date I have had no problems with my system (plus I fully change tanks week to week so no plant is in there longer than a week before being cycled out, cleaned and dried for another 2)


----------



## Cari

Taeanna said:


> Cari I use those exact plants in my tank and my boys adore them. They have gotten in around under and jammed into just about every gap without any problems. I went crazy with a bit of pantyhose looking for scratchy ends.
> Because they are so cheap I do tend to buy and toss them with ridiculous frequency rather than use them long term. For one thing the material picks up the brown algae I am having problems keeping down in the divided tank and looks gross.
> If I had the money I would likely rip out the wires and glue the entire plant together with gel superglue to make it safer, but to date I have had no problems with my system (plus I fully change tanks week to week so no plant is in there longer than a week before being cycled out, cleaned and dried for another 2)


Do you mean the pink-flowered plants? If so, that's good to know that they don't have any major problems other than algae. I can deal with algae, I can't deal with peeling paint! D:


----------



## Taeanna

Ah I'm sorry to say i was referring to the green material duo picture you posted. :/
But if you worry about anything peeling a good plan (and this works on just about anything I wave noticed) is to soak it in a bucket or water with a ridiculous amount of AQ salt in it for a couple of days then scrub a bit of it with a toothbrush. If the paint comes off its a bad call.


----------



## AmbiantNight

I thought I would offer this as a safe alternative to many ornaments (and just looks cool)

The rocky cave

Hot glue gun or silicone tank sealant
a variety of smooth aquarium rocks

You can stack and glue these together to form tubes and caves. Try decorating with some safe plants and create a play ground for your betta.

The garden hide away

Same materials as above but add in a clay pot broken in half (unpainted terracotta)
Sand the edges of the pot till smooth and safe. Use a coarse sand paper to do this. Any edges you are unable to smooth completely put some glue on them to protect your fish. Decorate the outside with stones and plants. You can even use aquarium glass beads and make it look snazzy. I like to use shorter plants for this one. There is even some moss like plastic plants that look great on it.

Avoid ABS plastics/ Spray paints (even acrylic) Wild stones can be used but boil them for an hour then bake for 4. Trust me you don't want to know what may have been growing in or around them. But if you do that they are safe. Try going to the beach and finding 3 long flat stones. Thanks to the water rolling them around they are already smooth and snag free. For them I like to use aquarium sealant and put them together in a triangle. Another interesting idea for those who are iffy on the hammock is to build a pillar that reaches just up enough to be 3 inches below your normal water line then put a small soft plant on top. I call it the look out tower. 

For those who ain't as nuts as me to go threw all the work I will be making and selling some items once the weather warms up enough to go get supplies. (all my normal rock gathering spots are frozen over right now.)


----------



## Alyssum

Cari said:


> Alyssum, mine was sealed too, but I took the wire out anyway just to be safe, I didn't want to chance it. Here is how I did it (going by the colors of mine)...
> 
> 1. Pull out the bulb thing in the very center that is holding all the individual leafs in place
> 2. Pull off all the leaves including dark green at the very bottom
> 3. Push out the stem/wire + hot glue from the base by pushing something through the bottom hole (I used a round chopstick), making sure the hot glue inside the hole doesn't separate from the green stem
> 3. Once the stem is out, there should be a chunk of hot glue still at the bottom, don't remove since that's necessary for putting the plant back together
> 4. Figure out which end of the stem the wire is already poking out of. For me it was both ends. If it isn't poking out just nip the top of the plastic carefully with some scissors.
> 5. By applying some pressure you should be able to wiggle/push/pull the wire out. I was able to press the bottom (hot glue area) onto my desk, pull down on the green plastic stem, and the wire started to poke further out of the top, and then all I had to do was pull it out (using a paper towel for better grip). It will come out, you just have to try a few things and see what works.
> 6. Then just put the hot glue end of the stem back into the base (it should still fit snugly) and put the whole plant back together. It won't be as stiff as it was before, but it's just a plant, it's not a big deal unless like I said your betta is a giant and likes to ram into plants because it thinks its Godzilla or something


Thanks for the explanation. I'll have to try to get it out soon


----------



## mart

Time to add another decoration to the list. This was my second Zen Buddah. First one bubbled. This one lasted about three weeks. Then yesterday the tank got cloudy. Did a water change and took it out and it was slimey and stunk. Saw the small bubbling on it. Now this one wasn't painted, and was suppose to be resin. I thought it was weird that it wasn't as green as it was when I first put it in the tank, in fact it was almost entirely white.

Jade Buddah by Top Fin


----------



## Alyssum

That is so scary. I saw that in the store not too long ago. I hate how all of these ornaments are not meant for aquariums at all and dangerous. I've decided a while ago that I will not be buying anymore painted decorations. I will make my own out of rocks or buy natural slate or driftwood and clean it before putting it in. This is ridiculous :redmad:


----------



## Scubakrat

Wow, this is scary because I was looking at all of these yesterday at the pet store! Thank you so much for posting! I'm really glad I found this thread!!!!!


----------



## mart

Your both welcome. 
I also decided that will be the last. My tank will have to be Zen free.

What I did, is take a solid glass frog candle holder and put it in the tank, and I put my Anubias plant in where the candle goes. Works great, and I don't have to worry about these horrible decorations that the pet stores are selling.


----------



## bluefishy75

Got this at Petco. As soon as I started rinsing it to get it ready to go in my tank it started smelling very strongly of chemicals and paint thinner. Obviously it will never see the inside of any of my tanks...


----------



## LadyNightraven

I have two more additions for this thread, unfortunately:

*Zoo Med Floating Aquarium Log from Petco: *








My betta adored his log, but I ended up trashing it after a couple of month because it was slimy and was leeching gross-looking chemical streaks on the surface of the water. Think of how you can see the oil and gasoline streaks in the water that's collected on the street after it rains. It looked like that. Yuck! I'm in the process of getting the materials to make a new "floating log" out of PVC pipe and suction cups.

*This turtle ornament from Petsmart:*








This lasted about three months. I was hopeful that it might not come up with any problems, but sadly the paint started chipping, so into the trash it went. It's a shame. It was such a cute ornament.


----------



## TuiAndLa

@LadyNightRaven- Everything in a tank has a slime layer, doesn't it? It's normal... and also, the streaky stuff on the water surface is just protein runoff, or so I've read. My bettas tanks have it. Freaked me out too when I first got them a couple of years ago. lol


----------



## Setangha

*Time for me to go DIY.*



bluefishy75 said:


> Got this at Petco. As soon as I started rinsing it to get it ready to go in my tank it started smelling very strongly of chemicals and paint thinner. Obviously it will never see the inside of any of my tanks...


Thanks for this! I saw your post and pulled one of these out of my 10g to check it and sure enough, the inside of it reeked of chemicals. It was the only thing in the tank that felt slimy, too. :| I'm disappointed. My fish loved it. Third ornament in 3 days I've had trouble with. 

I'm new to the hobby and already sick of "official" aquarium decorations. I don't think I've found a single one yet that hasn't presented some issue or another. It can't possibly be *this* difficult for companies to make stuff that's actually safe, can it? :-?


----------



## mart

TuiAndLa said:


> @LadyNightRaven- Everything in a tank has a slime layer, doesn't it? It's normal... and also, the streaky stuff on the water surface is just protein runoff, or so I've read. My bettas tanks have it. Freaked me out too when I first got them a couple of years ago. lol


There's a difference in what we are talking about. But it seems none of these decorations are safe. My tank was slimy and had a film too until I took out the decorations causing it.


----------



## esun1993

This is a great post! Thanks for sharing all the information  I'm going to look through all the posts to make sure none of the plastic plants I have for my little guy is unsafe!

For my part, I have learned that spikey plastic plants are very bad-my betta's top fin had a hole and the end of his fin seems a bit torn, and I'm pretty sure the plant's the culprit.

On a side note, it seems like most of the decorations for hiding are unsafe because of paint chipping/slime growth etc. I use a toy watering can as my betta's little hiding cave-I found it in the baby toy section in Walmart for 2 bucks, and since it's for babies it should be safe in terms of material, and it's very smooth so it won't hurt the fins, nor would it have algae growing over it. 

I cut the watering can in half and covered the cut section with gravel and marbles because it's a bit sharp, and my betta seem to love it so far! It's not the best looking cave, but if you put a couple plants infront/around it, it might just work! 

here's a picture of it:


----------



## mart

esun1993 said:


> This is a great post! Thanks for sharing all the information  I'm going to look through all the posts to make sure none of the plastic plants I have for my little guy is unsafe!
> 
> For my part, I have learned that spikey plastic plants are very bad-my betta's top fin had a hole and the end of his fin seems a bit torn, and I'm pretty sure the plant's the culprit.
> 
> On a side note, it seems like most of the decorations for hiding are unsafe because of paint chipping/slime growth etc. I use a toy watering can as my betta's little hiding cave-I found it in the baby toy section in Walmart for 2 bucks, and since it's for babies it should be safe in terms of material, and it's very smooth so it won't hurt the fins, nor would it have algae growing over it.
> 
> I cut the watering can in half and covered the cut section with gravel and marbles because it's a bit sharp, and my betta seem to love it so far! It's not the best looking cave, but if you put a couple plants infront/around it, it might just work!
> 
> here's a picture of it:


Good idea about the cave. But still keep an eye on it.
If you have a petsmart around you, they carry a live plant called Windelov fern. I'ts small needs only low light and doesn't get real big, stays kinda compact. I have them in all my tanks, and my fish love them. Silk plants are ok, too.


----------



## Bailmint

When I first got Milo, I got this ornament with his tank.









It bubbled up and the paint chipped off a couple of months later and I yanked it out of the tank xD.


----------



## Alyssum

So my Top Fin tree trunk ornament has started to lose its paint. I took it out. I was hoping this wouldn't happen, I kept checking on it, but you can't see the full extent of the paint peeling until you take it out of the tank. The last time I took it out 2 weeks ago it looked nothing like this. Ugh. I feel so bad. I already had to take my other ornament out a while ago because it was chipping, now this one. All natural from now on...


----------



## Sathori

I saw the Sponge Bob house posted on here, just wanted to note that I have Squidward's house in Gajeel's tank. He is IN LOVE with it. I once tried swapping decor with and giving him a different hide to change his environment... He was NOT happy and clearly upset that his squidward house was gone. As soon as I put it back in, he happily swam in and out of the eye holes xD 

I have checked it and double checked it for paint chips/bubbling/paint smell, and have not noticed any of the above. It has faded every so slightly, but what doesn't fade over time? He's had it for at least 5 months. You can see it on the right side of the divided tank.









But alas, my betta log has been chipping paint T-T I don't know what other hides to get my poor boys. Pantherlily love zipping in and out of his betta log...


----------



## HeadlessLegoMom

My fish loves his betta log too, so I just keep replacing it with a new one when the paint chips, but I also got him a tunnel that SkyeWillow made from perler beads. They are a great alternative to store bought hide-a-ways, you can customize the colors you want, and she can make a floating or sinking one. I even asked her to make a viewing window like the betta log has...


----------



## Bailmint

Ooh that's pretty! Is she still making them?


----------



## HeadlessLegoMom

Message her and ask


----------



## Bailmint

Started chipping today-


----------



## Bailmint

This isn't a dangerous ornament, it's actually the only one I've owned that doesn't chip paint and my betta Milo loves it!








Just posting for those who are looking for an ornament that doesn't chip. C:
PS- It's a bubbler but there is a hiding spot under it. The bubbler is strong so I wouldn't turn it on xD, but you can just buy it for your betta to hide in.


----------



## mart

Bailmint said:


> This isn't a dangerous ornament, it's actually the only one I've owned that doesn't chip paint and my betta Milo loves it!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just posting for those who are looking for an ornament that doesn't chip. C:
> PS- It's a bubbler but there is a hiding spot under it. The bubbler is strong so I wouldn't turn it on xD, but you can just buy it for your betta to hide in.


How long have you had it?


----------



## Bailmint

I've had it almost a year now.


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## endobabee

HeadlessLegoMom said:


> My fish loves his betta log too, so I just keep replacing it with a new one when the paint chips, but I also got him a tunnel that SkyeWillow made from perler beads. They are a great alternative to store bought hide-a-ways, you can customize the colors you want, and she can make a floating or sinking one. I even asked her to make a viewing window like the betta log has...


Do you have a link to her page so I can message her.


----------



## HeadlessLegoMom

http://www.bettafish.com/member.php?u=46228
Tell her that HeadlessLego sent you!


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## endobabee

HeadlessLegoMom said:


> http://www.bettafish.com/member.php?u=46228
> Tell her that HeadlessLego sent you!


Thanks =]


----------



## Artemis

I got an ornament almost exactly like this (different plants) for my fish tank a week ago or so but I just added it today. I rinsed it but I didn't soak, should I have? Will this kill my new boy? He really likes it though, the holes are nice sizes and he can travel all through them like a tunnel system and peek out at me and make sure it's all clear before he can come out. Here it si, is it known to be toxic? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-X-Large-Wood-Aquarium-Ornament/16918648#Product+Reviews


----------



## TheTrojanBetta

Alyssum said:


> So my Top Fin tree trunk ornament has started to lose its paint. I took it out. I was hoping this wouldn't happen, I kept checking on it, but you can't see the full extent of the paint peeling until you take it out of the tank. The last time I took it out 2 weeks ago it looked nothing like this. Ugh. I feel so bad. I already had to take my other ornament out a while ago because it was chipping, now this one. All natural from now on...


Aw man, really? I have this ornament in Penelope's tank and she absolutely loves it; she's always hiding in it and swimming through it during the day, and sleeps in it at night. Mine hasn't started peeling yet, but I suppose it's only a matter of time. I'll start looking for a replacement; thanks for the heads up! I was considering natural wood a while back, I guess it's time to look into that again.


