DIY cave for a pair of boliavan rams

[andresdeo]

Looks very nice, great combination between the plants and the hardscape.

 

[TigerBarbs]

That's awesome!!! I might do something like that for my pair of convicts. It looks way cheaper than a similar one at my lfs

 

[defiance]

Total cost of slate and silicone about £10 and I have loads of slate and about a third of a tube of silicone left. Gunna start someting for my other tanks soon

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

thats incredible! stunning design and the whole big structure for a tenner!! can u use any slate or a specific treated type?
and omg well done! thank you so much for showing us HOW u made it x x

 

[defiance]

I used blue mountain slate (thats what it says on the bag anyway) but any landscape/chipped slate would work as its not treated with any chems. I read somewhere that slate used for roofs can sometimes be treated with chemicals that are toxic. Give this stuff a miss unless your sure its untreated. Hope this thread has helped you out

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

defo!! so any regular garden slate?

 

[Rozdab]

Thank u for sharing defiance very nice tips and hidey hole cave is awesome. If you can pump em out and have the time for it, start selling em on here lol.

 

[defiance]

Yep just give it a clean, boil it up to kill any nasties in there and your good to go

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

thanks! and Rozdab is right, you could make a killing :L

 

[defiance]

Thanx rozdab. I'm happy with it for a 1st attempt. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I started but I think it turned out ok.
One last tip that a friend passed to me.
When building, once you pick up a piece of slate, use it
It stops the structure from looking too uniform like a brick wall.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

as in make it a bit messy?

 

[defiance]

Not messy just more natural looking. Unless your going for a brick wall effect of coarse

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

omg i want to make a fish house
the inspiration!!!!!!! awesomeness.

 

[coffeetwitch]

looks great! im just now getting to the point of making a more natural looking tank... still nothing as nice as that. mrbee's look great too. good job you guys for working to maintain natural looking tanks for your fish.

 

[defiance]

So the rams are finally in the tank will post pics when they have settled in

 

[defiance]

In the process of kicking the corys out of the cave lol

 

[defiance]

Oh I nearly forgot, I added some anubis nana bonsi to the drift wood and slate today too

 

[Atxpunx]

Oh I nearly forgot, I added some anubis nana bonsi to the drift wood and slate today too

Is that bonsai really that much smaller than nana and petite leaves?

 

[defiance]

the bonzi leaves look about half the size of the regular anubias but its early days. i will see when they grow out a little.