Pleco Cave

[Shawn84]

Anyone got any idea on any DIY pleco cave? After trying to look at all the LFS i can't seem to find any. So i'm gone a make my own and looking for idea. Thank you

[Darth]

clay flower pots??

[fischkopp]

The easiest to use are probably PVC tubes. You can make your own if you have a hand for pottery, or get pottery products that are close to the shape of traditional pleco caves: long, tubular, closed at one end, eventually tapered towards it.

[kerisb]

I used black plumbing elbows and t's, covered them in river rock from the home depot and my pleco's love them.     Used silicone from Canadian Tire to attach the stones to the plumbing pipes.   

[Shawn84]

Ohhh that such a neat idea. I might try that if my pleco doesn't like the cave i made for them. I used clay pot and the tray that you put the clay pot on. I carefully break the bottom of the clay pot and flip it around and silicon glue it to the tray.  

[Darth]

off topic that's an awfully small tank for 4 fish especially oscars

[Shawn84]

Now that you mention it. It does look small for the 2 oscars. 20G?

[Fishnut]

The fins of the third oscar are just barely in the pic at the top.  What size is the tank?

On the subject of pleco caves, clay is great and it looks very natural.  Unfortunately you need to be patient while it dries.  PVC is great too.  Just make sure you round of any sharp edges from cutting.

Any silicone isn't going to work.  It has to be silicone designed for underwater use.

I really like the idea of the flower pots.  Is it important to have a smooth base for the pleco caves?  Why not just break it so there's an entry hole and put it on the gravel?

[Shawn84]

I used aquarium silicon that i bought a while back at home depot. The reason i didn't want to just break it and lay it on the sand was because just in case they have baby it would be easier for me to move the baby out. I'm gone a wait 24h before i put the pot in the tank. I use what i have around the house at the time. Couldn't find the sanding paper so i took an old exact o knife and grind all around the opening so it's smooth. From what I been reading around the internet it is pretty important to have a smooth cave cause if not it can cut the pleco under belly which is the softest part of its body. Clay pot was cheap and efficient. Cost me only 2 for it compare to what i saw selling online, there was a site that selling pleco cave and price anywhere from 10+ and thats not include shipping. lol

[sas]

Coconuts make great caves cut in half and you get to eat the
coconut and drink the milk when you're done .
I've made small caves using gray electrical conduit. Coated them in
aquarium silicone and then covered them in fine black sand.

[limed]

So want size of pleco caves are you looking for, round, sqaure?
Size of the openning should be same so only one fish can get in and keep the other males
from getting in. 

Ed

[Shawn84]

I'm looking for round openning. As in how big it wouldn't matter cause there's only 1 male in the tank and 2 female. I make 2 cave so they can chose.  This question will be a bit off topic but can an albino male mate with a non albino female? But in the same family?

[kerisb]

off topic that's an awfully small tank for 4 fish especially oscars

It is an 80 gallon tank, and to give you an idea of the size the black oscar is over 13" and the oranges ones are about 11" in size, they get along great and are very healthy.     And I believe the silicone was geII (actually read in a thread here what type to use)  silicone from canadain tire and has held wonderfully.   The pieces have been in and out of my different tanks many times and still holding up.