----------



## Setangha

Artemis said:


> I got an ornament almost exactly like this (different plants) for my fish tank a week ago or so but I just added it today. I rinsed it but I didn't soak, should I have? Will this kill my new boy? He really likes it though, the holes are nice sizes and he can travel all through them like a tunnel system and peek out at me and make sure it's all clear before he can come out. Here it si, is it known to be toxic? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-X-Large-Wood-Aquarium-Ornament/16918648#Product+Reviews


I'd advise you to be extremely vigilant with that one, or just take it back to the store. I bought that exact decoration as well as a smaller version of it. Rinsed them thoroughly and checked for any damage/smells before putting them into my tanks, but within 24 hours they were both putting off very strong chemical fumes and one of my bettas was starting to get lethargic.

I've had the stupid things sitting in my bathroom for 3 weeks, trying to decide if I should attempt to reseal them, and they STILL stink. :|


----------



## Artemis

Ya found it this morning, water cloudy. Sniffed the tank and burnt my nostrils on the chemical stench. I moved the fish into the hospital tank until after school and now I got the normal tank cleaned out and I'm transforming the hospital tank into a permanent tank. It's not entirely see through but it's about 1 gal bigger and it's a normal rectangle so it won't distort view as much. Now I just need to finish cleaning up the rocks and I don't even know if the filter sponge will ever be aired out. Gah! Now I have to find safe stuff.


----------



## Tabby216

This one isn't bad. It's a good one just in case anyone wants to find one. I have had since 2013 no paint chipping still looks like the day I got it.


----------



## bre23

Is any of this actually based on proof that these ornaments are releasing harmful chemicals or just paranoia? I've been looking online and haven't found anything of substance about whether or not paint/chemicals from tank ornaments cause issues.


----------



## BettaStarter24

bettalover2000 said:


> I have heard multiple accounts of this having a metal wire in it that will GUT their fish if they lay on it. I've obviously never bought it.


I have one for my boy and after reading a few posts on the wire I checked it. I found the wire sticking up out of the leaf. I immediately removed the leaf and took the wire out, could not get it out without the stem coming out of the leaf. I noticed the green also flaking off.

I will post pics when I get them up


----------



## BettaStarter24

BettaStarter24 said:


> I have one for my boy and after reading a few posts on the wire I checked it. I found the wire sticking up out of the leaf. I immediately removed the leaf and took the wire out, could not get it out without the stem coming out of the leaf. I noticed the green also flaking off.
> 
> I will post pics when I get them up




















on the wire, the green part is where it was sticking up out of the leaf, on the leaf you can see the hole it made and where the green had flaked off.


----------



## mart

bre23 said:


> Is any of this actually based on proof that these ornaments are releasing harmful chemicals or just paranoia? I've been looking online and haven't found anything of substance about whether or not paint/chemicals from tank ornaments cause issues.


Take your chances if you wish. I've already been through three of them. Don't even use that crap anymore. Just real rocks and plants.

So if you think we are all parnoid, go for it, but don't come back here crying your fish died.


----------



## Setangha

bre23 said:


> Is any of this actually based on proof that these ornaments are releasing harmful chemicals or just paranoia? I've been looking online and haven't found anything of substance about whether or not paint/chemicals from tank ornaments cause issues.


I don't think it's paranoia when I can smell a fully submerged decoration from across the room. :| That was issue enough for me.

Even if we were to find out they aren't toxic to our fish, the speed at which some of the ornaments in this thread break down makes them failed products. Why buy something that's supposed to enhance the appearance of your aquarium only to watch the paint start sliding off in a week? Why buy something that looks pretty but puts out a stink strong enough to give you a headache or make you sick to your stomach?

It's just not worth it to me, personally. Toxic or not, it's wasted money.


----------



## aquab2st

*I Don't have this problem*

I've had 2 of these in 2 different tanks I've never had this problem both my boys love it



LittleDeer said:


> This Balinese Lantern was on sale at my Petsmart so I grabbed it. After being in a 1gallon (the tank one of my girls was in temporarily) for about 24 hours, the water had a strange oily substance floating on top and it smelled like burning plastic. It was so bad, and so strong when I took the Lantern out it gave me an immediate headache. I'm so thankful my girl is okay. I had given her a 100% water change afterward, and she didn't get sick at all. But it was still gross and terrifying and I have no idea what caused it. I did rinse it in warm water first like you're supposed to with all new decorations, and it was fine when I put it in. But the smell was horrific. And that oily substance was floating out of the holes of the lantern too. I threw it right in the trash.


----------



## mart

aquab2st said:


> I've had 2 of these in 2 different tanks I've never had this problem both my boys love it


Depends on who made it, and when it was made. It could be old stock that was made correctly. The stuff that is hitting the shelves now is all junk. You might find one or two that won't do it, but I still think it is old stock.
I had a buddah that was suppose to be resin, no paint, and it did the same thing as the painted decorations.

Like Setangha said, it's just not worth it to take the chance.


----------



## Cari

A little late to post, but I did end up returning these two "trees" in Flareon's tank a few weeks ago, because the big one had started to peel. I replaced everything plastic for silk plants, and now his fins are finally healing. They kept getting torn on the sharp plastic flowers, it just wasn't worth it. I left two of the little flowers (which had fallen off the tree before I returned it) floating around on top the water, because Flareon liked to build nests around them. But then I noticed a few days ago that the top of his water had a weird whitish swirly film on top. I took out the flowers and within an hour the water was back to normal. No idea what that was...

Anyway, this is his new tank! All silk. I also built him two caves out of river rocks which aren't in the picture.


----------



## mart

Cari said:


> A little late to post, but I did end up returning these two "trees" in Flareon's tank a few weeks ago, because the big one had started to peel. I replaced everything plastic for silk plants, and now his fins are finally healing. They kept getting torn on the sharp plastic flowers, it just wasn't worth it. I left two of the little flowers (which had fallen off the tree before I returned it) floating around on top the water, because Flareon liked to build nests around them. But then I noticed a few days ago that the top of his water had a weird whitish swirly film on top. I took out the flowers and within an hour the water was back to normal. No idea what that was...
> 
> Anyway, this is his new tank! All silk. I also built him two caves out of river rocks which aren't in the picture.


Oh I like your tank much better now.
Why is it people don't want to believe us about these decorations they are selling now?


----------



## lulubell5

penn plax hide away stackable stone ornaments caused tears in his fins. they are very sharp around the holes and i took it out immediately after i saw his fins.


----------



## haveyouhadyourteayet

Those are sooooo rough on the inside.


----------



## Pocketmew

So I found today that my betta had to rips in his fins! :C All of his plants are silk except for this ornament










The leaves/plants aren't the problem. On the inside hole where he swims through there was a small sharp part that was sticking out, it was sharp enough to cut myself! ;n; If you buy this PLEASE check the openings!!!!


----------



## Islandgaliam

LadyNightraven said:


> I have two more additions for this thread, unfortunately:
> 
> *Zoo Med Floating Aquarium Log from Petco: *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My betta adored his log, but I ended up trashing it after a couple of month because it was slimy and was leeching gross-looking chemical streaks on the surface of the water. Think of how you can see the oil and gasoline streaks in the water that's collected on the street after it rains. It looked like that. Yuck! I'm in the process of getting the materials to make a new "floating log" out of PVC pipe and suction cups.
> 
> *This turtle ornament from Petsmart:*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This lasted about three months. I was hopeful that it might not come up with any problems, but sadly the paint started chipping, so into the trash it went. It's a shame. It was such a cute ornament.


I put one of these in his tank today and earlier posted pics of Bubblo and his log; glad I saw this, and a post about the sinkable one. It is now out of the tank, and Bubblo seems to be looking for it..he has been in and out of it all day long. The gal at the Pet Store told me it was safe for my betta


----------



## Plakattyphoon1234

*Update on product*



bettalover2000 said:


> I have heard multiple accounts of this having a metal wire in it that will GUT their fish if they lay on it. I've obviously never bought it.


Their is a new one without the metal wire after multiple complaints. Check the underside still. One is at my local petsmart. Going in anthor week!!


----------



## Plakattyphoon1234

The picture is a new one of it:


----------



## haveyouhadyourteayet

Really glad I soaked this before I put it in the tank...


----------



## Goldbetta98

http://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Galleries-Moon-Rock-Cave/dp/B006UJUTYW

This rock made my 10 gallon toxic. As soon as I put it in, my fish started dying. Even with it removed, fish still die.


----------



## loveaBetta

oh wow i seen them at wallmart was going to get for my little african frogs Zen and Pen tank but didnt glad i didnt now reading it killed your fish  I did get the frogs a 2" terra cotta planter and saucer they so tiny they eat there frog bits and pieces of live worms from the saucer the frozen brine flote


----------



## BettaLover1313

Goldbetta98 said:


> http://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Galleries-Moon-Rock-Cave/dp/B006UJUTYW
> 
> This rock made my 10 gallon toxic. As soon as I put it in, my fish started dying. Even with it removed, fish still die.


I never had a problem with the moon caves, and my two boys had them for quite some time.


----------



## aselvarial

huh, this has been in my tank for 2 months. I haven't had anyone die with it in there. Granted nobody uses it, and it really doesn't glow in the dark. But it hasn't made it toxic.


----------



## VivianKJean

TaylerHill said:


> I bought this Petco heater for one of my boys and at first it was great. It heated the tank nicely. After a week or so the black paint started flaking off and leaving these black specks everywhere in my tank. It didn't harm my betta but I removed it as soon as I noticed the paint chips.
> 
> http://www.petco.com/product/102227/Petco-Submersible-Aquarium-Heaters.aspx


I have this in my boy's ronnie's tank and the black paint has not flaked off mine. I've had this heater for about 6 months now.


----------



## daniella3d

How do you know it killed your fish and it's not something else that killed your fish? since even with it removed they still die, maybe some parasites? 

I am amazed that people put the blame on anything they could for their fish death. I have read people blaming plants that rust while rust is not toxic. These thread would be useful if those claim about toxicity would be justified, not just a person impression about it being toxic because it smell or look wierd or peeling.

I bought some epoxy coated gravel and it smell like varsol, very very strong. It's in my aquarium after rinsing it well but still smell a lot after a week. My fish is not dead, seem to be doing fine.

So how do you people know something is toxic just because it smell? Is it really toxic?





Goldbetta98 said:


> http://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Galleries-Moon-Rock-Cave/dp/B006UJUTYW
> 
> This rock made my 10 gallon toxic. As soon as I put it in, my fish started dying. Even with it removed, fish still die.


----------



## daniella3d

I am planning to buy a few of these. They look so nice. Glad to know you have no problem with them.

I had a few decorations that produced a strong smell and I removed them after a while not because my fish had any issue because they did not, but I simply did not like the smell. They are now soaking in a bucket until they stop smelling.

If all those ornaments were really toxic we would hear about it and there would be claims and it would be documented. I once put Kent carbon in my reef and a few hours later my corals started to bleach and die. I took the carbon out and brought some sample to a professional lab for analysis. They found huge amount of copper and nickel in it, so that's what was killing my reef. It did not took long before other people had the same experience and there were hundreds of people affected. Of course Kent did a complete recall on this product and they sent me a check for my dead corals. So it was obvious that it was contamined. It would be the same with these ornaments as they are mass market products and sold to a lot of people. No way they could kill thousands of fish without us earing about it and without having a recall.




aquab2st said:


> I've had 2 of these in 2 different tanks I've never had this problem both my boys love it


----------



## WhitneyLin

Thank you everyone for posting these. Maybe they arent toxic, but I cant imagine how keeping decor with paint chipping/peeling, or rust, or strong smells could be healthy. I wouldnt let my cats drink out of something like that, so why would I let my fish live in a tank with it? If other people want to take the chance thats fine, its their fish and their risk to take. 

Maybe not everything on this list is bad. Theres always a chance of someone getting a defective one. Theres bound to be bad batches out there. It happens. But I still appreciate the warning all the same. 

Besides, even if it is in no way harmful, im still paying good money for this stuff. Paint chipped/bubbling decor does not make a nice looking tank. I dont want to waste my money on something thats going to have a problem and its normally too late to return it.


----------



## daniella3d

Yes there is always a risk that something could be a bad batch, but then it's not just one person being effected, it's more than that and it's hard for a company to hide it and usually they do a recall of the toxic product, especially companies in the USA and Canada.

Here is the recall on Kent carbon that was contaminated:

http://www.kentmarine.com/news/news-archive/kent-marine-reef.htm

and beleive me it really did not take long before the story was all over the web, in all forums, everywhere people were talking about it. If you do a search in google for kent contaminated carbon you will find tons of issues and people talking about it.

When I found that the gravel I am using was smelling like varsol I tried to find a single issue with this sand on the web and could not find any. I returned one of the bag at the store and they told me that this gravel always smell like that and the company was contacted and they said it was not toxic, it's the natural smell of the epoxy they use and even though the epoxy is cured, it still can smell depending if it's been manufactured recently or not. 

It was smelling so strong than the whole kitchen was smelling like varsol and I rinsed it in lukewarm water, not hot. so sometime just because something smell bad, it does not mean it's toxic. I did a water change yesterday and after 10 days the water still smell a little bit. I guess it will eventually go away. The gravel is white epoxy coated.

This gravel is produced by Hagen. Hagen is a very big company and if there was a problem with some of their product killing fish, they would do something about it. So I beleive it is safe even if it smell strong.

https://ca-en.hagen.com/Aquatic/Decorative/Gravel/12474

They say it can be used in saltwater aquarium and it is inert. In a saltwater aquarium it does not take long for everything to die if there is anything toxic. Corals are super sensitive to dangerous chimical. With kent carbon many of my corals died in only a few hours so it this gravel would be toxic we would hear about horror stories like we did from Kent carbon and there would be a recall from the company.







WhitneyLin said:


> Theres always a chance of someone getting a defective one. Theres bound to be bad batches out there. It happens. But I still appreciate the warning all the same.
> 
> Besides, even if it is in no way harmful, im still paying good money for this stuff. Paint chipped/bubbling decor does not make a nice looking tank. I dont want to waste my money on something thats going to have a problem and its normally too late to return it.


----------



## Goldbetta98

That was the only thing that changed with the tank before I lost my entire stock.


