Clay pottery in tank? How does it work?

[DukeNukem713]

What do you have to do to make clay pottery safe for a tank? I want to make some caves and stuff and i figure clay would be a super easy solution. What do I need to do to make it safe?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I'd like to know too. I would assume all you'd have to do is make sure the clay has no nasty additives, make the cave, dry it, then fire it in a kiln.

 

[Mrc8858]

As long as its clean it should be good... when putting new rock or decor in my tank that I'm not to sure about I normally soak in a very light bleach mix then I put in the bath tub and let the faucet run slowly into the bucket to overflow and rinse... u might not need to do any of that at all could just be my paranoia about putting new things in my tank lol

 

[Mrc8858]

There r a few other diy cave threads on here u might wanna check out got my new caves picture in a couple for an idea of other designs

 

[Retired_AF]

If you are talking about the red clay flower pots like you get at Lowe's or something like that, then all you have to do is make sure they are clean. A bleach soak wouldnt hurt, but make sure you soak it in clean water for a while as the pottery DOES absorb liquids.

My son made caves and hideouts for his cichlids and sinos and it looks great and the fish use them all the time.

 

[DukeNukem713]

yes well i do want to use clay pots like that but really i want to mold clay to make my own shapes. i want to build something crazy

 

[DragonFish71]

Just remember some glazes used on pottery are not safe. If the item says that it's "food safe" then you have a good chance. I prefer to just avoid the issue and buy terra cotta pots.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/82228-trying-out-sculpey-caves.html
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/archive/index.php/t-75311.html
I found some info on google after sifting through all the posts about terra-cotta pots.

 

[DukeNukem713]

thanks that was super helpful. i think im going to use that sculpy clay and fire it in my oven and see how that goes (if i cant find a perfect piece of driftwood instead)

which also makes me think that i might as well ask this here. another reason i want to use clay is to form a trunk and branches of a "tree" which i can grow moss on. i could use driftwood for this purpose, and carve/silicone other pieces of wood together to get a good shape. do you guys know of any certain types of driftwood that would be well suited for this? can i pick up a piece of wood off my saltwater beach and use that? could i grab some wood from off the ground in my backyard?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

In two of my tanks I have eucalyptus branches and stumps I collected from the local creek. I scrubbed them, soaked them and put them through the dishwasher a few times. They still leach tannins but not a whole lot. Just have to make sure where you are collecting them from there is no chemical run offs or any other nasty stuff that might contaminate you tank. You can use stainless steel screws to join the pieces.

 

[Retired_AF]

I wouldnt use just any driftwood or branches you find. What you need is something that comes from a wetland or bog. Too many varieties of wood are not suitable because they are too soft and the water can make them rot and fall apart in just a few months. Wood from a wetland or bog (like mopani or something of that nature) would last. If you use something from the seashore, as mumma said, make sure you clean it well and also make sure there are no 'critters' living in it that could harm your tank.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I think just about any hardwood is suitable. As long as it has been dried out (isn't green anymore). I also seem to remember reading somewhere never to use evergreen wood because of the sap.