# Bamboo Caves



## teek (Mar 15, 2010)

I recently got some catfish for my tank and I'm looking for some caves for them. I was thinking about just using a PVC pipe but I want something that looks a bit more natural.

I found this bamboo one for terraniums? 
http://www.joshsfrogs.com/accents/driftwood-bamboo/bamboo/t-rex-bamboo-medium-3in-x-9in.html

Any thoughts on whether its safe for fish?

Any other alternatives?

Thanks for your help.


----------



## matti2uude (Jan 10, 2009)

I have a couple of extra brand new bamboo caves like that but mine have a 2 inch opening. You can also check canadapleco.com for slate or pottery clay caves.


----------



## teek (Mar 15, 2010)

Thanks for the info ... where did get the bamboo caves?


----------



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I think you'll find that bamboo is going to float for ages, unless you weigh it down well with rocks or a slate plate. Bamboo is very resistant to rotting, and water logging too. I think you'd do better with a pottery or rock cave. You can make your rock caves by sticking together stones, slate pieces or rock with underwater epoxy, or make your own pottery ones from small, very inexpensive little clay flower pots. Buy new pots, so there won't have been any chemicals from plants in it. You can disguise it by covering it in silicone and rolling it in small pebbles or some dry substrate. Cover well, let dry for 24 hours and almost instant matching cave, just push it part way into the gravel. Probably best to break a piece off one side first to make a flat side to put on the downside. Pots come as small as two inch on up, in a few different shapes, so you have choices for size, and they sink like stone !


----------



## matti2uude (Jan 10, 2009)

teek said:


> Thanks for the info ... where did get the bamboo caves?


I bought a 10 foot piece of bamboo and cut my own. It does take a while for them to sink but I just weighed them down in a bucket of water.


----------

