# Sites for docorations / tank items...



## ilikefish (Mar 10, 2008)

i am looking for websites that sell alot/good tank decorations etc...


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

ilikefish said:


> i am looking for websites that sell alot/good tank decorations etc...


Checkout this link -

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/info/22958/off/0/_page/1/sortby/1/category.web


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

I say make your own. Goo (cheap) places / ideas

1) Dollarama. You can get all kinds of plastic plants and greenery and clay pots for dirt cheap
2) Home Depot. Pieces of broken slate tiles, and ABS or PVC pipe
3) River bank / lake shore. Tons of nice driftwood, already weathered and all the bark stripped off for you


Pick up some fake plants ($1 each) some small clay pots (3 for $1) from dollarama, and a tube of silicone from HD ($3-$4). Put the plant in the pot.Take a handful of your fav substrate and half fill the pot. Cover in silicone. Cover with another layer of substrate and let dry. Voila! a nice DIY plant for about $2.50 compared to around $15 or $20 at the LFS. 

If you dont like the idea of the small pot, use a rock (any old rock will do) and drill a hole in it. Fill the hole with silicone, and stick the plant stem in. Let dry, and there you go.

I havent paid for a decoration in years


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

I need this one really bad. This would make my tank!


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## Aquatic Designs (Apr 2, 2006)

1) Dollarama. You can get all kinds of plastic plants and greenery and clay pots for dirt cheap

Yes, however most of those plants have metal in them and will kill fish. And if it's not metal its paint. And we all know about the childrens toys with paint that has been coming from offshore. Your fish are even more sensitive to those compounds. Careful which ones you buy.

2) Home Depot. Pieces of broken slate tiles, and ABS or PVC pipe.

Great idea. Except the ABS part. Do not use it in aquariums. It is not NSF rated for human use. Your fish are much more sensitive to leaching chemicals then we are. 

3) River bank / lake shore. Tons of nice driftwood, already weathered and all the bark stripped off for you

Great idea again. Except there are many parasites you do not want in your aquarium. Use caution and try to treat it before use in your aquarium. Some use chlorine bleach, potasium permanganate. I personally would not collect from the wild due to unknown factors. 

And my fish are worth much more then saving a few bucks. I do agree the prices on some ornaments in the LFS are expensive for what you get.


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

I agree with all your points above. HOWEVER, since the quality of the decorations you buy for 15-20 in a pet shop come from the same places as the items you mentioned, same problems still persist and you are out an additional 15 bucks. If you are buying it off the shelve you assume safety - remember menu foods? Safety, especially in small, non-critical items like decorations unfortunately tends to come secondary to other things. At least if you are making it yourself you have he opportunity to see what parts are going in, and what parts you do or dont want to use.

As always, caution is important. Always be careful what materials you use and where you put them. My post was intended to be food for thought, not an all inclusive how to. 

And yes, there are about a million threads out here on how to boil/prepare driftwood. Those precautions are obviously required.

Thanks, and good luck with your decoration needs!


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## ilikefish (Mar 10, 2008)

I have some real looking plants that have metail wire in them for the leaves is that bad?
So i guess i cant trust dollar store stuff?

I was looking to do a circus theme.. something different


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

Kind of depends, but generally yes that would be bad.Try to shy away from the ones with metal in them.


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## Violie (Feb 27, 2010)

I recently picked up some nice driftwood from the beach, already bleached and stripped of bark. I soaked it in hot water for a week and then baked in the oven for a good hour on a high temp. Just gotta figure out how to sink it 

Terra cotta pots are awesome, my mom got me some really nice ones. Just make sure the holes in the bottom are plugged up so the fish (if big enough) don't get stuck and hurt themselves.

As for the silicone, make sure it doesn't have anit-mildew chemicals in it.  You could also buy aquarium sealant, I know I can get some where I am for about $8 for a tube.

I think anything from a dollar store that isn't painted or metal would be o-k. But I would sterilize first


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

Violie said:


> I recently picked up some nice driftwood from the beach, already bleached and stripped of bark. I soaked it in hot water for a week and then baked in the oven for a good hour on a high temp. *Just gotta figure out how to sink it *


Couple ideas:

1) Drill a hole through a slate tile (cheapest one HD has) and put a stainless steel screw through the hole and into the wood. Voila, an instant base!

2) If you want it in a specific place (like up against the back glass) take some cheap aquarium suction cups and drill a small hole through the middle of them. Then use a stainless steel screw and screw the suction cups into the wood. Voila, instant background!


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## ilikefish (Mar 10, 2008)

ryno1974 said:


> Kind of depends, but generally yes that would be bad.Try to shy away from the ones with metal in them.


why is the metal bad?
isnt everything painted?


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## Violie (Feb 27, 2010)

I would expect that dollar stores wouldn't use very fish-safe paint, but I don't know for sure. And metal can rust, which I assume is also bad.


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

ilikefish said:


> why is the metal bad?
> isnt everything painted?


Not sure of the type of metal, or what it may leech into the water. And the paint will more than likely come off eventually. It is not necessarily catastrophic, but not the best way to go. Better to avoid it.


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