Things you'll need:
GE Silicone I (not Silicone II, because it is toxic for fish)
pieces of pvc pipe
sand or gravel
bowl/ pan (the wider, the better!)
gloves
ruler (tongue depressors and thick popsicle sticks also work)
sponge or makeup applicator
wax paper
plastic or silk plants (optional)
1. Wash the pieces of pvc pipe (just in case!).
2. Saw pvc pipes 2/3 of the way from the top; discard the bottom third.
3. Cut off the bottom of the container of Silicone (squeezing it out through the top takes too long). You may need to file down the edges of the pcv pipes if they are too sharp.
4. Use the ruler to scoop out some silicone.
5. Cover the pvc pipe in silicone, using either the ruler or the sponge.
6. Roll the silicone-covered pipes in the bowl filled with either sand or gravel.
7. Place the sand- or gravel-covered pipe on the wax paper to dry. Let dry for 12-24 hours.
8. Apply another coat of silicone, and then roll pipes in sand/ gravel once again. Place on wax paper and let dry for 24 hours.
9. If another coat is needed, repeat step 7. Otherwise, let pipes cure for another 24 hours.
10. Pipes are ready to be put into tank!
Other notes:
- You can use plastic or silk plants to decorate your caves, using silicone to attach them. Do this 12-24 hours after your last coat of sand or gravel has been applied.
- When I was making my DIY caves, I forgot to cut the pipes before covering them in sand & gravel. I cut them after the pipes had cured for 48 hours. It was realatively easy to cut them, but it damaged the saw I used.
- I have also made some DIY gravel-covered flower pots using the same method, with the exception of cutting off two-thirds of the pot. I decided to place the entire pot in the tank, and bury it under the sand a little.
Here are my sand-covered DIY caves after they had finished curing.
Here they are after cutting off a third from the bottom.
I don't have any pictures of them in tanks yet; I'll update this when I've taken some more pictures.
GE Silicone I (not Silicone II, because it is toxic for fish)
pieces of pvc pipe
sand or gravel
bowl/ pan (the wider, the better!)
gloves
ruler (tongue depressors and thick popsicle sticks also work)
sponge or makeup applicator
wax paper
plastic or silk plants (optional)
1. Wash the pieces of pvc pipe (just in case!).
2. Saw pvc pipes 2/3 of the way from the top; discard the bottom third.
3. Cut off the bottom of the container of Silicone (squeezing it out through the top takes too long). You may need to file down the edges of the pcv pipes if they are too sharp.
4. Use the ruler to scoop out some silicone.
5. Cover the pvc pipe in silicone, using either the ruler or the sponge.
6. Roll the silicone-covered pipes in the bowl filled with either sand or gravel.
7. Place the sand- or gravel-covered pipe on the wax paper to dry. Let dry for 12-24 hours.
8. Apply another coat of silicone, and then roll pipes in sand/ gravel once again. Place on wax paper and let dry for 24 hours.
9. If another coat is needed, repeat step 7. Otherwise, let pipes cure for another 24 hours.
10. Pipes are ready to be put into tank!
Other notes:
- You can use plastic or silk plants to decorate your caves, using silicone to attach them. Do this 12-24 hours after your last coat of sand or gravel has been applied.
- When I was making my DIY caves, I forgot to cut the pipes before covering them in sand & gravel. I cut them after the pipes had cured for 48 hours. It was realatively easy to cut them, but it damaged the saw I used.
- I have also made some DIY gravel-covered flower pots using the same method, with the exception of cutting off two-thirds of the pot. I decided to place the entire pot in the tank, and bury it under the sand a little.
Here are my sand-covered DIY caves after they had finished curing.
Here they are after cutting off a third from the bottom.
I don't have any pictures of them in tanks yet; I'll update this when I've taken some more pictures.
) 
. I was going to make a topic because i just got some PVC pipes for myself, and this pops up. But i have a question though. If you want to close one end of the pipe, so that there is only one entrance, how would you do it?
