# Decorations not made for aquariums?



## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So for my newest two tanks I would like to add some decorations that are not specifically made for aquariums, mostly because I have a hard time finding ones that I think are safe enough.

I have heard of using terra cotta pots and coffee mugs... What else have you used? Any other specific precautions I should take?


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

I bought river rocks at Dollar Store, and soaked them in hot water (letting the water sit overnight), then let them dry. I stacked them and used aquarium-safe silicone to 'cement' them, into swim-throughs or bridges. (Be sure to let dry for at least 24 hrs.) 

I've also used silk plants from places like Micheal's. (I made sure they were glitter & fragrance free, with no 'decorations' like fuzzy centers, etc.) I soaked them in hot water (letting the water sit overnight) to make sure they didn't leach dyes, etc. Also, I only used the silk/plastic parts -- making sure there was no metal in the stems.

And I made my own 'hammocks,' using a silk leaf (from one of the above mentioned plants) and a silicone suction cup. I used a push pin to create a hole in the back of the suction cup, then pushed the 'stem' of the leaf into it.

I tried to use glass pebbles and aquarium-safe silicone to create a cave. It didn't come out like I'd wanted, but I'll keep working on it. Maybe a little swim-through would be better. 

I've read that Legos are safe, and I'm thinking about getting some.... And I would think that anything plastic that's safe for children/infants should be OK, since the manufacturers (hopefully) wouldn't use any plastics or dyes that aren't safe for children.

And I've used terracotta pots. I boiled them first, then I removed the backs from some, and plugged up the hole with aquarium-safe silicone in others, so that the fish can't get stuck. I'd read that they can change the pH, but I tested it, and the ones that I got do not seem to affect pH.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

There was a big deal a few years ago about some children toys that had lead in the paint or something like that... But those are quite a few ideas I've never thought of! I think there is a michaels in Lincoln... Is it like hobby lobby? They have that, too, lol. I might be going there this weekend.

Where do you get the silicone?


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Yes, Michaels is like Hobby Lobby. But Hobby Lobby seemed to have more 'glittery' (and expensive) plants. Another similar store around here is A.C. Moore.... And Walmart has silk plants too, in their Crafts section.

I got the Loctite Waterproof Silicone at Lowe's for about $4.50. Make sure you get the one that specifically says it's aquarium-safe. The tube will last me a really long time.

I think my next project will be to use the silicone to attach the silk plants to rocks. Or maybe to attach the plants to the tops of the rock swim-throughs. (Although my male VT likes to sit on it like a bench, so maybe I'll leave his alone. LOL)

I'm working on a rock swim-through 'condo' right now. LOL I made several swim-throughs, and now I'm stacking them one on top of another. It has three levels so far.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

This sounds like maybe something I should work on during art class... My teacher doesn't care what we do as long as we are doing something lol  and I can't believe I've never thought about getting silk plants from Walmart!! Ah, I guess I was afraid that they would dye the water or wouldn't be safe or something.. Oh when the roads ar clear I'm definitely making a trip out there!


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Oh, and PVC pipe works well, and is really cheap, too. You can get it at Lowes, in the plumbing section.

I got the little connector (coupling) parts. I think they're about 1" or 2" in diameter, and maybe 2" long. (They're used for drinking water, so I figured they wouldn't have icky dyes or additives.)

I tried the elbow ones, but my guys didn't like the bendy portion. I've have better luck with the straight pieces. 

I can't remember how much they cost. Somewhere between 50-75 cents each.

Some people then silicone rocks or gravel onto them, to make them prettier or camoflauge them in the tank. I had trouble getting the gravel to stick though, so I just left them as is.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

I got some good ideas by googling stuff like "DIY aquarium decorations" and "DIY aquarium pvc cave"


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## inuudo (Aug 21, 2012)

I've used food-safe, microwave-safe, dishwasher-safe dishware in one tank. I've got a teapot, creamer, and sugar bowl, as well as a couple of plates, a colander, and a big martini glass in my 45 gallon.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

inuudo said:


> I've used food-safe, microwave-safe, dishwasher-safe dishware in one tank. I've got a teapot, creamer, and sugar bowl, as well as a couple of plates, a colander, and a big martini glass in my 45 gallon.


Oh, cool! I like your tank.  I knew about using food/microwave/dishwasher safe dishware --- but I never thought to extend that to include teapots, creamers, plates, etc. 

Hm. This could inspire a lot of 'holiday themed' decorating! :-D (What holiday uses a lot of martini glasses? Maybe I can find a green marble to use as an olive. LOL!)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I just got a ceramic mug for one of my tanks. I'm going to have two one gallon temporary tanks for awhile, until my tanks cycle.


