# DIY Pleco Breeding Cave



## Ital_stal

Just picked up a pair of BN plecos and needed a nice cave for them to hopefully use as a shag pad. Headed over to home depot and bought two italian made 6 inch terra cotta saucers. Without access to an angle grider (which seems to be the most popular way of doing it) i used a dremel to score the upper saucer in an arch shape and then cracked it with a hammer.
Stack the cut saucer onto the whole one and viola!

Total project cost, $5.


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## gem

I must say a very nice idea and a job well done.


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## Ciddian

very nice! I hate cutting terra cotta D:


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## absun

any pictures. i just stacked two flat rocks, and they liked it too


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## bluedog800

6" that is not a cave that is condo, i think he will like that, looks like he will be able to guard the entrance no problem.


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## ryno1974

You can use PVC pipe too. Take a 4" piece of 1" pipe and heat up one end with a heat gun, and squeeze it closed. Silicone it to a rock or piece of tile (whatever you have around that is heavy) and voila! Done. I took mine and covered it in silicone and stuck aquarium gravel to is to make it blend in, but you dont have to. 

Your saucers look really good, did you affix them to each other, or do they come apart?


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## bluedog800

on the topic of coming apart it does have its advantages, my clay cave has been cut in half, it is simple to get little ones out and held together with an elastic.


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## Ital_stal

bluedog800 said:


> on the topic of coming apart it does have its advantages, my clay cave has been cut in half, it is simple to get little ones out and held together with an elastic.


Totally, i didn't seal them closed as i like to be able to open them to clean/easier to dump the fry out. 
I also made a 3 inch one that was only 99 cents per saucer at Canadian tire.


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## J-P

I have the same intention with coconut shells.


Well done


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## ScarletFire

ryno1974 said:


> You can use PVC pipe too. Take a 4" piece of 1" pipe and heat up one end with a heat gun, and squeeze it closed. Silicone it to a rock or piece of tile (whatever you have around that is heavy) and voila! Done. I took mine and covered it in silicone and stuck aquarium gravel to is to make it blend in, but you dont have to.
> 
> Your saucers look really good, did you affix them to each other, or do they come apart?


I asked my dad if he has any pvc pipes, and he said that he has some so I don't need to buy any. He asked me if I was looking for hard or soft pipes  Does it matter which one? And do you need to treat it before you put it into the tank?


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## lybrian1

Are abs drain pipes safe? I heard they leech out lead into the water.


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