# Crayfish caves



## ScarletFire (Nov 4, 2012)

Does anyone know if crayfish/shrimps/plecos/cave lovers will like a glass cave? I saw this on my facebook feed, and thought that it would be a really cheap solution to making caves.

Instead of using big bottles, I was considering using jam jars, or smaller glass jars for caves. Opinion?

http://www.collegeenvy.com/2013/04/...es-into-glass-cups-5-easy-steps/#.UugPnhD8XZY


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

Bottles are clear, though. The whole point of a cave is that it's a dark, confined space.


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## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

I have tried clear glass as a cave, and never had any plecos breed in them. Also all the crayfish ( marble self cloning ) that I have, bred without a cave.


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## ScarletFire (Nov 4, 2012)

Hmm alright. I'll stick with the garden pots then.


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## Jaysan (Dec 19, 2011)

Dollar store sells these clear containers that you can use as "Caves".

I've used them. What I did was wrap them in plastic to make them dark. 
I used left over background plastic to wrap the plastic. 
Worked for me


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

Jaysan said:


> Dollar store sells these clear containers that you can use as "Caves".
> 
> I've used them. What I did was wrap them in plastic to make them dark.
> I used left over background plastic to wrap the plastic.
> Worked for me


You have to be careful about using random plastics with your fish. AFAIK the only fish safe plastics are:

PVC (Potable water PVC only)
PP (polypropylene)
PET/PETE (polyethylene)
PS (Polystyrene)
HDPE/LDPE (low/high density polyethylene)
Nylon

Almost all plastic containers have a stamp with either the type of plastic (ie, HDPE) or a number stamp (ie, 7). Look up the number stamp on your smartphone while you're in the store and see what kind of plastic it is. Plastics above 7 are "mixed" plastics and there's no way of knowing what they're using. Avoid those.


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## ScarletFire (Nov 4, 2012)

Jaysan said:


> Dollar store sells these clear containers that you can use as "Caves".
> 
> I've used them. What I did was wrap them in plastic to make them dark.
> I used left over background plastic to wrap the plastic.
> Worked for me


Did you mean the tupperware? Or other types of clear containers?



mistersprinkles said:


> You have to be careful about using random plastics with your fish. AFAIK the only fish safe plastics are:
> 
> PVC (Potable water PVC only)
> PP (polypropylene)
> ...


Just to confirm, HDPE is the recycle symbol with a number in it?


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

*Just to confirm, HDPE is the recycle symbol with a number in it? *

All plastics have a recyle symbol with a number in it. HDPE is #2. All the plastics have a different #. They're all on Wikipedia.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

bob123 said:


> I have tried clear glass as a cave, and never had any plecos breed in them. Also all the crayfish ( marble self cloning ) that I have, bred without a cave.


My plecos and kribensis breed in transparent glass bottles. However, I believe that they will use dark caved/bottles readily.


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