A challenge between looking natural, and being safe for the fish

[Magnum Man]

I’ve got several cast resin hollow logs, I really liked them, so I have a few in several tanks now, because they look totally natural… in my Tetra tank ( pictured in the tank of the year contest ) they work amazingly well… but I’m starting to rethink them in my Cichlid tank, as there are rough edges, part of the natural look, and as the Cichlid’s interact ( reads, chase each other around ), they occasionally get scraped up… they aren’t “fighting” but occasionally one will give another the eye, and one will flee quickly… starting to think in the Cichlid tank, everything should have rounded edges…

I have another cast resin hollow log, in my Barb tank, for the smaller fish to take refuge if needed ( everyone has been good so far ), but the current in the tank, pulls some food into the log, and even though I positioned the log l, so the big fish can’t get in, my Torpedo Barb, is enough of a pig, it fights to get in, to get the little bit of food that finds it’s way inside, getting out is more challenging, and it got a scrape on its back, in front of the dorsal… it’s not gotten infected at all, but the fish did the same thing 2-3 times, before it decided, that wasn’t worth it, for what little food was in there… so now I think it’s going to have a permanent “battle scar”

Sometimes we do something for the fish, and a natural look, might not be as good ( thinking about those ceramic ( smooth ) Pleco caves, that I hate the look of, or putting pcv pipe pieces in the tank…

Well, what’s that they say about scars??? Chicks dig them… maybe they make it easier to attract a mate ???

 

[Magnum Man]

This is the particularly rugged looking log, in the Cichlid tank

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Ah, 'tis one of those ways that fish keeping is like life. It's all about finding the right balance. I tend to make caves with piles of river rocks and driftwood, arranged to look as natural as possible. Both the rocks and the wood are worn smooth, and the few sharpish edges on the wood don't seem to cause a problem, probably because the wood is fairly soft.

I agree with you on the fake-looking decor; to me filling a tank with PVC pipes would defeat the whole point of keeping fish. And PVC can have sharp and rough edges too. The trouble is that ceramic is really hard. If it were me, I would either ditch the ceramic pieces in favor of some natural river rock/driftwood, or get some 80 grit sanding blocks and sand them smooth.

 

[GaryE]

We had a bunch of lovely pieces show up in our club auctions - expensive at retail ones selling for 2 or 3 dollars. I was the auctioneer, and as I handled them, I was evaluating if I would want them. I would have done some sanding, like @WhistlingBadger suggests.

I didn't buy them. I won't add decor that traps food, and I don't have tanks of aggressive larger Cichlids. The pieces tend to be large. They can be useful though, and they can be good fakes.

 

[MaloK]

In nature rocks and wood becomes all eroded and covered with algae and biofilm.

That certainly reduce a lot the possibility to encounter sharp edges and rubbing on biofilm protects the fishes.

Smooth surfaces all around is probably closer to nature and many cast resin decor are the complete opposite.

I never used them because of this and also how they become with wear and time.

 

[Magnum Man]

hoping for a bio film covering long term...

 

[fishorama]

I can see why you like that fake wood cave. It looks nice! I prefer to have some flow into or through caves. Trapped decaying food & poo can cause trouble. Can you at least stick the vac hose in there to remove most of it? Do any of your fish use it as a hiding/breeding place? Maybe rearrange it so some filter flow goes in there?

 

[Magnum Man]

Most of my tanks mimic a river, so yes, I place for water movement through…

 

[fishorama]

Yes...but does it flow into the cave? It looks like a deep dead end. Is there a hole at the back? Maybe prop up a rock back there to allow more flow?

 

[Magnum Man]

It’s fully open on both ends and has 3 holes on the sides. The fish can swim through it

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