safe material for caves, and safe leaves

[Markusi]

Why not make a cave?

Just use the same silicone and some flat rocks... play around with the formations on dry land, then when you're happy with it, glue it all together (carefully to hide the silicon) glue it all back together. You could also take some java moss and thread, and bind the moss to the rock pile with thread, further disguising the pile.

just an idea...

Markus

 

[cootwarm]

I tried a couple different types of caves and I've settled on coconut shells as my favorite because they look so natural. I attach Java Moss and a Java fern or 2 to all of my coconuts. After a month or 2 you don't even see the shell. It just looks like a small mound of Java Moss with a Java Fern sprouting out of it. The fish love swimming in and out of the moss, especially fry. It gives them a nice safe place to hang out.

I take a small ball of java Moss and spread it out in a thin layer large enough to drape over the shell. I then put a rubber band around the lower edge of the shell to hold the moss in place until it takes hold of the shell. I train the moss around the enterance hole. After a few months the rubber band will break, then I just carefully pull the rubber string from the moss.

I attach Java Ferns by tucking the root section under the rubber band or I make a small hole to wedge the roots into. There are other plants that will anchor on coconut shells, but I've only used Java Ferns so far myself.

I keep the Java Moss clean by using Black Mollies that were suggested to me on this forum. They do a fantastic job of constantly grooming the Java Moss. They even consume bearded algae. Speaking of grooming, if the conditions are idea for plants in your aquarium, your moss will need a 'hair-cut' from time to time.

Java Moss looks great attached to driftwood and rocks as well. I've also read of people attaching moss to terra cotta pots.

Michael

 

[skwelch]

i here what ur saying cootwarm but i think they still too 'round' even they are covered by java moss or fern, thats exactly what im trying to get away from, uniform shapes that dont occur in nature.
but each to there own

im off to check out ebay

 

[M0oN]

i here what ur saying cootwarm but i think they still too 'round' even they are covered by java moss or fern, thats exactly what im trying to get away from, uniform shapes that dont occur in nature.
but each to there own

im off to check out ebay

Buy driftwood and use a bore drillbit to make holes in areas underneath that won't be noticed by anyone looking at the tank, in my experience just about any cichlid will take that territory over anything else in the tank.

Alternatively you could also get pottery clay and mold your own caves then bake them in the oven to harden them and make the clay inert...