----------



## BettaLover4life

Goldbetta98 said:


> http://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Galleries-Moon-Rock-Cave/dp/B006UJUTYW
> 
> This rock made my 10 gallon toxic. As soon as I put it in, my fish started dying. Even with it removed, fish still die.


I have that cave but nothings wrong with it.It just bubbles up sometimes.


----------



## TheBlur

These are the times we ended up returning because they clouded the water. The "Pagoda On Rock" thing didn't react until a few hours before we decided to return the buddha thing. To bad, the fish really seemed to like it. Neither smelled weird or left any sort of residue in the water ....just milky/cloudy discharge stuff
http://www.petsmart.com/gsi/webstore...a-001b2166c62d

http://www.petsmart.com/supplies/orn...ecently_viewed

I also have this item, but it has never had a bad reaction! (which is weird because its made of the same materials as the pagoda thing above...) :
http://www.petsmart.com/fish/decor-g...pfm=category

Oh and I have this too, since maybe october? I've never had a problem with it.http://www.bettafish.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178689&stc=1&d=1375158142


----------



## Lissa3116

It's not entirely dangerous but I know eventually the paint chips off and the shark is grey not blue, I thankfully noticed what was happening.


----------



## Megan92

I bought this tower at Petco (also made by petco), I had it in my tank for about 2 weeks and then the paint started to bubble and soften. When I ran my fingernail over it, the paint came off. I'm pretty sure it also left an oily film on the top of my water too as I haven't had an issue with the water since I removed it from my tank. The inside is also pretty sharp. I tried to leave a bad review on petco's website but they won't post it. Basically, it's a piece of junk.


----------



## Pocketmew

Megan92 said:


> I bought this tower at Petco (also made by petco), I had it in my tank for about 2 weeks and then the paint started to bubble and soften. When I ran my fingernail over it, the paint came off. I'm pretty sure it also left an oily film on the top of my water too as I haven't had an issue with the water since I removed it from my tank. The inside is also pretty sharp. I tried to leave a bad review on petco's website but they won't post it. Basically, it's a piece of junk.


This product DID leave a film in my tank. I tried washing it, letting it sit, etc; but everytime it goes in the tank it leaves a thick film on the top. Such a shame since it was on sale. The teal version of this hasn't had the problem however. I have the teal larger version in my tank and there is no film, no chipping paint, no problem at all....


----------



## Pippin

I had a bubble volcano from petco. (http://www.petco.com/product/114875/Penn-Plax-Volcano-Airstone-Aquatic-Ornament.aspx). The paint flecked of in about a day, and i am still getting red paint out of my tank.


----------



## JessiesGill

Pocketmew said:


> This product DID leave a film in my tank. I tried washing it, letting it sit, etc; but everytime it goes in the tank it leaves a thick film on the top. Such a shame since it was on sale. The teal version of this hasn't had the problem however. I have the teal larger version in my tank and there is no film, no chipping paint, no problem at all....


That's disappointing. I have the orange version (the short one) from Petco and have had no trouble with it so far. I've had it for 6 months. Too bad the taller one gave you problems, because I'd like something taller now that I have a bigger tank.


----------



## Bailmint

Huh, I have the teal tower, I'm just afraid to use it. :/


----------



## DoryAndNemo

wish4coner said:


> This is a GUPPY ornament that they don't list as such, and have over all of the betta ornaments at Petsmart. I did not realize that, inside are small holes leading up to white cottage part in the middle. The window is a hole. A female went up through hole inside, that you can't see, and tried to get out of the hole. Not even a chance to save her.
> 
> I now run my hands inside every ornament to see if they have holes, or sharp edges. There are ceramic logs that "look like" real logs but, if you run your hand inside, it is all sharp edges. Again, these are guppy ornaments but put with the betta supplies.



This is bhttp://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00AE23Z88ad
Is this for bettas? I was about to buy this at walmart today! I figured it was too rough and small though.

Thanks for sharing!


----------



## KlutzyGal

Another thread I'm glad to have come across! Very useful info in here. I was looking around at my store's fish tank ornaments, and what brand are pretty much all of them? Yep, Penn Plax. Looks like I'll just be sticking to the silk plants for my guys for now, not gonna risk it.


----------



## Pocketmew

JessiesGill said:


> That's disappointing. I have the orange version (the short one) from Petco and have had no trouble with it so far. I've had it for 6 months. Too bad the taller one gave you problems, because I'd like something taller now that I have a bigger tank.


It wasn't the taller one that gave problems :3 The teal one is the tallest and I have had no problems whatsoever in my 10gal. The red one which is the medium I believe is the one that is causing the white film on top.


----------



## 4everaspirit

I don't know if it's dangerous, but those betta leaf hammocks, at least the one I have, the green coloring is coming off and I think it's why there is a bunch of green slime covering my ornaments.....


----------



## ShadyLex

LittleDeer said:


> This Balinese Lantern was on sale at my Petsmart so I grabbed it. After being in a 1gallon (the tank one of my girls was in temporarily) for about 24 hours, the water had a strange oily substance floating on top and it smelled like burning plastic. It was so bad, and so strong when I took the Lantern out it gave me an immediate headache. I'm so thankful my girl is okay. I had given her a 100% water change afterward, and she didn't get sick at all. But it was still gross and terrifying and I have no idea what caused it. I did rinse it in warm water first like you're supposed to with all new decorations, and it was fine when I put it in. But the smell was horrific. And that oily substance was floating out of the holes of the lantern too. I threw it right in the trash.


I have this in my tank and so far nothing bad has happened. I boiled it for 10 mintues and spend half an hour sanding the edges so that my betta's fins wouldn't get caught. I'll keep an eye out for it and I haven't smelled any burnt our out of the ordinary smell.


----------



## ShadyLex

I had this for a few months and the paint started chipping off. Threw it away the moment I noticed it. Probably caused the tears in my bettas fins when I had it.


----------



## mobius981

This is made by Fluval. It holds plants and hides heater. I saw it on Amazon and thought OMG, this is PERFECT, I want one right now! Then.....I read the reviews. Appalling. Chipping of paint, unstable, can trap fish, glass is sharp, etc. Thank goodness for reviews, altho the product should be taken off the market. Makes me mad.


----------



## dragnz2159

I got this from Petco. It has been in my tank for three days and it started seriously fading already. It also has developed a paint smell on the plants and the inside of the rocks. My water started getting really cloudy, as well. I have removed it from the tank and threw it in the trash. The title is "Blue Ribbon Spa Stones with Plastic Plants Aquarium Ornament." Thank goodness I am still cycling my tank and there are no fish in there yet to have gotten sick.


----------



## mobius981

Ahhh, they all look so nice to begin with don't they? Grrrrr.


----------



## Islandgaliam

Too bad there aren't "fish safety rules" like there are for "food safety"...it's incredible the guidelines our farm follows for growing a potatoes!!!


----------



## spiritbettalady

I am about to set up my first tank.k and have the green plastic leaf. Does anyone know for sure if it is unsafe?


----------



## dragnz2159

I have the leaf and mine loved it. There is no metal in the version they have out now. It should be safe.


----------



## Pony

Heck, I've had the betta hammocks with the metal in them and none of the metal is exposed so it's never rusted. I've had four of them going for at least a year each. The only problem I ever had with them was the suction cups going out if you move them around too many times.


----------



## spiritbettalady

Thanks for safe leaf info. Seems as if we need tank police. This is a valuable thread for sure. Can it be a sticky?


----------



## averyecho

This one isn't particulary dangerous in its own right, but it SHREDS betta tail fins.








It's OK for fish without flowy fins, though.


----------



## mikyj

just read this thread and noticed alot of you are saying something about slime?

are tank ornaments never supposed to feel slimy at all? sometimes when i clean my ornaments they feel lightly slimy (no odor or discoloration) but i just thought that was because they are in a tank with a fish? i havent had any problems aka my fish is really happy and active and eats well. i have the penn plax hideaway pipes (which my fish loves) and a single roman pillar, and a betta hammock that i am about to remove the wire from just incase. 

I DID have a problem though with the suction cups on my heater? after about a week or two, there was about half a millimeter of slime that i wiped away with a clean cloth and it was a sort of yellow color. haven't had the problem since I wiped it off, there's still a tiny bit of slime but again, I'm not sure what is harmful vs normal? only on the suction cup for my heater though. my tom mini internal filter has suction cups as well and there is no slime on that thing what so ever. someone please let me know! I'm nervous because I'm going out of town tomorrow and my girlfriend is going to be watching the tank so I wont be here incase something terrible happens!!!


----------



## fidget

Don't worry about suction cup slime- just wipe it off. All of mine get slimy. 

I recently put a cute little ship in my Peanut's tank and now he's barely alive. I'm hoping he pulls out of it. It's a small decoration that looks like a shipwreck with little sharks painted on. It's supposed to be a bubbler but I just used it as a decoration for obvious reasons. Peanut loved that stupid thing- after the first day he wasn't looking quite right, one and a half days later he was clamped and near the surface all day, panting. AVOID!

Here's a link to the shipwreck:

LINK!


----------



## spiritbettalady

Slime can be caused by a bacteria (cyanobacteria). This bacteria can also be in your pets water bowls. This bacteria responds to excessive levels of phosphate in the water A regular cleaning schedule can help keep it in check.

http://www.aquariumprofessionals.com/article_algae.htm#.U4clk8tOVVc


----------



## crzycrkr

The artificial leaf hammock stool has the wire in it. Bought two the other day at Petco. Pulled them both out


----------



## Bailmint

Yep, I bought a leaf hammock. They're perfectly safe if you pull out the metal wires though.


----------



## crzycrkr

Bailmint said:


> Yep, I bought a leaf hammock. They're perfectly safe if you pull out the metal wires though.


Just wanted to let people know. I had read some people say earlier that they had stopped making them with the wire


----------



## ZZD

I got one of these a while ago http://www.amazon.com/Jardin-Silico...F8&qid=1401475617&sr=1-15&keywords=fish+decor

The betta loved it at first, but soon not even the snails would touch it. It got really gross and started to collect dirt as if it was sticky and the layers of silicon started to peel off. The whole thing started to get stuck to itself too and like bond to itself. I had to rip the spines apart which just left holes everywhere. I tossed it quick.

I also had a hollow stump ornament with plants attached. The plants all came off pretty quickly. The outside was fine otherwise but the inside was painted a dark green and had a lot of chipping paint and slime build up. I cleaned it with hot water regularly for the slime until I realized the paint was chipping, then it got tossed.


----------



## Doting Mama

Megan92 said:


> I bought this tower at Petco (also made by petco), I had it in my tank for about 2 weeks and then the paint started to bubble and soften. When I ran my fingernail over it, the paint came off. I'm pretty sure it also left an oily film on the top of my water too as I haven't had an issue with the water since I removed it from my tank. The inside is also pretty sharp. I tried to leave a bad review on petco's website but they won't post it. Basically, it's a piece of junk.


I bought the short orange one from Petco for my boy. It is quite sharp on the inside but figured if it passed the soak test I would try to sand that down some. It did not pass. I soaked it in some water for 2 days, checked it today and there was an oily swirl in the water and a bunch of paint chips were floating around it. It went right in the garbage!


----------



## HandsomesMom

*Top Fin Rock Cave (Petsmart)*

Attached are the links to them.

I loved these at first, they were plenty of space for my male betta and 5 cory cats to each have their own space and a nice dark spot for them to hide. I bought them about 3 weeks ago and have been going through a fish-in cycle. Last night I did a water change, gravel vac, and ornament cleaning. 

I let them soak in some hot water while I was vacuuming and when I went back to scrub them and I noticed the under side paint was coming off. I thought ok thats not good, but then it got worse. It actually started breaking apart and I could easily bend and break it, like it was the consistency of a sponge. I have now thrown them away and have put my trusty glass vases inside the tank. 

Other people may have had luck with these but now my betta is suffering from fin rot and needs to be QT 

I will stick with glass ornament decor from here on out!!!!

http://www.petsmart.com/fish/decor-...aquarium-cave-zid36-17485/cat-36-catid-300014

http://www.petsmart.com/fish/decor-...zid36-17481/cat-36-catid-300014#RatingsDetail


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## FishWhisperer

After reading this thread I am going to do a DIY cottage garden theme. Once I saw a tankand one of two ornaments was a sharp looking mat of grass. The other I forgot.


----------



## DforDrago

*Top Fin Temple Ruins (2)*

Bought this temple ruing (the top one)at PetSmart a couple of days ago; it was PERFECT for my new tank. When I got it home and rinsed it, however, there was a STRONG chemical smell coming from it. I had placed it in the tank to get the plant placement just right around it and I left it in there (with no water) for about ten minutes. When I came back, the fumes coming from it were enough to make my eyes water.

I brought it back yesterday and just to be sure that maybe it wasn't a fluke, I smelled the other two they had...same chemical smell, just a bit more subdued (I'm guessing because they were dry). Since I really wanted that look, I tried the other temple ruin (in the second picture) and it had the same smell. It was really disappointing, they're great-looking pieces and were pretty affordable at fifteen bucks.


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## spiritbettalady

Good thing you noticed. No ornament is worth compromising the health of your fish.


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## mart

Haven't gotten one thing from Petsmart that hasn't done that. I don't know where they're getting their decorations from, but I've told them repeatedly about the problem.


----------



## Kone Killer

Makes you wonder what the hell they are doing to these things to make them leach off what ever chemical it is that is coming off.... I really wanted decorations for my tank, but I am just doing some sweet old rocks that I brought back from Alaska with me a while back...


----------



## mart

Kone Killer said:


> Makes you wonder what the hell they are doing to these things to make them leach off what ever chemical it is that is coming off.... I really wanted decorations for my tank, but I am just doing some sweet old rocks that I brought back from Alaska with me a while back...


That's what I have in my tanks, rocks. It's safer than those darn decorations!

This thread is so important to make people aware of what's out there.


----------



## Kone Killer

Ohh for sure!! I had a few different ones in mind, and my choices are kinda limited since my tank is only 5 gallons. I look on here, and all of the ones I was thinking of are leaching this chemical smell that everybody is talking about... Granted, just about all of them people are saying that they have the same one that is just fine, but I really dont have the money to keep trying to find new ones, or keep buying fish!


