Hiding Places for Beloved Bottom Dwellers

[Kerrinne]

Alright, as most of you can see from my sig -- I have quite a few bottom dwellers in my 75 gallon. I didn't intend for that to happen, but three panda cories turned into six by natural means. So now I have nine cory cats and a clown loach. I have two small caves, a large cave, several pieces of rock/slate that I prop up securely to provide hidey holes, and a piece of african driftwood that has like a cave-like thing for hiding.

First, so I have enough places for them to hide? The panda cories seem to stick together when they hide. The spotted cories don't have room to stick together -- they are too large. No one uses the large cave, because both of the openings in it are too large. I don't think it makes them feel secure. One of my rainbows uses the large cave as a place to hide and jump out at my BA tetras. Neurotic fish.

Anyway....is this adequate for the amount of bottom dwellers that I have? I know they like to have dark places to hide. Should I get rid of the large cave and replace with smaller? Are some cave types better than others? Where do you all buy your caves from? My Petsmart has such a crummy and slim variety of hiding decorations for aquariums. Foster & Smith doesn't have a whole lot either.

Opinions and suggestions welcome and appreciated.

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

If a fish wants to hide it will hide in the best available spot (my 7" pleco currently "hides" on the front glass, behind a plant). A cave with large openings would be better than out in the open so either they don't feel the need to use it or the rainbow bugs them too much. You have a large tank for the number a fish you have so I would assume they feel safe and happy. My big cave is made with several pieces of flat rock.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I came across some small ceramic caves at PetsMart. They aren't bad looking or anything. They are a dark gray and look kind of like a boulder with a hole on each end. The fish LOVE to hide in those. I have a pic of one in my gallery in the Yellow Lab pic. You may want to look out for something like that.

 

[QTOFFER]

I stacked small pieces of slate in a staggered pattern to make small caves in my crayfish tank. The neat thing about this is that you can sprinkle substrate on top of the slate roof for a very natural look.

 

[ChileRelleno]

I think you have provided plenty of hideyholes for your little darlings
If however you like to make things, your the artsy crafty type DIY type.
Then take a piece of PVC pipe, either halved or whole, smear it liberally with aquarium safe silicon, encrust it with your tanks substrate, let cure for 48hrs and....... AbbraCadabra!
You now have a super cool camouflaged cave