Caves - what do YOU have?

[BettaMomma]

So - I keep going to the same places to buy "toys" for my bettas, and always find the same old things (mostly because most stores have ticked me off, and I only have a few left to shop at - heh heh!).

Anyway, I can't really seem to find any great caves that I or they really like...
One thing I dug up from my old tank - a few years ago - was a half a log thing that is hollow. My girls LOVE it. They go in and out all day long. I have no idea where I got it but I was wondering if you guys could post pics of your arches, caves, anything your fishies like to swim thru. I want to get some new toys.

Oh, and if you could tell me where you got it too.
Even if it's not not something specifically made to be an aquarium cave or arch, I wanna see it!

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I have terra cotta pots in my tanks. For my girls, I used two pots side by side. Then I placed a terra cotta tray on top for an extra cave. I have 7 girls in a 20G and I wanted to provide them with more hiding places. The plate has been removed, but only because I want to silicone it on for extra security.

This is what it looked like before I took the plate out

In my split 10g and my 5g I have smaller terra cotta pots, but the hole in the bottom is intact so they can't get stuck. I never found a cave at the store that I felt was soft enough for my boys.

Have you considered driftwood? It looks great and there are various sizes. You can also attach some plants to it, to make it really nice. I have a small piece in my 55G and all my fish love it.

 

[BettaMomma]

OH! That's a great idea!
That looks sweet!

Are all those little blurs your fish zinging by?

 

[crankwalk]

Here is a thread I was reading earlier regarding caves, specifically "betta safe" ones! Not crazy about the neon colors but it seems they are 2 bucks at the local big box stores...

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=86045

 

[BettaMomma]

Aaaah! I remember that post.
I would have to go to WalMart to get one.
Hmm - I wonder where else they have those cutie little caves...

 

[mm_simb]

I have one of those neon caves. They are good because they don't have sharp ends but I hate the color. My betta does go in there though. He also has a plant pot in there that he uses. They are the terra cotta pots.

 

[FishEnthusiast]

The blurs are my fish. In that tank I have 7 female bettas(there were 10 to start, but lost three to columnaris), 5 rummynose tetras, one with no eyes and some sort of danio I think, I was given the wrong fish, and I haven't taken it back. I don't particularly want it, but it is there. The tetras stayed when the girls moved in because I didn't want Keller(the blind tetra) to have to get used to a new home in my 55G. They have been together for over a month with no problems, so they will stay in the 20G.

There will be a major overhaul going on in that tank in the next little while. I want to add more females, so I am going to remove the 7 that are there, move everything around and then reintroduce them all at the same time. As of late I have noticed some aggression that wasn't there before, I think one or two of my females are ready to breed and are getting very territorial. They will have to get over it though, cause they aren't going to be bred. Too bad you can't spay a fish.

 

[crankwalk]

I'm really digging that green cave that was posted

I believe it MAY be this one at Petco for $5. Says its all ceramic...

 

[FishEnthusiast]

Ohh, I like that, it is pretty. I wish I could find something like that.

 

[Saucy]

Oh yeah, they have those at my Petco, too! I love them... but I was worried about the edges... guess they're ok. I use terra-cotta pots without holes in the bottom and coffe cups. I also have a piece of sandstone from Petco that I got with a hole in the middle.

http/www.petco.com/product_info.asp?fami...&ct2=Rocks&ct3=

Yeah, mine looks cooler than that one, and the hole is a lot bigger. I also have a little tower in there (think Rapunzel here) that my girls LOVE to sit in... they just sit in the window ledges and rest... it's cute.

http/www.petco.com/product_info.asp?fami...FPolyresin&ct3=

Princess tower!! LOL!!

 

[Bettabelieveit]

I was wondering around petco the other day looking for ideas, a really good idea I've seen is a little hamster tube thing, that and for like guinnea pigs, and other hamsters and things, they have these big pieces of "fruit" with a hole in it, like a little,... fruit den, thought that would be a good little cave too some use PVC piping also.

 

[3fsh]

Well, I don't have any "caves" in my tank, per se, but I do have a piece of driftwood that creates a little arch. My fish absolutely LOVE swimming through it and playing hide-and-go-seek in it. The driftwood is also nice because my java moss has started growing on it. I'm sorry, but I really dislike fake-looking things in tanks. Neon colors, plastic caves, pots.... I can't stand them.

 

[BettasRFriends]

PVC PIPES!! That's when you're broke like I am . But seriously, PVC works GREAT and you can choose any size you want. When I placed the PVC in my male betta's container, it looks like a little white tree and he would wait IN the PVC for the food! Such a great invention

 

[AlexsDaddy]

Here's some pickies of mine
This is my boys tank with a piece of sand stone leaned against each side. My plakat, Galdar, uses his all the time, but Raistlin my CT doesn't pay much attention to it.

This is in my girls tank. It has a couple fake plants on the top of it. They use it and flare over it all the time. Got this one from Wal Mart

Another in my girls tank. They don't use this as much as the hollow log, but they still flare over it alot. Wal Mart also.

This is a cave I made out of a 2.5 inch pvc ellbow. I siliconed a couple plants on top of it after I got the gravel on.

My frogs and snails love to hang out under the ship. Got this at the local lps that I don't go to anymore cause they take crap care of their bettas. Got a bare pvc ellbow in there too. Richard the Mighty VT who has permament swim bladder problems and can't stay afloat likes to rest in there. He likes to rest on top of the ship too.

I have one of those ugly neon things in my girls tank too, but it's too ugly to take a picture of. Oh, don't mind the algae. I plan to get a couple ottos if the girls tank ever decides to finish cycling after the substrate change that I did a month ago.

Edited to add stuff.

 

[abstract]

i mostly make my own caves out of slate and silicone....can create any shape, form, size you want etc....can add to it or subtract from it anytime...and it is EXTREMELY cheap...plus i think it is fun building them! i'm actually gonna buy some more slate when i'm out today...i always seem to find more and more uses for it