----------



## MikeG14

I'm in the process of setting up my 8.5 National Geographic Aqua Oasis that I bought at Petsmart last week. I picked up this Nat Geo Soldier Aquarium Ornament and within few hours my tank smelled of chemicals. The stuff they use is a two part epoxy resin. I used to work with the stuff when I was a model maker in the toy industry. We used it on prototypes. It is used at my current job in aerospace. It's hazardous to humans and no doubt to fish as well. I took it out and did a water change. Lucky for me I don't have a fish yet. I looks really cool sitting next to my tank and that's where it's going to stay.


----------



## Kone Killer

Arggg!! That is a cool looking soldier too!!! What a shame!! Why do they make it out of that kind of stuff?!?!?! 
I would think the good old fashioned modeling clay fired with a fish safe epoxy, and call it good would be cheaper and easier...

Ohh well, he would make a good fish food holder....


----------



## Tress

I'm curious, I've heard it mentioned that you have to be careful when using real driftwood. What are some safe kinds of woods to use?

Also, what are some of the fish safe epoxy/sealants and materials? specifically betta safe. I've seen and heard of people making stuff with the crafting mesh and (normal?) hot glue. I'd like to do some myself, since it's a heck of a lot cheaper than trial and error with store bought junk.


----------



## mobius981

I have used 100% silicone sealant ($5 at Lowes) marked "aquarium safe" for various projects for the tank. I just make sure it dries for 24-48 hours before putting it in the tank...there still could be VOCs. It dries clear. There is a great DIY thread on the forum...http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=245289  that is a good place to ask these questions, I think. there are also several threads about driftwood preparation is you do a search.


----------



## Tress

VOC's? 
If find it let me know. There are a lot of pages of forums to sift through lol


----------



## Galaxy

*Yellow Submarine*

So, I was looking at the different ornaments, and decided to go with the yellow submarine at Petsmart. It has lots of holes to swim through, so I thought my fish would love it. There were a few rough edges, but nothing to bad. I figured I might try to file them down when I got home.

A few hours later of filing...the edges are as bad or worse than as before, and I can't make any progress with them. Aaaaand, the yellow submarine smells awful after being filed. I wouldn't put anything that smelled that way in a tank.

(On closer inspection at home, the edges were worse than I thought...)

Really, practically all the ornaments at the pet store have rough edges, or holes that are to small, or something...*sigh* I'm so fed up with the things sold at the pet store chains. :-?

Here it is: 









http://www.petsmart.com/supplies/or...005sAZQRl2?_t=pfm=search&SearchTerm=submarine

It's super cute, but I wouldn't recommend buying it.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu

Tress said:


> I'm curious, I've heard it mentioned that you have to be careful when using real driftwood. What are some safe kinds of woods to use?
> 
> Also, what are some of the fish safe epoxy/sealants and materials? specifically betta safe. I've seen and heard of people making stuff with the crafting mesh and (normal?) hot glue. I'd like to do some myself, since it's a heck of a lot cheaper than trial and error with store bought junk.


It's always good to know the source of the wood and prepare it before you put in your aquarium.

I boil my Cholla for 5-10 minutes; soak in treated water for 10 or more before I put in my tank. Cholla is either Cholla cactus wood or roots. It takes longer to saturate and sink than "water" driftwood and has fewer tannins.


----------



## JoeyBee

This is the Top Fin Rocket Aquarium Ornament

http://www.petsmart.ca/fish/decor-g...d36-20847/cat-36-catid-300014?_t=pfm=category

Not sure if this has been posted or not. Bought it at PetSmart the other day. The paint chipped REALLY BAD and quickly too. I freaked out, cleaned the tank and threw it out immediately!!! Please stay away from this one guys!


----------



## ZoZoe

Oh my gosh!! I Really wish I had read this thread earlier!! I bought two decorations , a floating log and 3 silk plants from petsmart. Urghghgh 

I'm immediately going to return the ones I bought and go to a LFS and purchase natural driftwood. None of them smelled particularly bad but my water does seem a bit cloudier. I don't know if its the cycling or WHAT, I'm not risking it. 

For reference I bought the zoo med floating log, and this cave. I can't find a pic of the third one but it is in a picture on my "Hello New Betta Keeper" Thread if you're wondering. He loves hiding in all 3 but I'm not going to risk it. I'll just return them, get my money and invest toward driftwood. Now I'm gonna goto my tank and take those out and inspect those silk plants and make sure they aren't wired >_< Argh!


http://www.petsmart.com/fish/decor-...-catid-300014?var_id=36-17502&_t=pfm=category


----------



## ZoZoe

I cut open the bottom stem of one of my silk plants and I'm pretty sure it's metal wire. They are hidden in that black rubbery base that is meant to be buried but this one came loose when I was unpacking it so I figured id have a look see. What do you guys think? I have two more of these in the tank still, should
I keep it?


----------



## mart

I wouldn't. It's not the pointed part that would deter me as much as the metal being in the water.


----------



## cindygao0217

Thank I will be careful


----------



## hrutan

Thanks for this list. I had to throw out all of the decorations in my 10 gallon; they all were on this list for various reasons, and turned out to be the reason for the odd smell in my room...

Planning on making the rest of my decorations out of glass beads and hot glue. Seems like a fun project, anyway.


----------



## Agent13

ZoZoe said:


> Oh my gosh!! I Really wish I had read this thread earlier!! I bought two decorations , a floating log and 3 silk plants from petsmart. Urghghgh
> 
> I'm immediately going to return the ones I bought and go to a LFS and purchase natural driftwood. None of them smelled particularly bad but my water does seem a bit cloudier. I don't know if its the cycling or WHAT, I'm not risking it.
> 
> For reference I bought the zoo med floating log, and this cave. I can't find a pic of the third one but it is in a picture on my "Hello New Betta Keeper" Thread if you're wondering. He loves hiding in all 3 but I'm not going to risk it. I'll just return them, get my money and invest toward driftwood. Now I'm gonna goto my tank and take those out and inspect those silk plants and make sure they aren't wired >_< Argh!
> 
> 
> http://www.petsmart.com/fish/decor-...-catid-300014?var_id=36-17502&_t=pfm=category



Why??? I've had two floating logs for years hat have NEVER caused issues that I hear in this thread . My bettas adore them and sometimes my loaches steal it lol.. It's a really good ornament for bettas . While I do love driftwood in my tanks the truth is that's for you not your betta .. The rarely if ever use driftwood . Take everything I'm this thread with a grain of salt . I've been keeping fish 23yrs.. 


Sent from Petguide.com App


----------



## mart

Agent13 said:


> Why??? I've had two floating logs for years hat have NEVER caused issues that I hear in this thread . My bettas adore them and sometimes my loaches steal it lol.. It's a really good ornament for bettas . While I do love driftwood in my tanks the truth is that's for you not your betta .. The rarely if ever use driftwood . Take everything I'm this thread with a grain of salt . I've been keeping fish 23yrs..
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


Ah yes, but they have changed the coating they are putting on them now. Yours are old, and do not have the same coating on them.
And I've been keeping fish for 45 years.


----------



## Agent13

But one is only 1.5yrs old and it too has never been an issue . Are you saying they've changed it in within the year? I'd buy one today just to prove that wrong if that's what you've been told . 
You know what .. That's exactly what I'll do. My loaches steal it from my betta anyway .. I may as well let them have their own to pile in lol 


Sent from Petguide.com App


----------



## leedavidford

This pipe ornament is super sharp inside. 
I stupidly didn't check it properly before adding it resulting In a betta with a ripped up tail. It' has been thrown away! 

The funny thing is it was designed for betta!!


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu

+1 Agent13 I have three ZooMed Betta Logs bought in the last month or six weeks. No smell, no problem. Have even trained Dexter, Archibald and Eric the Red that's where they're fed.

And, shoot, I've got ya both beat with a 50-year addiction. ;-)


----------



## leedavidford

I have a new ZooMed floating log, it's not old, had it a couple months. Hasn't been a problem at all.


----------



## mart

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> +1 Agent13 I have three ZooMed Betta Logs bought in the last month or six weeks. No smell, no problem. Have even trained Dexter, Archibald and Eric the Red that's where they're fed.
> 
> And, shoot, I've got ya both beat with a 50-year addiction. ;-)


:lol: I think I did short myself on the years. Forgot how old I am.


----------



## mart

Agent13 said:


> But one is only 1.5yrs old and it too has never been an issue . Are you saying they've changed it in within the year? I'd buy one today just to prove that wrong if that's what you've been told .
> You know what .. That's exactly what I'll do. My loaches steal it from my betta anyway .. I may as well let them have their own to pile in lol
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


There is old and new stock. You may have gotten the old. But try another one and see. But then again, like I said, you may end up with old stock. And as far as old stock goes, it depends on where you buy it.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu

mart said:


> :lol: I think I did short myself on the years. Forgot how old I am.


:BIGwinky:

BTW, ordered mine from Foster & Smith. I'm sure it was new stock as it was on back order for a couple of weeks.


----------



## mart

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> :BIGwinky:
> 
> BTW, ordered mine from Foster & Smith. I'm sure it was new stock as it was on back order for a couple of weeks.


Yeah, ya know I just don't understand it then. Some people are getting them and they leech, others getting them and they are not. So, is it they fixed the problem, and now they are ok, and the old stock is the bad? Don't know, it's crazy. I know anything I buy from Petsmart is junk.


----------



## hrutan

It is possible they have multiple manufacturers, or that the parts the manufacturer is using are coming from a variety of sources and someone in the chain is cutting corners.


----------



## mart

hrutan said:


> It is possible they have multiple manufacturers, or that the parts the manufacturer is using are coming from a variety of sources and someone in the chain is cutting corners.


Ya know, that is a good suggestion, and not too off I would say.


----------



## Agent13

Ok.. This is what I want to point out .. 9x out of 10 these problems people are having with the log aren't the logs fault ... They are in highly under filtered or non filtered betta tanks . This is an ornament that floats at the top of a tank where if you baffle the heck out of your flow or don't eve. Filter it will get a yucky protein slick on water often . Only ornaments you'll notice this on are floating ones.. 
There is no need to reduce flow on bettas ... Almost all of them thrive very well with regular filtration . This is how the log myth started 


Sent from Petguide.com App


----------



## mart

Agent13 said:


> Ok.. This is what I want to point out .. 9x out of 10 these problems people are having with the log aren't the logs fault ... They are in highly under filtered or non filtered betta tanks . This is an ornament that floats at the top of a tank where if you baffle the heck out of your flow or don't eve. Filter it will get a yucky protein slick on water often . Only ornaments you'll notice this on are floating ones..
> There is no need to reduce flow on bettas ... Almost all of them thrive very well with regular filtration . This is how the log myth started
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


Oh I agree with the fact that most of these people baffle their filters because they think they're fish can't handle it. Only filter I've ever found for that to be the fact is the Fluval Spec. 
I don't own a log, but I can guarantee that these companys like Top Fin are using inferior materials. I have had to throw several decorations away because they have bubbled or leeched.


----------



## hrutan

The filter on the aqueon minibow blew my betta around like a pinata in a wind storm and I had to baffle it, but the tank that had problem ornaments (no log, and I know you were talking about that) has a fully functional filter. One of the three was covered in slime and they all smelled rank, anyway =/


----------



## mart

hrutan said:


> The filter on the aqueon minibow blew my betta around like a pinata in a wind storm and I had to baffle it, but the tank that had problem ornaments (no log, and I know you were talking about that) has a fully functional filter. One of the three was covered in slime and they all smelled rank, anyway =/


Have two mini bows, and they never blew my guys around. I only changed to an hob filter because the mini bow filter stinks as far as filtering.


----------



## ZoZoe

Sorry ;-; I got paranoid reading this thread because everyone was mentioning exactly what I have, top fin decor and someone mentioned the floating log chipping paint and smelling. I just took the floating log back out of the box and smelled it, I had sun dried it and put it in the box to get ready to return it sometime this week. It has a very very faint plastic/ spray painty smell, but if the veterans think it's okay I would love to hot-rinse it and put it back since the fish did really enjoy it. 

One of my top fun caves smells slightly spray paint like and one doesn't smell at all... I'm conflicted :-( I just don't want paint peeling off of it months from now. My boy does seem to like the drift wood somewhat , I got lucky with the shape and it does have a cave like body and he perches on the top surface pretty often too.


----------



## hrutan

I have the strong suspicion that my boy's a drama queen.


----------



## Agent13

hrutan said:


> The filter on the aqueon minibow blew my betta around like a pinata in a wind storm and I had to baffle it, but the tank that had problem ornaments (no log, and I know you were talking about that) has a fully functional filter. One of the three was covered in slime and they all smelled rank, anyway =/



They get used to the flow eventually . Some quicker then others but honestly it's good for them . I had a couple 2.5 minibows as well. I just think the filter is ghetto lol. 

I'd for curiosity sake pull out any other ornament in your tank and see if it had the same slime and stink . Something on the surface is far quicker to catch your attention then at the bottom if your tank . 


Sent from Petguide.com App


----------



## mart

ZoZoe said:


> Sorry ;-; I got paranoid reading this thread because everyone was mentioning exactly what I have, top fin decor and someone mentioned the floating log chipping paint and smelling. I just took the floating log back out of the box and smelled it, I had sun dried it and put it in the box to get ready to return it sometime this week. It has a very very faint plastic/ spray painty smell, but if the veterans think it's okay I would love to hot-rinse it and put it back since the fish did really enjoy it.
> 
> One of my top fun caves smells slightly spray paint like and one doesn't smell at all... I'm conflicted :-( I just don't want paint peeling off of it months from now. My boy does seem to like the drift wood somewhat , I got lucky with the shape and it does have a cave like body and he perches on the top surface pretty often too.


Had two Top Fin statues. Both got slimey, smelled like paint and then bubbled.
I did love one of them, so it sat on my table for the longest time, then I put it in my planted tank (no fish) After about 2 weeks I took it out, and it was slimey, stunk, and had bubbled so bad, I finally threw it in the garbage.


