Cheap alternatives to adding structure to tanks?

[Stix_oz]

Hi all, i'm looking for some cheaper alternative for adding structure to my new 4ft tank. I'm very new at this and my tank is almost cycled and ready for fish but other than a couple of small rocks and 2 small plants my tank looks baren!

Rocks and logs and crazily expensive in fish shops and i have quiet a current in my tank, turning over my water 10-12 times an hour makes it hard for any tall plants.

There has to be some cheaper alternatives, any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Stix

 

[jsoong]

You can collect driftwood yourself. There are many threads on the subject, here and at the DIY forum. Basically, you need to collect from a wilderness area that is free from pollution, and collect hardwood species, preferably sunken ones from lakes & ponds so the wood is already waterlogged. Then it is a matter of cleaning & boiling so you don't introduce baddies into your tank. If that is too much work, try looking online at ebay or aquabid. Prices are better than LFS.

You can also build rock structures yourself. Collect the rocks yourself if you can (as long as the source is clean & you clean the specimen well), or buy it from a landscaping place (get rocks/slate meant for ponds). Then build structures using aquarium safe silicone. <It will be much cheaper if you can find that in the hardware store ... you need ones that says 100% silicone, without color or mildewcide, & preferably saying "safe for aquarium".>

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

petco has $8 for a nice sized driftwood piece, I got mine online so I did not even have a clue what I would get, it is prob a little large for my 10G but I still like it. Heck beats the ~$30 that the LFS around here gets if they even have any.

You can see pics of it in my 10g here at the bottom of the page
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f70/my-10-gallon-nothing-planted-103269.html

 

[Stix_oz]

How do people boil something a few feet long?

 

[jsoong]

Big pot!

Seriously, if your wood is too big to fit, then the next best is to put the wood in a big container (may be the bathtub) & pour boiling water over it to cover. Won't be as good as real boiling as you don't get the contact time before the water cools off, so you might want to do that a few times.

One way out idea someone posted is to use the BBQ. He put the BBQ on low & put in the wood & dry baked that. <Although I might add a pan of water so you steam the wood instead.>

 

[mvigor]

BBQ baking the wood dry is one good way to ensure that it won't stay underwater.

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

just get a large metal tub and boil it in there on a fire

 

[CaptainAhab]

Bet the store bought items are looking better and better eh

 

[saffikeagan]

I think it depends on what type of wood you want too. There's that one type M something or other that's really expensive, but I just bought a nice size hunk for my 14 gallon that was only $8 at my local LFS. I think it pays to shop around. Also, some reptile stuff can be used in fish tanks and is not always as expensive.

The other thing I did was get some clay pots of a variety of sizes and artfully broke them then sanded the rough edges. I've got one piece of a small pot sunk in the sand on one side and resting up against the tank wall on the other to provide a visible cave. Another piece broke in such away that it's a curved rhombus. It's in the sand on two opposing corners, again providing a little hiding spot that has an entrance and an exit and that I can see into.

I'm going to have nocturnal loaches that like to spend a lot of time hiding, so providing a lot of cheep places for them to hide is a goal of mine.

 

[Stix_oz]

Cheers for the ideas guys, i will let ya know what i come up with

 

[saffikeagan]

Oh, there's also the disguise method too.

I've read of people taking PVC pipes etc, covering them with silicon glue then their substrate or java moss to provide cheap but natural(ish) looking items.

 

[QTOFFER]

Landscaping supply and garden centers are a good source of cheap aquarium rocks including granite, slate, and sandstone. Just be sure to wash thoroughly to remove dirt and contaminants.