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

You can also use plastic drinking cups, the sort that float. Those work just as well as betta logs, and don't cost 11$ each.  (more like 50 cents for a four pack.  You can get them at walmart, some grocery stores, places like that, and since they float, my guys *love* them. Gives them a place to hide near the surface. I'll find them in there making bubble nests and being furtive.  

I love the idea about making your own swim throughs with stones and aquarium cement, such a cool idea! I know what my next project will be.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> I just got a ceramic mug for one of my tanks. I'm going to have two one gallon temporary tanks for awhile, until my tanks cycle.


Are you getting those two females from Mo? Yay! :-D


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Blue Fish said:


> You can also use plastic drinking cups, the sort that float. Those work just as well as betta logs, and don't cost 11$ each.  (more like 50 cents for a four pack.  You can get them at walmart, some grocery stores, places like that, and since they float, my guys *love* them. Gives them a place to hide near the surface. I'll find them in there making bubble nests and being furtive.
> 
> I love the idea about making your own swim throughs with stones and aquarium cement, such a cool idea! I know what my next project will be.


Do you mean the soft plastic drinking cups? Or are they hard plastic? 

I wonder if you can cut the ends off styrofoam cups so they act like open betta logs, too. Hm. (Might have to weigh it down slightly. If so, maybe I can attach a couple of glass rocks.)

Yes, the swim throughs work REALLY well. My guys like hanging out under them, and on top of them. My male VT sits on his all the time. That's how I came up with the idea of making a multi-level one.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I actually am hopefully getting three from Mo if I can figure out this stupid PayPal account lol. My dad used one like years ago but of course we don't remember that one... Now it's asking for a bunch of legal documents :roll:

I need some of that silicone to start making my own decorations, haha!


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> Do you mean the soft plastic drinking cups? Or are they hard plastic?
> 
> I wonder if you can cut the ends off styrofoam cups so they act like open betta logs, too. Hm. (Might have to weigh it down slightly. If so, maybe I can attach a couple of glass rocks.)
> 
> Yes, the swim throughs work REALLY well. My guys like hanging out under them, and on top of them. My male VT sits on his all the time. That's how I came up with the idea of making a multi-level one.


The cups are hard plastic, but they're flexible...so not very thick plastic? They're like cheap plastic tumblers, often times they're holiday themed. The ones I have are snowflake motif...but my fish don't care.  I don't bother to cut the ends off of them, as they are wide enough that the bettas don't get stuck, and they don't seem to care that the end is closed. They swim in, turn around, and hang out in there. I almost wonder if they don't prefer the end closed, as it gives them a better place to hide. I'm sure it depends on the fish.  

Oh, and the tumblers float, but on their side, so they're at the surface, but they're submerged...ugh, that doesn't make any sense. Okay, they're bouyant enough to float, but once the cup is on its side and fills with water (and usually a betta), they stay on their side, allowing the fish to swim in and out, but also able to rest near the surface.  

Here's a link to some pictures at walmart.com. These are 5$, but you can get the same ones that aren't "patriotic" in solid colors for 99 cents for a 4 pack.  
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Patriotic-24-Ounce-Stadium-Cups/16474701


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, those ones! They always have a bunch of little cups in their party section with different themes. I wonder if those ones would float..


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## Viva (Oct 18, 2012)

Very cool ideas here, keep posting if you have more! This really attracts my creative side..


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## Friendlyfishies (Aug 16, 2012)

I use terracotta pots of all sizes (holes covered) as well as smooth river rocks and colored gems all from the craft store.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Blue Fish said:


> ....
> Oh, and the tumblers float, but on their side, so they're at the surface, but they're submerged...ugh, that doesn't make any sense. Okay, they're bouyant enough to float, but once the cup is on its side and fills with water (and usually a betta), they stay on their side, allowing the fish to swim in and out, but also able to rest near the surface.
> 
> Here's a link to some pictures at walmart.com. These are 5$, but you can get the same ones that aren't "patriotic" in solid colors for 99 cents for a 4 pack.
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Patriotic-24-Ounce-Stadium-Cups/16474701


Yes, it actually did make sense. LOL They fill with water, but remain near the top of the tank. 

Thanks for posting the link. I know exactly what type of cupts you're talking about now, and I'm going to pick up some for my guys.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Viva said:


> Very cool ideas here, keep posting if you have more! This really attracts my creative side..


It can become almost as addictive as bettas. LOL

Today's project: I had a silk plant that was too short, so I siliconed it to the top of a rock swim-through.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I actually bought a silk terrarium plant (Exo-Terra Ficus jungle plant by Hagen) for my sorority tank. It is long and has a suction cup on it so I'm hoping it will sink and I can use it to cover up the cord from the heater or something. I won't complain if it floats, either, lol. I'm really wanting to try those tumbler cups though, too, but I don't think I will use them for the sorority tank, lol.