----------



## mart

Agent13 said:


> I just think the filter is ghetto lol.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


:lol: Now that's a fact!


----------



## Crossroads

I don't have any dangerous things to add, but I have found a safer solution to artificial decor for fish that remedies them getting stuck. I buy log decor suited for tropical reptiles. The holes are big enough for me to almost stick my hand through and I've had no issues with them so far with the fish getting stuck. I haven't any trouble with the paint so far either. Just some two cents and getting creative on a low budget.


----------



## Agent13

Reptile stuff cheaper ? I wanna know where you shop! Seriously .. I have 4 dragons and I swear one is throwing a fit these past 2 weeks because he doesn't like his decor. That stuff tends to be so expensive ..if you know where it's cheaper I'm all about it lol 

Hey .. And if you want to know whays super safe and bettas love ? Live plants ! Lots of them. It's like a playground for them when my loaches stole the betta log my betta would wedge himself in water sprite .. Was so cute 
Sent from Petguide.com App


----------



## kjg1029

I relize now why I only use "natrual" decorations in my bettas tank.....lol


----------



## mart

kjg1029 said:


> I relize now why I only use "natrual" decorations in my bettas tank.....lol


Yup, me too.


----------



## Crossroads

The ornaments I get are by All Living Things most of the time and they range from 5-30$ at petsmart. The 30$ decors are huge too like they look to fit kinda snug in a 20 gallon. The bogwood decor is in Nereus' tank and he adores swimming in and out of it and it takes up about half of his tank. I think I paid like 7$ for it when they had on sale with petperks but its normally like 11.99 or so?










The only holes are the big one going up to the long hole, which I can fit four fingers in and those holes connect to the other piece of the log. However, It may be a bit rough so it may not be the best for really long-finned boys. I've had no trouble with sharp edges, but I won't say it's entirely fin safe but as far as ample sized holes its great. I coupled it with some silk ivy and Amazon compacta swords and Nereus loves it.


----------



## Agent13

Oh that's nice .. Looks similar to the one thing other then his hammock I think he likes .. My daughters angry bearded dragon that is lol. I really need it just take him to the store and let him show me what he wants . My sure for a fish that's like a playground . I have a gigantic fake rock with a maze of tunnels inside that I'm sure any fish would love bettas included. However my blue crayfish used it and would kill anything that dare go in her rock lol 


Sent from Petguide.com App


----------



## ZoZoe

Nm*


----------



## hrutan

I bought some black, polished "river rocks" to make decor out of... boiled them first to kill anything on them. Turns out they were dyed and the color came right off in hot water. It smelled hideous, too.

The brand is Ashland, in case anyone else innocently picks them up from Michael's.

http://www.michaels.com/ashland-river-pebbles-black/10475293.html

"Naturally smooth, black river pebbles" Note the comma... just a _little _deceptive. :-?


----------



## Jonthefish

hrutan said:


> I bought some black, polished "river rocks" to make decor out of... boiled them first to kill anything on them. Turns out they were dyed and the color came right off in hot water. It smelled hideous, too.
> 
> The brand is Ashland, in case anyone else innocently picks them up from Michael's.
> 
> http://www.michaels.com/ashland-river-pebbles-black/10475293.html
> 
> "Naturally smooth, black river pebbles" Note the comma... just a _little _deceptive. :-?


Not only that the description reads 100% rock .... Bummer


----------



## hrutan

I'm boiling the natural color ones right now. So far, the water turned brownish, but I think that was just dirt since the stones themselves haven't changed color. I'm going to boil, rinse, boil, rinse until it all washes clean, then cleanse them with bleach and leave them outside to dry.


----------



## Agent13

Boiling rocks ? 
I hope not as that's dangerous .. They can explode . 


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----------



## hrutan

I'm not too concerned. Letting them warm up slowly, and cool down slowly, and they are small rocks so they are less likely to have different minerals or air/moisture pockets to expand at different rates and cause ruptures.

Explosions typically happen when there's pockets of moisture in the rocks and the rocks get superheated or heated up too quickly. Small, smooth river stones from a craft store are extremely unlikely to have any residual moisture, but if you pull them right from a riverbed, you'll want to dry them thoroughly in the sun for a couple of weeks, and boil them outside for safety's sake.

I should probably be boiling these outside, but I have no way to do that.

EDIT: Of course, start with cold water and bring them up to a boil SLOWLY. Let them cool down SLOWLY, as well.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu

FWIW: I would test some tap water, add the rocks and test a few days later to see if parameters had changed; especially the pH.

That's what I did with the Cholla the first time I used it and what I did with the Akro Agate cullet, too. Neither made any difference to pH or TDS.


----------



## 1RainbowBetta

Just wanted to toss in my .02 about the zoo med betta bed leaf hammock. A couple days ago I added one for my halfmoon. I thought he might enjoy it since he likes resting on top of the suction cup for the heater and I don't have any other good places for him to rest near the top of the water. 
The following day I saw some splits/missing pieces on his fin. The damage was right about at the level the leaf would hit him if he was swimming at the side of it near the glass and rubbed his fin against the edge of it. I removed it as soon as I saw what had happened and it's no worse today so I'm pretty sure that the leaf hammock was the culprit.


----------



## logisticsguy

Ive had a few Zoo med logs. No doubt the betta enjoy them usually. Like all manufacturers there are lemons. Look how many Chev cars have been recalled lately. Sometimes the paint isn't dry enough or the final clear coat is incomplete. Some logs are perfect years later but a couple of them had the paint peel off. If any decoration or the water smells like paint or chemicals toss it. Not everyones experience with a product will be exactly the same. It really has nothing at all to do with how many years any of us have been keeping fish, its about quality control in manufacture process. Most of the decorations are made in China where keeping the cost low is the primary objective.


----------



## Witch Turtle

1RainbowBetta said:


> Just wanted to toss in my .02 about the zoo med betta bed leaf hammock. A couple days ago I added one for my halfmoon. I thought he might enjoy it since he likes resting on top of the suction cup for the heater and I don't have any other good places for him to rest near the top of the water.
> The following day I saw some splits/missing pieces on his fin. The damage was right about at the level the leaf would hit him if he was swimming at the side of it near the glass and rubbed his fin against the edge of it. I removed it as soon as I saw what had happened and it's no worse today so I'm pretty sure that the leaf hammock was the culprit.


Oh, I was planning on getting one of these since my betta loved to rest near the surface on top of his sideways ceramic bowl but can't anymore since I raised the water level. Now I'm not so sure. Anyone know of safer alternatives?

Another question. I bought some black gravel which smelled of paint when I opened the bag. It's in my tank now and the water doesn't smell, but should I still be replacing it with something more natural? How do you know before you waste your money that something's not going to smell?


----------



## Agent13

Well I've had the new betta log since whenever I said is get it earlier in the thread . The opening is shaped different then my others .. So .. Umm.. When does my tank go kaboom and all hell break loose? Lol
It's fine .. The loaches however have stolen that one too lol

Also is not be concerned about the leaf hammock . I've used them over the last few (5?) years and never have any caused any issue . Anyone reading this thread don't let these possible issues concern you too much. So many things both bettas and humans can do that are stupid (assuming the betta did hurt itself on the hammock , however that's a
A guess ). There's even a risk your betta can jump into your filter and end up stuck in the back through the opening for the intake.. How many times do I know of this happening ever before in 23yrs ? 1 lol.. Of another here on this site . There's also the risk you could have a "special " betta that decides to repeatedly smack I self on the glass(yeah I've heard of that one happen ) and injure itself .. Do I recommend you get a rubbery feeling silicone tank ? Lol no. I can do stupid things but mostly don't , you can do stupid things ,,, I hope you don't ?
Bettas can do stupid things but that's not the norm. Worrying too much over things isn't healthy for you or your pets . 


Sent from Petguide.com App


----------



## mobius981

Betta tubes seem to be a great safe alternative for logs and are for sale in the Classified area...http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=340218...my betta has one and has decided it is his bedroom! It floats at the top of the tank and is made of craft mesh. It can replace leaves and logs and bettas love them. Mine uses his all the time.


----------



## Lettuce

Artemis said:


> I got an ornament almost exactly like this (different plants) for my fish tank a week ago or so but I just added it today. I rinsed it but I didn't soak, should I have? Will this kill my new boy? He really likes it though, the holes are nice sizes and he can travel all through them like a tunnel system and peek out at me and make sure it's all clear before he can come out. Here it si, is it known to be toxic? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-X-Large-Wood-Aquarium-Ornament/16918648#Product+Reviews





Setangha said:


> I'd advise you to be extremely vigilant with that one, or just take it back to the store. I bought that exact decoration as well as a smaller version of it. Rinsed them thoroughly and checked for any damage/smells before putting them into my tanks, but within 24 hours they were both putting off very strong chemical fumes and one of my bettas was starting to get lethargic.
> 
> I've had the stupid things sitting in my bathroom for 3 weeks, trying to decide if I should attempt to reseal them, and they STILL stink. :|




****. I just bought this as a centerpiece for my new Betta's tank cause he currently doesn't have anything to hide in. I brought it home, immediately removed the fake plants because they were very pointy and rough. I then decided to rinse it in hot water, and after that the thing reeked. I decided maybe it was just because it was just out of the store and maybe it should soak for another hour. It still reeks. 


I'm glad this forum has a search function, because this is the first post I found when searching "walmart decorations", and it happened to include the exact piece I had questions about .




I actually went to walmart specifically looking for the "betta log" but they didn't have it. I thought this one was even cooler, but alas, it smells like gasoline mixed with burnt glad wrap or something.


----------



## Destinystar

I have the Betta log, after it being in the tank a month or so all the paint started to peel off, what a huge mess it was to clean up. Based on that fact alone I would not recommend it.


----------



## GreenEnvy

Wow, I have not had any problems with Oliver's Betta log. It's not peeling at all and there's no paint smell either. Was this a recent purchase? I got mine around October-November last year from Amazon.


----------



## Bailmint

I soaked a teal Betta tower in water for a few days, it smelled slightly painty. I'm afraid to put it in the tank, I wouldn't risk it because of the slight paint smell and it was also a little too slippery for it to be just water around it, someone mentioned earlier that the teal towers were fine, but I don't think you should risk it.


----------



## EndlesslySleepy

Hi, I'm brand new here, and I just got my new male, Casey, two days ago. I bought him a plastic plant that passed the pantyhose test, and he would curiously swim through it. However, every time he touched it he would then rapidly spazz out of it as if totally surprised. I kept it in there and the next morning I saw a small little hole in one of his fins so I immediately took the plant out because there isnt anything else in the tank that could have cut him. Now the tank is empty, so are there any specific brands or types of ornaments/plants that you recommend? I've been reading through all the ones that I should avoid but I'm still not sure what I should be buying for Casey. Thank you and sorry for being so inexperienced!


----------



## Crossroads

EndlesslySleepy:
If you are going to get fake plants make sure they are silk and have no metal bits. If you get real plants (which most agree is the best alternative), I've had some luck with Java ferns and Amazon Compacta Swords. El Nino ferns are okay but they don't seem to like me and the Telanthra Cardinalis in Natal's tank is an intermediate plant.

I've heard mosses are fairly easy to care for if you can find them.


----------



## EndlesslySleepy

Crossroads said:


> EndlesslySleepy:
> If you are going to get fake plants make sure they are silk and have no metal bits. If you get real plants (which most agree is the best alternative), I've had some luck with Java ferns and Amazon Compacta Swords. El Nino ferns are okay but they don't seem to like me and the Telanthra Cardinalis in Natal's tank is an intermediate plant.
> 
> I've heard mosses are fairly easy to care for if you can find them.


Okay, great I definitely will try that. Thank you very much 

Any suggestions for ornaments?


----------



## Crossroads

I personally just ordered a WHOLE bunch of betta tubes from ricepaddyfish5 on the forums but if you aren't fond of the look of them, I'd try to get unpainted smooth decor. A lot of big name corporate stuff has been causing problems with chipping or bubbling paint or nasty plastic smells. I just had to remove both of Natal's decors for the white slime and chipping paint. A lot of people like rocks and driftwood because of how natural they are but you have to watch out for pine. It's poisonous to fish. A lot of people on here make their own as well.



> I got an ornament almost exactly like this (different plants) for my fish tank a week ago or so but I just added it today. I rinsed it but I didn't soak, should I have? Will this kill my new boy? He really likes it though, the holes are nice sizes and he can travel all through them like a tunnel system and peek out at me and make sure it's all clear before he can come out. Here it si, is it known to be toxic? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-X-Large-Wood-Aquarium-Ornament/16918648#Product+Reviews
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'd advise you to be extremely vigilant with that one, or just take it back to the store. I bought that exact decoration as well as a smaller version of it. Rinsed them thoroughly and checked for any damage/smells before putting them into my tanks, but within 24 hours they were both putting off very strong chemical fumes and one of my bettas was starting to get lethargic.
> 
> I've had the stupid things sitting in my bathroom for 3 weeks, trying to decide if I should attempt to reseal them, and they STILL stink.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> ****. I just bought this as a centerpiece for my new Betta's tank cause he currently doesn't have anything to hide in. I brought it home, immediately removed the fake plants because they were very pointy and rough. I then decided to rinse it in hot water, and after that the thing reeked. I decided maybe it was just because it was just out of the store and maybe it should soak for another hour. It still reeks.
> 
> 
> I'm glad this forum has a search function, because this is the first post I found when searching "walmart decorations", and it happened to include the exact piece I had questions about .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I actually went to walmart specifically looking for the "betta log" but they didn't have it. I thought this one was even cooler, but alas, it smells like gasoline mixed with burnt glad wrap or something.
Click to expand...

I just removed this one on account of white slime and icky smells.
Also removed







on account of white slime and chipping paint


----------



## EndlesslySleepy

Oh those betta tubes look great! Theyre so simple and a lot less suspicious looking than the brand name products. Unfortunately I'm not willing to trust myself with making my own items haha. Thank you for the tips they help so much


----------



## Crossroads

You're welcome  Glad to help


----------



## Agent13

ThAt branch with leaves and suction cups is not for being submerged .. Made for terrariums . I have 2.. In my 2 frilled dragon terrariums . 


