# Clay pot question



## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

The other day at petco, I seen a "ring" that the fish were swimming through and i thought it was cool, it had java fern attached to it. (didn't have 12.00 for it unfortunately)
I already had a clay pot in my tank (uncut, was using it as a cave) so I decided to cut the top rim part off and use that as the ring (I think it looks kinda neat). I was planning on covering it with java moss or fern. However, after cutting it off and sanding it real well I realized that the center of it is a gray color. Will this harm my fish? My fish isn't in his tank at the moment, but I was wondering if this is common for clay pots to have this gray in the middle? 

I have pictures.


front view


















The gray in the center after cutting and sanding the pot.


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## Scrambles (Jan 21, 2011)

Nope, at least I highly doubt it. Looks to me like it's just a place where there isn't any finish because of the cutting. Clay is actually pretty good for soft water fish tanks.


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

About the gray in the middle I'm not really sure. The only thing I can tell you is to keep an eye on your fish so you notice any changes that might occur. if he starts getting sick with some kind of unidentifiable sickness then I'd take it out.

That being said though many members here have cut the bottom of their pots so that their fish don't get stuck so I'd say it's fine. =]

Your tank looks amazing! I love your larger shiny jade, red, and black colored gravel! <3 And that porcelain lucky cat in there is too cute! <3 I love the Java fer idea! 

Your little sprigs of anacharis in the front are so cute! <3

Where did you get your gravel? :3 I'm thinking of doing an infertile substrate with mostly just stem plants in the 2.5 gallon as it'd be easier to work with and I'd love to have that gravel for Firedrake! <3 It reminds me of treasure with it's different natural colors and how shiny it is! :3

You tank is gonna look AMAZING in a month once everything has grown in! >u<


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

Thank you!:-D My tank is definitely a work in progress! haha
the little anacharis I clipped from a larger anacharis plant I had bought from petco.After I put the anacharis in my tank it turned all brown besides the little pieces so I snipped them off and i'm hoping I can keep those alive.:lol:
I went with the larger sized smooth rock gravel because my fish was scraping his face up on my other gravel I had. I believe I picked it up at petco and it was fairly priced. 
http://www.petco.com/product/107329...Gravel.aspx?CoreCat=FishFC_GravelandSubtrates


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

I'm a artist and gardener and seen a lot of pots (broken and otherwise), but I've never seen a clay pot like that before. That construction isn't typical, at least not that I've seen in New England. 

I'd be wary of using it, unless I could determine exactly what the grey core is composed of. 

That's just my opinion, for what it's worth...


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I will probably be taking it out to be honest. I still like the idea though and will try it with some other pots and see if they have the same thing inside.I don't have my java moss or java ferns yet, so I have a little time to mess around with diffrent things. Originally I was going to stack some rocks into a tunel, so I may just go with that if I can't find a pot that looks right.:lol:


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

I have some clay pot fragments in my 5 gallon fish tank, that have been sanded smooth to protect the betta. 

littlebittyfish,

Originally, I had put two small terracotta flower pots in the tank, and my betta Baby Blue, got her head stuck in one of the tiny holes! She was lucky - she healed and survived. I removed the pots immediately.

Later, my BF and I broke one of the pots and sanded the fragments, and like I said, they are back in the tank. The other pot my BF knocked the bottom out of, and after sanding it became a tunnel.

I like the look of the terracotta in the tank... very natural. And the pots were cheap... about 50 cents each. But they have to be made betta safe before they go in. There are a couple of members of this board who very recently lost their bettas after their fish stuck their heads into drainage holes. It was so sad. 

One more thing: common rocks (not aquarium gravel, but rocks you might collect on your own) and glazed pots can leach chemicals into the water, as well as certain plastics. When in doubt, keep it out.... that's my motto.


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## vilmarisv (Apr 17, 2010)

Looks neat. You could always let t dry and cover the gray with aquarium sealant.


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

Aquarium sealent will also plug the holes in the flower pots


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

What kind of lightbulb do you have? If you tell me the watts and whether it's white, bright white, daylight, or something else I could probably help you.

You either didn't have enough light or you had too much and algae started growing on it. ;]

I thought most glazes today were safe now. :[ That's really disheartening. </3

I hope you find a nice pot that works out for you! =] I'd so love to see the ring or tunnel when you're done!

And thank you so much for the link! <3 If I can get to a petco I'll definitely be picking some up! <3


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

wallywestisthebest333,

"I thought most glazes today were safe now. :[ That's really disheartening."

Glazes used in the USA for cookware/dishes are regulated to be safe. But not every pot that gets glazed or painted in this country, even today, is planned for food use. World-wide, standards vary or in some cases, don't exist. And there are oodles of unsafe ceramics floating around, pre-safety standards, even in this country.

I know this because a relative of mine was into antiques, and bought and sold such things. Some popular, collectable dishes were ok to display, but too toxic to use for their original, intended purposes. Any antique ceramic can be a risk.

For example, your Aunt Minnie has an old figurine of a dragon that Uncle Joe brought back from Japan after WWII. She gives it to you because she knows you've always admired it. You think it would be great in your fish tank. You research it on the internet and find out that the glazes used on it were toxic. Aren't you glad you didn't put it in your tank? 

I only trust glazed ceramics that I know were manufactured for food purposes under current safety standards OR that I absolutely know are covered in safe glazes.


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

Thanks for that information! =] I'm gonna go research where to find food-safe glaze! =] If I find something I really wanna put in my tank and I'm unsure as to the safety of the glaze then I could possibly re-glaze it! =]


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## bamsuddenimpact (Jan 25, 2011)

Are all terracotta pots you find safe for the fishes?


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

bamsuddenimpact,

It depends...

The pot should be new - not exposed to chemicals (like fertilizers), pesticides or dirt.

It should be free of sharp edges. Any drainage holes should either be plugged (aquarium silicone) or the bottoms removed and edges sanded.

I'm leary of painted/glazed/otherwise decorated pots, due to the possibility of chemicals leeching from them.

Finally, I gave my pots a good rinse in hot water before I put them in the tank. And that's about all I know about terra cotta pots, lol!


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