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> It can become almost as addictive as bettas. LOL
> 
> Today's project: I had a silk plant that was too short, so I siliconed it to the top of a rock swim-through.


What sort of silicone/adhesive are you using? Is it just aquarium cement? I've used hotglue for things before (it's non-toxic, so I knew it was safe for fishies) when I've made dividers, but I don't believe it would hold rocks and things for making swim-throughs. (I'm definitely going to try that idea out, sounds like so much fun.


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> I actually bought a silk terrarium plant (Exo-Terra Ficus jungle plant by Hagen) for my sorority tank. It is long and has a suction cup on it so I'm hoping it will sink and I can use it to cover up the cord from the heater or something. I won't complain if it floats, either, lol. I'm really wanting to try those tumbler cups though, too, but I don't think I will use them for the sorority tank, lol.


If it does float and you decide you want to make it sink, you can attach fishing weights to it as a base.  I've done that before for plants that had those awful bases that are meant to be "buried" under the gravel and don't weight the plant down on their own.  

I'd wondered about terrarium plants before, good to know they're safe!  They're usually much bigger, and cheaper for the size as well, so this is great to know.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yes I've seen many reviews of people who have used terrarium plants in aquariums and also saw one where someone directly contacted Hagen and they said the plants were safe for aquariums..


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> Yes I've seen many reviews of people who have used terrarium plants in aquariums and also saw one where someone directly contacted Hagen and they said the plants were safe for aquariums..


Oh cool! I saw them in Petsmart and really wanted to get one, but I was concerned it about the effects of fulling submerging them.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Blue Fish said:


> What sort of silicone/adhesive are you using? Is it just aquarium cement? I've used hotglue for things before (it's non-toxic, so I knew it was safe for fishies) when I've made dividers, but I don't believe it would hold rocks and things for making swim-throughs. (I'm definitely going to try that idea out, sounds like so much fun.


*Loctite Clear Silicone Waterproof Sealant.* It's specifically marked "aquarium safe." I got it at Lowes for about $4.50. The tube is big, so it'll last me a really long time, too. 

Also, I needed to disinfect everything after a fish died recently. I put the decorations I'd made with this sealant into boiling water -- and it held absolutely fine. So it's definitely durable.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Blue Fish said:


> If it does float and you decide you want to make it sink, you can attach fishing weights to it as a base.  I've done that before for plants that had those awful bases that are meant to be "buried" under the gravel and don't weight the plant down on their own.
> 
> I'd wondered about terrarium plants before, good to know they're safe!  They're usually much bigger, and cheaper for the size as well, so this is great to know.


What are fishing weights made of? I haven't used any because I wasn't sure of this, and I didn't want anything like lead in the tank....

When I wanted to sink a silk plant, I just attached it to a river rock, with a dab of aquarium-safe silicone. I think this silicone is my new best friend. LOL


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Honestly I would be pretty excited if the terrarium plant floated to give them some hiding spots at the surface...


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> Honestly I would be pretty excited if the terrarium plant floated to give them some hiding spots at the surface...


Let us know if it does. I've been looking for good floating silk plants.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

From the reviews it sounds like it may not... However I have a lot to set up before I test it out.


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

For floating silk plants, I've used the fall leaf sprays they sell at walmart. You can cut the leaves off of the wire stems, and then hot glue them together into lines or bunches, and they'll usually float flat on the surface. If they won't float then you can take ribbon, sew the ribbon onto a portion of the bundle, and then use clothes pins to attach the ribbon/leaves to the side of the tank, and they'll float at or near to the surface. My guys love them, they all hide under there and blow their bubbles. 

Not sure what fishing weights are made off...I haven't used them myself, but I saw them recommended for weighing down home-made sponge filters. The river rock and sealant sounds like a safer idea though! 

Oh, and thanks for the adhesive information!!


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## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

in one of our tanks we use this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Anchor-Hocking-Cruet/16524257 we filled it 1/2 full with topsoil, and planted some el nino fern in it. it looks wonderful, but you have to be careful to position it near the outlet of your filter so that it gets water circulation down into the bottom.


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

I have old crystal (lead tested and safe) candy dishes, upside down, making a hiding spot, vases on their sides, even had this blue glass basket complete with handle, probably for toothpicks as is only 2-3inches (planted an anubias in there).
I have river rock, cleansed, and some gorgeous shells (gotta watch hardness with some shells).
In my 2g or less, I will use silk plants but all my others are NPTs so I've gone the other way, using lots and lots of live plants....another major obsession!
I will be setting up a divived tank for 3 or 4 males....guess I'll be trying another use with my super sized silicone....river rock brighes, swim throughs, etc! Great tips, thank you!


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