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## Crossroads

I had it as a temporary leftover ornament (my corn snake outgrew it) but I found out quickly that it slimed my tank and removed it.

I didn't have much of the way of money and needed a temporary ornament to keep the tank from being completely bare. It was replaced by silk plants for now.


----------



## SkyDye

This is for some people who would like an example for the Beehive ornament, do not buy this item, it bubbles and chips in little as one week, took this out of my little cousins tank:

How it looks when you put it in:










How it looks after a week:




























mg:


----------



## Crossroads

Jeeze TyeDye, if I didn't know better I'd swear you stuck that thing in acid


----------



## SkyDye

I would have thought so too LOL it's now in the trash can where it belongs  My poor little cousin didn't know any better lol she thought it was normal. :lol:


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## Bailmint

Yes I had that item! It bubbled and chipped.


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## mart

Another prime example of why I keep saying Top Fin makes trash. And that's the only place their products belong.


----------



## MikeG14

FYI, Did you know that betta hammocks are painted green and not molded in color? 

I was doing my weekly water change and took it out to give it a quick cleaning in the water that just came out of my tank and noticed that the green paint was peeling away. It's been in my tank for 3 months. Last week I chucked his Betta log for the same reason.


----------



## manami

I don't know if you all have seen the pretty little *red asian bridge* in the betta section from *PetSmart*, but that bridge started to bubble and chips the paint. I'm so disappointed that petshops sells these ornaments as "safe" for fish and they end up messing up the tank and the fish. 

So far I have an older bridge (rome style?) from my previous betta and it's still good to use in the tank.


----------



## kjg1029

this is why I stick to homade hides, tunnels decorations ect. I can't stand the thought of putting something that's pretty in my tank only to find out is killing my fish!!!...they shouldn't even b able to sell that's type of stuff


----------



## birdielikestomatoes

This is a great thread. I've contemplated buying a few things that I've seen on this list. I'm glad I didn't!


----------



## Bailmint

Yeah, I've pretty much switched over to homemade mesh and/or the ornaments that I know AREN'T dangerous.


----------



## BettaStarter24

These are pretty safe from what I can tell, it seems they could potentially have some rough edges in the openings but I think if you sand it or put sealant around it to smooth them it'd be okay. My boys love these. 









The purple flower cave.


----------



## Bailmint

Ahhh I have 2 of those, they're good.


----------



## DoryAndNemo

What are those flower caves? Does Petsmart carry them?


----------



## SkyDye

I have 2 of the flowercaves as well, A pink and an Orange 

They are from Petco.


----------



## TripleChrome

This a great thread. When I got Leo, I was questioning myself if I should get the beehive for him, but ended up not, as my friend who raised bettas before said that the paint bubbles and chips. So I found a cute palm tree set up with a string in the middle, that I cut off when I got home. I have had it for almost two months. No problems at all, and it is by TopFin. My friend helped me pick everything out. I will post a link to the decoration.

http://www.petsmart.com/supplies/or...36-catid-300071?var_id=36-17709&_t=pfm=search

I also have the leaf hammock by ZooMed and no problems yet.


----------



## Alaura123

That's strange, I have a purple flower cave, but after my boy started getting his scales torn off, I took it out, it was the only decoration in there, but Im starting to think that it was just because there wasn't enough space in the .5 gal. and he probably had to squeeze through spaces, but he is in a bigger tank so should I put it back in for him? it did have a sharp edge somewhere, or in a few places.

His scales still haven't completely healed


----------



## Plakattyphoon1234

Beware of petsmart amazon silk sword plants. Sometimes, the fibers can sort of hang away, causing a choking hazard.


----------



## TripleChrome

TripleChrome said:


> This a great thread. When I got Leo, I was questioning myself if I should get the beehive for him, but ended up not, as my friend who raised bettas before said that the paint bubbles and chips. So I found a cute palm tree set up with a string in the middle, that I cut off when I got home. I have had it for almost two months. No problems at all, and it is by TopFin. My friend helped me pick everything out. I will post a link to the decoration.
> 
> http://www.petsmart.com/supplies/or...36-catid-300071?var_id=36-17709&_t=pfm=search
> 
> I also have the leaf hammock by ZooMed and no problems yet.




I should have never said that about the betta bed leaf hammock. I was cleaning my betta Leo's tank, and then the betta bed just came apart. I have no idea why.


----------



## Bailmint

Did you take the wire out of the leaf hammock btw?


----------



## TripleChrome

I don't think mine had a wire. I bent it and it didn't stay bent. It went right back into shape. This was the day I got it I checked if it was wire.


----------



## ArcticBeauty14

Unthinkingly, my Best friend just bought me and herself the leaf hammock for when she comes to town for my birthday. 
How does it gut the fish? She's convinced there's no metal wire in it, but I do NOT want to take the chance of my VeilTail being gutted. Or her CrownTail. 
:-(


----------



## Bailmint

Sometimes there's a metal wire in the leaf. Bend the leaf and if it stays, it's got a wire. If not-it does not have a wire. If there's a wire-just remove it and you'll be good to go. Mine had one and I removed the wire, it's just fine now.


----------



## Jonthefish

http://t.petco.com/product/120239/Petco-Ruins-Collection-Broken-Jug-Aquarium-Ornament.aspx?CoreCat=RecentlyViewed-_-Product_3

Does anyone have this ornament ? I really want one to change the look of Jon's tank , ideas ? It looks safe .


----------



## Alaura123

Jonthefish said:


> http://t.petco.com/product/120239/P...ament.aspx?CoreCat=RecentlyViewed-_-Product_3
> 
> Does anyone have this ornament ? I really want one to change the look of Jon's tank , ideas ? It looks safe .


 Yeah I have seen that ornament at Petco, and my mom was about to buy it, but we found a different setup, and it doesn't look threatening at all, I felt it for sharp and jagged edges, and there really weren't any, I don't think there is any paint that would chip, or bubble or smell, its actually kind of like a drinking mug, same materials. (probably)


----------



## MiniMango101

I personally do not buy things from stores where they sell fish as well. I may just be extremely paranoid (or obsessed with my fish) but it seems like they want our fish to die so we buy another from them.


----------



## Jonthefish

Alaura123 said:


> Yeah I have seen that ornament at Petco, and my mom was about to buy it, but we found a different setup, and it doesn't look threatening at all, I felt it for sharp and jagged edges, and there really weren't any, I don't think there is any paint that would chip, or bubble or smell, its actually kind of like a drinking mug, same materials. (probably)



That's awesome news ! How big would you say it is ?


----------



## Alaura123

I would say that it is..... a little less than the size of that log in your tank


----------



## ArcticBeauty14

Bailmint said:


> Sometimes there's a metal wire in the leaf. Bend the leaf and if it stays, it's got a wire. If not-it does not have a wire. If there's a wire-just remove it and you'll be good to go. Mine had one and I removed the wire, it's just fine now.


Okay, thanks, I'll tell her to see!


----------



## Aeon

Cari said:


> I owe this thread a huge thank-you...
> 
> I had two betta leaf hammocks in my tank...one had the wire and one didn't, the one with the wire was starting to rust and I hadn't even noticed it. I threw it out. Who knows what harm that could have done.
> 
> I also had the plant on the left:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I took out the wire just now. Wasn't rusted, thank goodness. I put the plant back together just fine without it, which leaves me to wonder...why do these companies even bother to use wire when the plant works just fine without it? :roll: unless your betta is a huge monster and insists on ramming into it, the plant doesn't need a wire in it to stay stable.
> 
> Now after reading this thread, I'm really worried about two of the new decorations I bought for Flareon...the pink trees here. I haven't noticed anything yet, and the stems of the flowers(?) don't have any wire, and Flareon seems to like swimming on top of them and his fins look fine...but I guess I will have to check for any paint peeling.




i have that tree and tore off all the flowers cuz they were hard plastic


----------



## VivianKJean

*Anyone have this decor?*

I bought this today at Petsmart. Its by Topfin (yes, I know I'm taking a risk but I saved the receipt and tag so I can return it if needed).

The current decor (minus the silk plants) are 15 years old and I've never had any issues with them. A few months ago I bought some rock thing from petco, soaked it for 48 hours and it paint was peeling and it REEKED so I've kinda avoided all store bought decor since.

However, I really liked the look of this and one of my tanks needs some type of cave. 

its currently soaking in a bucket of old tank water and I'm going to leave it in there for at least 2 weeks.

However, I was wondering if anyone else has this and can tell me if it is safe or not.

Thanks!


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## ZippetyDoo

Has anyone ever had problems with these decorations? I'm looking for a hiding spot for African dwarf frogs.
http://t.petco.com/product/121411/Petco-Rock-Cave-Aquarium-Ornament.aspx
http://t.petco.com/product/121022/RockGarden-Resin-Driftwood-Pinnacle-with-Plants.aspx


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## TripleChrome

ZippetyDoo said:


> Has anyone ever had problems with these decorations? I'm looking for a hiding spot for African dwarf frogs.
> http://t.petco.com/product/121411/Petco-Rock-Cave-Aquarium-Ornament.aspx
> http://t.petco.com/product/121022/RockGarden-Resin-Driftwood-Pinnacle-with-Plants.aspx



I highly recommend just plastic, real or silk plants for ADF's and small Terracotta pots (I have raised ADF's for over a year now). I am not sure about those hideaways, but the plants and pots are what I have always used for them.


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## ZippetyDoo

TripleChrome said:


> I highly recommend just plastic, real or silk plants for ADF's and small Terracotta pots (I have raised ADF's for over a year now). I am not sure about those hideaways, but the plants and pots are what I have always used for them.


I have three silk plants in the tank already and planned on getting a few more. I was shopping for a premade cave because the PVC pipe cave I was trying to make ended up looking really ugly and I didn't know if I still wanted to use it. Also, has anyone ever bought this stone bridge from Petsmart? It looks really cool, but I'm hesitant to buy it...
http://www.petsmart.com/fish/orname...d36-17466/cat-36-catid-300071?var_id=36-17466


----------



## TripleChrome

I have posted this before,but I am posting again for the people who haven't seen me post this a few pages back.

http://www.petsmart.com/supplies/or...36-catid-300071?var_id=36-17709&_t=pfm=search

I have this for my betta Leo, and just went back a few weeks ago to get one for each of my African Dwarf frogs homes. Four of them. The frogs love to sit up in the canopy of leaves the trees make, and Leo loves to lay in the leaves, and it is safer than a betta bed with the wire. (My frogs are all separate from each other and my bettas). 

The only thing about this is it has a string in the middle with laundry ornaments on it. Just cut that off and throw the string away, but you can keep the ornaments for something else. 

Overall, this is something that TopFin has made that has never chipped, stunk or had slime on it.


----------



## Aeon

does anyone know of any spray sealant or something I could brush on in order to take regular ortanments (sry I just cant spell) fish safe??????


----------



## SabastiansMom

SweetCheeksMum said:


> This is a great idea to have this list, I would have added this sooner if I knew it was here.
> Paint peals off this betta log after a few weeks....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I took this picture when I noticed it and sure enough it was all threw the rocks when I cleaned the tank right after snapping this picture. And it was to late for Vincent
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I also wanted to add my experience with the pineapple and squidwards house... I have both in my sons tank. I've had them in there since early November and they have been fine. No pealing, no weird smell, no slime. They must have fixed their issue? The only thing I had to do was file around the holes a little to get rid of a few sharp edges.


I too have the betta log that you have and mine is fine as well. Wanted something for Nick to hide in and instead he curls up behind the intake tube and stays there. He can get off of it by himself but he just likes it there.


----------



## Reccka

Doting Mama said:


> I bought the short orange one from Petco for my boy. It is quite sharp on the inside but figured if it passed the soak test I would try to sand that down some. It did not pass. I soaked it in some water for 2 days, checked it today and there was an oily swirl in the water and a bunch of paint chips were floating around it. It went right in the garbage!


Sorry for nerco'ing here, but I just wanted to emphasize how bad these towers are too. I got suckered into buying them from Petco on clearance. I bought a taller brown one and a short orange one. The taller brown one started leeching chemicals into my tank. My betta started acting strangely and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was this piece of junk. It's now going into the trash where it belongs. It made an oily swirl on the top of my water and turned my naturak colored sand black! So mad they're allowed to sell this junk.


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## Magickarp05

I was thinking of getting a few of these ornaments for my tank later on. They're made by Penn Plax. Does anyone know whether or not I should avoid them?


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## VivianKJean

Magickarp05 said:


> I was thinking of getting a few of these ornaments for my tank later on. They're made by Penn Plax. Does anyone know whether or not I should avoid them?


if they aren't made for aquariums, do not put them in aquariums.


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## Magickarp05

VivianKJean said:


> if they aren't made for aquariums, do not put them in aquariums.


They are made for aquariums. They were on sale near the aquarium section at my local Petco because of the popularity generated by the new series. I'm huge nerd and would love to have them, but if they could hurt the fish then I'd rather just move on and find some other decor.


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## Crossroads

Pennplax is known for dangerous ornaments...however you might soak one in a bucket for a while if it doesn't stink, chip, give off slime or an oily residue(seen at the top of the water), cloud the water or bubble you should be okay. All of these are signs of dangerous ornaments. Also make sure they are smooth and fin safe. If it passes those tests it should be okay. Keep an eye on it though. If not you can use them as external decorations around the tank


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## Magickarp05

Crossroads said:


> Pennplax is known for dangerous ornaments...however you might soak one in a bucket for a while if it doesn't stink, chip, give off slime or an oily residue(seen at the top of the water), cloud the water or bubble you should be okay. All of these are signs of dangerous ornaments. Also make sure they are smooth and fin safe. If it passes those tests it should be okay. Keep an eye on it though. If not you can use them as external decorations around the tank


Thanks for the awesome tips. Aside from a few goldfish I had as a kid (that my parents took care of), I am completely new to the world of fish care, but have always wanted a betta fish. So I really appreciate all the helpful advice. I will be sure to give these things a try to see if they are safe for my future fishy friend because I really think they would be cool to have in the tank. If it doesn't work out, then at least I'll still have the ornaments. 
Thanks again


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## FlareTheFish

So I had this thing in my tank for 8 hours before I noticed this terrible burning paint smell (I had left the house for a while). ICK! Took it out right away! Should I do a water change just in case? If so, how much? Or is it ok? Funny thing is, my Betta never even went near that thing. I figured at first it was just because he wasn't used to it, but now I think I know the real reason why!


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## Reccka

I'd do a full water change for safety. Horrible that they sell these things to unsuspecting people who just want some nice ornaments for their pets.


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## Gandalf15

Tree said:


> I had one of these in my tanks and my fish died. It made my tank smell really bad too. Not sure if it was because my first fish was sick already when I got him or it was this thing. =(
> 
> I want to show you all this one:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I could not find the same one. But it's the tall temple that has the small opening at the very top. This one killed my beloved Johny Bravo. =( He got stuck at the very top and I found him trying to get out. I freed him and this is what happened:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> He died two days later. I tried to save him with meds but to no avail. =(


First of all, I'm so sorry for the loss.
I know this was 2 years ago.
I have that exact one, and there is a hole to inside the building, which leads down to the hollow base. My fish keep going into it. I have filled up the holes now but still


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## Bailmint

Wow, I forgot about this thread.


----------



## SplashyBetta

The paint bubbled and peeled on this hippo ornament. I found this out after inspecting Blueberry's entire tank when I found him laying on his side at the top of the water, gasping. 
It has now been downgraded to a paper weight on my desk ;-)


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## Bailmint

*"Downgraded"* xD


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## DangerousAngel

bettalover2000 said:


> I have heard multiple accounts of this having a metal wire in it that will GUT their fish if they lay on it. I've obviously never bought it.


I've actually had no problems with mine. I inspected them when I opened them from the package and nothing was wrong. My Bettas just don't use them.


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## Bailmint

They've recently been making them without the wire, but cautioning people is still important, as it doesn't mean they're all safe just yet.


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## VivianKJean

the wire is also super easy to remove so if you happen to buy on with a metal wire then you can easily make it safe for your fish


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## bubbles4ever

The paint on this chips off like crazy. They also make an elephant that looks exactly the same, so I'm assuming it's not safe either. Made by Topfin & sold at Petsmart


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## Bailmint

Haha, my frozen yogurt place uses that by their cash register for decoration.


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## bubbles4ever

Bailmint said:


> Haha, my frozen yogurt place uses that by their cash register for decoration.


Haha! Yeah I use it as a decoration in my room now. It looks more "rustic" with the paint chipped of :lol:


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## BettaStarter24

bubbles4ever said:


> The paint on this chips off like crazy. They also make an elephant that looks exactly the same, so I'm assuming it's not safe either. Made by Topfin & sold at Petsmart


The elephant is not safe either, a friend had it in her tank and the paint chipped.


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## DangerousAngel

Bailmint said:


> They've recently been making them without the wire, but cautioning people is still important, as it doesn't mean they're all safe just yet.


Ahh ok. I don't think mine have wires in them, but I'll check just in case.


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## AukWord

bubbles4ever said:


> The paint on this chips off like crazy. They also make an elephant that looks exactly the same, so I'm assuming it's not safe either. Made by Topfin & sold at Petsmart


Bit fat ditto on this.

I bought one a few years ago, against my better judgement, just because I loved this thing.

I didn't return it, as it now is an ornament in one of my flower gardens, but I did ask to speak to management at Petsmart, and alerted them to the problem and was met with a big sowhatwhocaresnotmyproblemandnotsureIevenbelieveyou kind of look and attitude.

We need a Consumer Reports for pet items, badly.

I don't put _any_ ornaments in my tanks now, unless I _know_ they are inert (glass or similar) or they are live plants and safe rocks, etc.


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## BettaBoy11

I've had no problem with the Leaf Bed either, but we did have the Betta Floating log, and our fish's fins got ripped shortly after we put it in. Also some paint flecks came off and with a strong filter current the log floated around dangerously fast! Has anyone else have these problems?


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## bubbles4ever

BettaBoy11 said:


> I've had no problem with the Leaf Bed either, but we did have the Betta Floating log, and our fish's fins got ripped shortly after we put it in. Also some paint flecks came off and with a strong filter current the log floated around dangerously fast! Has anyone else have these problems?


I have seen quite a few people have problems with the paint flaking off. If you baffle the current though, it should slow down the log.


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## Anne713

The first floating log I had started to chip. I emailed the company and they sent me another. It did the same thing. My guy loved it but I didn't want to risk it so they got trashed. He now has a betta tube and he seems to love it just as much and I know its safe.


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## AukWord

Anyone ever have issues with using marbles not specifically labeled for aquarium use?

I often use those flat, decorative marbles in Betta set-ups, as they are super easy to clean, and I do a lot of water changes.

Buying them labeled for fish tanks, I've never had an issue, but buying them labeled as "decorative fillers" I've also--prior to this--never had an issue.

Of course I check to make sure there isn't a coating or any paint whatsoever, just plain glass marbles.

I'm trying to track down an elusive oily film on one guy's tank surface, though, and the only things in there are those new decorative marbles and a couple live plants.

I have some of the same marbles soaking in water overnight, want to see if there is a film on the surface of THAT water in the AM.


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## BettaBoy11

Our betta liked the floating log too, but we had to take it out.


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## AukWord

It was indeed the marbles.

Sigh. I should have known--they were made in China.

Plain glass, and China still managed to mess it up and make them toxic.


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## DangerousAngel

AukWord said:


> Anyone ever have issues with using marbles not specifically labeled for aquarium use?
> 
> I often use those flat, decorative marbles in Betta set-ups, as they are super easy to clean, and I do a lot of water changes.
> 
> Buying them labeled for fish tanks, I've never had an issue, but buying them labeled as "decorative fillers" I've also--prior to this--never had an issue.
> 
> Of course I check to make sure there isn't a coating or any paint whatsoever, just plain glass marbles.
> *
> I'm trying to track down an elusive oily film on one guy's tank surface, though, and the only things in there are those new decorative marbles and a couple live plants.*
> 
> I have some of the same marbles soaking in water overnight, want to see if there is a film on the surface of THAT water in the AM.


It's funny you should mention that. I had some of those marbles in Dangerous' tank and after a little while I noticed a oily film at the top, I thought it was just his slime coat but when I did my next water change I decided to leave them out, and alas the oil went away.


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## tuxthebetta

I got this online from Amazon (brand is Exotic Environments) -- some people say in the reviews that theirs started to smell like paint after awhile, but I didn't have that issue. I DID, however, have a white slime growing on it after about 2 weeks (I didn't clean it first before putting it in the tank) -- I took it out and doused it in a bleach solution, rinsed, and now it's fine. I pulled off the fake plants.


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## Zippy2014

Now I'm concerned after reading some of these problems. I have a Betta Hammock and have never had any issues. I do check it regularly since it's washed a lot so if the wire were sticking out I would throw it away. I would have to replace it though because they like those leaf hammocks. 

I'm concerned now about some gravel I bought which I didn't realize until later that it is coated. I was weary when I realize but then figured it must be ok if it's for the fish. Right ?

After reading these I think it should replace it with new gravel during the next water change.


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## VivianKJean

You can pull the wire out of the leaf hammock and still use it. Just take some pliers and pull it out. Its super easy. 

if your fish are not acting strangely then the gravel is fine.


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## Zippy2014

Thanks everyone for posting on this thread. It was really helpful when I was shopping at the aquarium store. I would have been tempted to buy some of these items ( I saw so many of them there ) if I hadn't read this info. 

Very helpful


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## manami

Has anyone had trouble with this ornament tree roots from Top Fin?


The medium size root:
http://m.petsmart.com/h5/hub?id=sup...d36-17662/cat-36-catid-300071?var_id=36-17662

and and the large size root (not the extra large one):
http://m.petsmart.com/h5/hub?id=sup...d36-17662/cat-36-catid-300071?var_id=36-17662

I want to buy both or just one (dont know which size) for my 40 gallon community tank and I will be adding bottom fish like panda cories and kuhli loaches. I was wondering if anyone have or had these "tree roots" before and had no problem with fish getting injured by it?

Also, does the paint peel off over time?


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## loveaBetta

i got mine from Drs fosters & smith 2 years ago no peeling just as good as ever beta never gotten stuck hope the link works some ware i have a pic of the 10g tank
the one I got is the Medium Smooth Bark Tree (Mfg# 90204)

www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+6635+18456&pcatid=18456


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## manami

That one looks nice! But don't know if I'll want to buy from them again...we'll see XD.


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## loveaBetta

im been with first TFS 2001 / now the DFS , i get mostly my ferret supplies from them but i do see something i need for Betta,fish or frogs i do order add to bag signature series ferret food


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## manami

Ok. Thank you! = )


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## loveaBetta

welcome....


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## themamaj

BettaPrincess13 said:


> http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12196461
> 
> *Top Fin Red Betta Bridge*
> 
> I loved this bridge and so did Carl but after a month of having it i noticed the paint was bubbling up. I just did a water change this morning and I decided to take it out and see if it was something I should just toss. Yep when I took it out I noticed paint had chipped off into my tank. I tossed it. it didn't smell like paint but it just didn't look like something safe for my tank. I loved this bridge but its not worth my fishes health. I saw another bridge I might look into buying and hopefully it won't be a disappointment. I really liked this ornament :/
> 
> anyone have this bridge that knows if this is a good ornament to put in my tank? it looks like a nice bridge without a lot of paint that might be safer than the red one I had
> 
> http://www.petco.com/product/114630/Blue-Ribbon-Blue-Stone-Bridge-Aquarium-Ornament.aspx


I have had the red bridge for about a month. So far I havent had any issues but glad you posted so I can watch for that. I hope it holds out because my veil tail loves it so much


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## themamaj

eleventytwelve said:


> The fake plants on this thing tore up my halfmoon's tail and fins... I've since removed the plant part of the decor and replaced them with real ones.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.petco.com/product/112187/Petco-Asian-Gazebo-Aquatic-Décor.aspx
> 
> There are also small holes in the rocks that my betta used to swim through but I was a little worried he would scrape himself so I filled them with java moss.



I have looked at this ornament and liked it but like you thought about removing plastic plants. Other than that is it a safe ornament if edges are sanded through openings


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## mrsxinu

So, now that I've seen just about every ornament I was thinking of getting for my new tank in here as problematic - can anyone recommend what is safe or you haven't had problems with? Or could someone point me to a thread that discusses that? I have searched but haven't come up with anything.


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## VivianKJean

Natural decor is always good. Driftwood is safe. Just boil it so you can get the tannins out. 

also a terra cotta pot is a good choice - just make sure that you either plug up the small hole at the bottom or just knock out the bottom completely so your betta doesn't get stick. 

silk plants are also always good. Petco sells a pack of 3 for 10 dollars. 

if you do want to buy any sort of manufactured decor and you aren't sure it is safe - soak it in a bucket of tank water for at least 3-4 weeks. Check the decor every few days for paint peeling or bubbling or cracking. Also check to make sure the decor doesn't smell like chemicals. Petco and Petsmart have a 30 day return policy. So if you buy something and realize it isn't safe then you can just return it.


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## themamaj

mrsxinu said:


> So, now that I've seen just about every ornament I was thinking of getting for my new tank in here as problematic - can anyone recommend what is safe or you haven't had problems with? Or could someone point me to a thread that discusses that? I have searched but haven't come up with anything.


Yes I would love to see a safe list as well


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## thepapillon

Just pulled three hammocks (two were rusting), and two 'hide' decorations from Petco or Petsmart (one was losing paint, and the other smelled like chemicals) All of these have only been in tanks for a max of 4 weeks. Disappointing. Wish I had saved the receipts.  

I also have two betta logs. One large one and one small one. My guys LOVE them. So far, they haven't been an issue. I did notice when I do a water change they tend to feel a little slimy. I guess I'll be saying goodbye to those soon too. (they are expensive!)

Someone on this forum posted a picture of their tank and had the plastic elbow from a hamster toy (forms a loop or whatever shape you want.) I recently bought that and have it in one tank. The betta uses it some. Do you think that's safe?


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## Elleth

thepapillon said:


> Someone on this forum posted a picture of their tank and had the plastic elbow from a hamster toy (forms a loop or whatever shape you want.) I recently bought that and have it in one tank. The betta uses it some. Do you think that's safe?


Yup! I use hamster tunnels in pretty much all my tanks. Never had any problems, it should be fine.


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## loveaBetta

i posted above drs fosters and smith has a med smooth tree bark I'm had no trouble with it in my 10 gallon i aso go a cave from DFS http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...6&pcatid=18456


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## Jaclynn

I had this ornament in my tank, and after a few weeks I noticed my fish wasn't doing well. My tank had a high level of ammonia and I noticed around the same time that the paint had started coming off. I'm not sure if there's a correlation or if it was just coincidence. Fizz is doing so much better now that I don't have this in his tank anymore. 

Original


After I removed it from his tank _(click to view larger image)_


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## BeautifulWarriors

I just bought this small barrel made by Aqua One as a nice hiding spot for Ponyo. I noticed it had a fair few sharp edges so I filed them and gave it a good clean before I put it in his tank. Will let everyone know if I have any other issues with it.


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## manami

Has anyone had good/bad experience with this root ornament from petsmart? (Top Fin brand)

So far I have no accidents, but it worries me whoever decides to enter the big hole it has above.


----------



## LittleStar

Oh my gawd that is awful! The pet store should have to take it back and they should have to reimburse for any lost fish. I only use glass and plastic in my tank because I just don't trust anything else.


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## Marigan

manami said:


> Has anyone had good/bad experience with this root ornament from petsmart? (Top Fin brand)
> 
> So far I have no accidents, but it worries me whoever decides to enter the big hole it has above.


My boyfriend was looking at that with me yesterday. He had an idea of having it turned upside down which is kinda weird. I suggested to shove a moss ball into it if he does buy one.

I'll be sure to keep an eye on both our tanks once he's got his finished. 

Great thread!!:thumbsup:


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## VivianKJean

Top Fin as a brand has a reputation of making decor that isn't safe for fish. 

In general, when you buy manufactured decor you should soak it in a bucket of conditioned water for at least 3-4 weeks. Check the decor every few days and see if the paint is peeling, bubbling, cracking, flacking off and check to see if it smells like chemicals. Most stores allow you to return thing within 30 days of purchase so save your receipt. If after 30 days everything is fine then you can put it in the tank.


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## allied123

I have a large one of those fake tree things and it has a giant hole in the top and bottom, I definitely don't suggest a moss ball as it would rot however I fixed mine by sticking filter sponge in both sides, I've had it for a while though and it does smell....other than that it seems okay


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## Shortnsweet

So I had this Glofish brand clam ornament in my tank and never really noticed any paint changes or smells. Yet when I went to clean out my tank (a snail died) I noticed a strong smell that wasn't dead snail and go figure - it was paint. I took this out and there was bubbling on the inner pearl (I never noticed it!). When I ran a fingernail it chipped off. So into the trash it went!


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## VivianKJean

allied123 said:


> I have a large one of those fake tree things and it has a giant hole in the top and bottom, I definitely don't suggest a moss ball as it would rot however I fixed mine by sticking filter sponge in both sides, I've had it for a while though and it does smell....other than that it seems okay


Moss balls are actually impossible to kill unless you have serious water quality problems. You just have to make sure you turn it/roll it over very couple of weeks.


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## allied123

I agree they're pretty hard to kill but stuffing one inside of an ornament seems like a terrible idea? Unless you took it out every couple weeks and rolled it around? I realize they don't see a lot of light at the bottom of the lakes it would seem like a bad idea to compact them and put them inside of a dark ornament. Maybe I'm wrong but sponges are super cheap, way cheaper than moss balls and couldn't rot so personally I feel like they're the better option...


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## drvonocto

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet but I bought a Zoo Med ceramic log. 

I don't have fish in my aquarium yet (not for another day or two), but I bought that log and had it sitting in the tank. I had cleaned it before putting it in but I took it out to check on it. I rubbed the inside with a couple fingers and they came back slightly streaked brown from the paint. Sharp edges inside the log too. Really glad I took it out before I got the fish. 

I'm getting a couple floating live plants and a rock next time I go hunting for decor.


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## Kisiel

I found that moss balls will turn brown in extremely low pH ^^

Personally I don't use any unnatural decor (only plants, wood and rocks) but I found this cute little snail in Poundland and got it for my sister's betta-to-be. Anyone tried it out?


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## Toshi

I have had 2 leaf hammocks for my betta's and each time the suction cup seems to have some kind of white stuff come off it, and the leaf part has peeled away as well. Has anyone else had this problem?


----------



## NickAu

I know I am going to cause a issue when I say this.

No artificial ornament or plant belongs in a fishtank, Try using live plants rocks and bog wood.


----------



## xStatic

I stumbled across a post on tumblr that someone made about this aquarium deteriorating in their tank and causing an unpleasant chemical small. They even mentioned that it seemed to be negatively affecting their betta. 

Well you may know that I have been majorly struggling with some crazy possible infection or reaction with my kind betta. His whole lower jaw developed a cyst or a inflamed bump that led to what looked like a flesh eating infection of some sort. I've been trying so hard to keep him alive. 

When I saw this post I pulled this ornament out of my tank and realized that it was literally disintegrating in the tank. Not only did the clear outer sealant layer flake off in pieces but the plastic material of the ornament was dissolving and crumbling away. I've had this ornament less than two months. After taking out the ornament and performing a huge water change I noticed an almost immediate improvement in my bettas behavior. Of course his mouth is still hugely impacted by whatever injury or infection we're dealing with, but he's no longer sitting on the bottom/floating/or getting stuck against the filter intake (filter has been turned off).

Bottom line, this ornament is not aquariums safe. It can not hold up in a heated aquarium setting, and in my opinion it should be removed from all tanks ASAP before it is too late.


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## PutYourBestFinForward

I had a leaf hammock, and my fish seemed fine with it.


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## BettaBoy11

PutYourBestFinForward said:


> I had a leaf hammock, and my fish seemed fine with it.


+1 
A little bit of rust won't hurt a fish, but if it starts rusting, remove it ASAP.
I use a leaf hammock too, with no ill results.


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## LizardTheGreat

I once bought a duck aquarium decoration from Walmart. I was skeptical about putting things from Walmart into my fish tank, so I soaked it in a clean cup of water for a few days. Sure enough, a few days later there was this white/clearish slime all over the duck and the cup. I'm bummed because that was the only duck ornament I had found


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## WyomingBettaGirl

Word of Wise if you have Cholla, Make sure you have the end plugged. One of my boys got stuck in his for God knows how long, and I had to break the wood to get him out. He was badly scraped and his fins are completely shredded.


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## WyomingBettaGirl

Also, seeing people complain of rust from the betta hammocks, Take the leaf from the suction cup, and with a pair of needle nose pliers, snip the end that goes into the suction cup off, use the pliers to pull the wire out, and you're good to go. Leaf is still sturdy enough to hold a betta.


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## RussellTheShihTzu

Cholla is dangerous in the same way heaters, filters, other types of driftwood, gravel or plants are dangerous. Yes, people have reported their Betta being tangled in live plants or chokingt on gravel. No matter what we put in our aquariums accidents can happen.

I sell Cholla and have used it in my aquariums for 10+ years. I hate seeing it labeled a "Dangerous Ornament" when it is not. Just my 2 cents.


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## NickAu

> I hate seeing it labeled a "Dangerous Ornament" when it is not.


Agreed.

Heres the best betta bed in the world.

Take one of these
*10pcs Clear Aquarium Plastic Fish Tank Suction Cup Air Line Pipe Pump Tube Clip*


and add one of these
*Live Aquarium Aquatic Fish Tank Plant Anubias Nana*


stick the plant in the ring and attach to side of tank, Simple huh?


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## WyomingBettaGirl

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> I sell Cholla and have used it in my aquariums for 10+ years. I hate seeing it labeled a "Dangerous Ornament" when it is not. Just my 2 cents.


I was asked to post it here, and I understand accidents happen. I was asked to post it here so others know of the possibility of the accident and how to prevent it as best as possible, besides just not having it in a tank. I love the look of the Cholla and I'm keeping it in my tanks, just with the ends plugged so no more fish trying to swim through it unless it's a 3" or more opening.


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## Anne713

What is the best way to plug cholla? I've been interested in buying some when RussellTheShihTzu starts selling. Could I stuff some moss in there or would it die?


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## WyomingBettaGirl

Small Aquarium safe rock or a small piece of the cholla broken off and wedged in the opening so the betta cant fit  Haven't tried moss, Java Moss would probably work, but not a marimo ball.


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## esun1993

I took the picture thinking it was a funny sleeping pose and later realized he was stuck 

He's had this cave for 2 years and he's never gotten stuck before - but bettas are quite adventurous and I guess he just decided to try out the smaller holes...


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## ThatFishThough

:0 ouch!


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## Dargent

esun1993 said:


> I took the picture thinking it was a funny sleeping pose and later realized he was stuck
> 
> He's had this cave for 2 years and he's never gotten stuck before - but bettas are quite adventurous and I guess he just decided to try out the smaller holes...


Is he ok?


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## themamaj

Anne713 said:


> What is the best way to plug cholla? I've been interested in buying some when RussellTheShihTzu starts selling. Could I stuff some moss in there or would it die?


You don't need to plug cholla. I have it in several of my tanks and have had it with baby bettas as well. I have never had any issues. It is perfect for shrimp or crays if you have them in your tank as provides a great hide for them while molting. Many times you can place at least one of the holes down in the substrate or place a plant or java moss is great to put in front of the hole if your fish is small and concerned about them. Another idea is to place rock around the edges. I have done that for decorative purposes and to help weight the wood down initially, but it would also hide the opening. Cholla is one of my favorite things to aquascape with. My bettas love it and I don't have to worry about ripping fins as with some other wood. The real danger for me is liking it so much I want to order more  Here are a couple of examples of mine. One with rock by opening and y piece in larger tank ends face down naturally. Hope that helps.


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## allied123

I haven't personally done this with cholla but I have done it with weird pieces of driftwood, just a warning.

I personally will take aquarium sponge, like what you put in the filter, and squish it into the sharp edges or whatever weird hole the wood happens to have. It seems to stay put and it doesn't rot or anything like moss could but you could put a rubber band or fishing line around it to secure it.


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## esun1993

Dargent said:


> Is he ok?


Yep he's recovering!! The first day after was really bad because he wasn't moving or eating, but the next day he got better and afterwards he has started to heal pretty fast. The wound is still there but it's healing and he's acting more like his normal self now


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## BettaStarter24

manami said:


> Has anyone had good/bad experience with this root ornament from petsmart? (Top Fin brand)
> 
> So far I have no accidents, but it worries me whoever decides to enter the big hole it has above.


My roommate had this in her tank and it started smelling like paint thinners and leeching. Just a warning


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## Dargent

esun1993 said:


> Yep he's recovering!! The first day after was really bad because he wasn't moving or eating, but the next day he got better and afterwards he has started to heal pretty fast. The wound is still there but it's healing and he's acting more like his normal self now


That is great news! Did you add any meds to the tank?


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## LittleStar

A few posts back someone posted that their betta got stuck in their cholla and was badly injured. It can happen, and that person suggested plugging holes in the cholla as a result. After seeing the post of the Betta getting stuck in this other decoration today for me the lesson learned is to plug any hole if it doesn't appear your Betta can get in and out easily. I've actually removed an item from my own collection as a result of the posts here - better safe now than sorry later.

Thanks to all for sharing.


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## WyomingBettaGirl

So Nimbus got stuck in his Cholla today. didn't get hurt like Peyton, Nimbus only lost like a few scales, but I'm about ready to get rid of this Cholla. So I know, "accidents happen" blah blah blah, but still, for the sake of your fin babies, PLEASE be careful with the openings in Cholla.


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## WyomingBettaGirl

Just to clarify, No, I didn't buy my Cholla from Russel. Please don't blame her for this, as the pieces she sells are bigger than the ones I got.
Mine are 2 of these, supposedly good for smaller aquariums, as they're 5-7 inches long.


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## RussellTheShihTzu

Thank you for the clarification that the Cholla didn't come from me.

A silicone plug or even a bit of filter floss should render those safe to use. It's not something anyone would think about ahead of time. Don't be too hard on yourself.


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## WyomingBettaGirl

I just used the alder cones I got with the Cholla to plug it. Nimbus goes over and "boops" it, but they havent budged yet, fingers crossed, untill i can get some filter floss.


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## LittleStar

To clarify as well I was just talking about cholla and all ornaments that a fish can get stuck in in general and not a specific brand or seller. This thread is just for that purpose, because we wouldn't think something could happen but it did. We shouldn't be hard on ourselves or others as we are all learning something new. I'm sorry Nimbus got stuck too, WyomingBettaGirl and hope he heals quickly. Again thank you for letting us know.


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## BettaStarter24

I'm gonna add this just because this seems to be the best place for it. 

Aqueon heaters. At least the ones being sold now. I've had an experience with a preset 50W that almost killed Smaug my late red VT. My roommate hannat, had a 50W adjustable Aqueon that killed two of her fish, we know it was the heater because that was literally the ONLY thing that differed in care between the fish we have. 

I've also now seen two different people have their fish become lethargic and clamped and sick after the addition of Aqueon heaters.


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## PiratePupTN

What I am seeing from all the input is that "Top Fin" and "Penn-Plax" Have bad, mostly unsafe decor options. So are there any brands that have good options?


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## LittleStar

PiratePupTN said:


> What I am seeing from all the input is that "Top Fin" and "Penn-Plax" Have bad, mostly unsafe decor options. So are there any brands that have good options?


I don't know, I'd post that question to a separate thread though, see what kind of feedback you get.


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## CollegeBettas

I have the one on the top left. I bought it in February from Walmart. It's really nice looking especially with the neon gravel and colorful neony artificial plants. When I pulled it out of the first tank I had it in, I thought it smelled a little funny and immediately thought of this thread. I decided that I was just being over worried again and put it in a different tank. Last week I noticed a funny smell coming from the tank. I pulled it out just now and don't plan on putting it in any more tanks. I really liked it too. I am very happy I finally pulled it out and am switching to an all natural tank except for one ornament that doesn't smell. I did have to wash the tank with hot water to get the smell out though.


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## AnakinBetta

BettaStarter24 said:


> I'm gonna add this just because this seems to be the best place for it.
> 
> Aqueon heaters. At least the ones being sold now. I've had an experience with a preset 50W that almost killed Smaug my late red VT. My roommate hannat, had a 50W adjustable Aqueon that killed two of her fish, we know it was the heater because that was literally the ONLY thing that differed in care between the fish we have.
> 
> I've also now seen two different people have their fish become lethargic and clamped and sick after the addition of Aqueon heaters.


I've been running an Aqueon Pro 50 watt since February and it's been perfect


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## trahana

BettaStarter24 said:


> I'm gonna add this just because this seems to be the best place for it.
> 
> Aqueon heaters. At least the ones being sold now. I've had an experience with a preset 50W that almost killed Smaug my late red VT. My roommate hannat, had a 50W adjustable Aqueon that killed two of her fish, we know it was the heater because that was literally the ONLY thing that differed in care between the fish we have.
> 
> I've also now seen two different people have their fish become lethargic and clamped and sick after the addition of Aqueon heaters.


I have an aqueon preset heater, and the problem I've found is that it over heats small aquariums(fixed by putting it on a timer). Always keep a good thermometer and check often, any heater brand can malfunction. 
Another thing I've noticed if you don't have a current in the aquarium then the water at the top will be the warmest while the water at the lowest level be far cooler, which can be traumatic if the variation is in temp is big.


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## Aluyasha

Not sure if these are already posted on here, Top Fin® Immortals Aquarium Ornament | Ornaments | PetSmart
They bubble and peel, The paint chips may cause your fish to choke if they mistake it for food.


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