<img src="http://www.planetcatfish.com/images/ful ... 134)/9.jpg">
What is this cave made out of? Where can I get similar material to make some. Thanks to the photographer and PlanetCatfish for the photo.
Doran
What is this made from?
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livebearium
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Silurus
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livebearium
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MatsP
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Ok, so you can't reproduce exactly this cave.
Just find something made from clay, that is roughly the right shape. If you have some spare cash, you can buy a tile-cutter (like a circular table-saw, but with a 4-6" diamond cutting wheel) for about $60, which can cut most ceramic materials, so you can cut off bits that you don't want, and then stick bits back together using aquarium silicone. One possible material for this is the common white tiles that people use in bathrooms. You get a whole box of these for a few bucks.
Alternatively, you can buy thick bamboo poles from a garden center and cut it in segments (each section has a "divider" where the bamboo goes thick).
You can also use PVC pipes from your local HW store. Just cut to the right length and find a suitable end-cap (should be available in the shop).
Another option is to use slate. You'll probably need to have a tile cutter to cut this too. Again, stick together with aquarium silicone.
I've also used "broken pots" from the garden center. One of my local garden centers have a big pot full of "free" broken bits of pottery. I always have a look round to see what they've got whenever I go there. These bits can make very good caves if you find the right pieces...
In nature, these fish find a suitable hole at the bottom or side of a river, and the most critical aspect is that it's able to keep the female and eggs safe in there.
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Mats
Just find something made from clay, that is roughly the right shape. If you have some spare cash, you can buy a tile-cutter (like a circular table-saw, but with a 4-6" diamond cutting wheel) for about $60, which can cut most ceramic materials, so you can cut off bits that you don't want, and then stick bits back together using aquarium silicone. One possible material for this is the common white tiles that people use in bathrooms. You get a whole box of these for a few bucks.
Alternatively, you can buy thick bamboo poles from a garden center and cut it in segments (each section has a "divider" where the bamboo goes thick).
You can also use PVC pipes from your local HW store. Just cut to the right length and find a suitable end-cap (should be available in the shop).
Another option is to use slate. You'll probably need to have a tile cutter to cut this too. Again, stick together with aquarium silicone.
I've also used "broken pots" from the garden center. One of my local garden centers have a big pot full of "free" broken bits of pottery. I always have a look round to see what they've got whenever I go there. These bits can make very good caves if you find the right pieces...
In nature, these fish find a suitable hole at the bottom or side of a river, and the most critical aspect is that it's able to keep the female and eggs safe in there.
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Mats
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mmcm1997
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Material used??
Hi I seen stated that a pvc tube needs a end cap. Would you fully enclose one end and only have one opening? I fugured you would need more openings for good filtration. Also for the Terra Cotta Tiles caves, what glue do you use that won't pollute the water? Also should these only have one entrance? Thanks MIKE -
MatsP
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Most plecos want a tube with one entrance. It's really supposed to be a burrow, rather than a pipe, if you see what I mean.
The purpose of capping the end would be to prevent any "enemy" from creeping in from the back. If the fish isn't happy with it's security, it's not likely to breed.
Aquarium silicone is useful to glue most things in fish-tanks. For PVC pipes, you can sometimes find a suitable compression fitting, which is just a rubber seal. If that's the case, just squeeze the cap on and put it in the tank without further work.
In the US, most water PVC water feed pipes (i.e. the ones to run water INTO a building) are "glued" with a special glue for this purpose, which I beleive is mostly a solvent with a simple "thickening" additive. Since it's OK for drinking water, I would think that it should be OK for the fish too. Haven't tried it myself, as we don't use PVC pipes for water feed in england [AFAIK anyways].
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Mats
The purpose of capping the end would be to prevent any "enemy" from creeping in from the back. If the fish isn't happy with it's security, it's not likely to breed.
Aquarium silicone is useful to glue most things in fish-tanks. For PVC pipes, you can sometimes find a suitable compression fitting, which is just a rubber seal. If that's the case, just squeeze the cap on and put it in the tank without further work.
In the US, most water PVC water feed pipes (i.e. the ones to run water INTO a building) are "glued" with a special glue for this purpose, which I beleive is mostly a solvent with a simple "thickening" additive. Since it's OK for drinking water, I would think that it should be OK for the fish too. Haven't tried it myself, as we don't use PVC pipes for water feed in england [AFAIK anyways].
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Mats
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livebearium
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MatsP
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- Location 1: North of Cambridge
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It's not what fish it is for, it's about the actual size of the actual fish, which obviously varies with age as well as which specie the fish is.
The only correct answer is "big enough for the fish to fit fairly snug in there". For breeding, the male will want to be able to defend the eggs in the cave, and thus be able to block anything from entering the cave, as well as keeping the female in there during the mating. So both male and female will have to fit in there, but there shouldn't be much space left over.
My birstlenose will get in/out through a hole that is about 6-7 mm (~1/4") tall, even though the fish with raised dorsal is probably closer to 20 mm (3/4").
For an adult Peckoltia (like L134), I would guess a 38mm (1 1/2") would be a good fit.
If you have several caves of different sizes, the dominant male will find the one that is most suitable for his taste, so getting a size up and down from what you think might be a good fit is one way to let the fish decide...
Edit: As to length, you want it to be at least half again on the size of the fish, so a 10cm (4") fish would need a 15+ cm (6") cave.
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Mats
The only correct answer is "big enough for the fish to fit fairly snug in there". For breeding, the male will want to be able to defend the eggs in the cave, and thus be able to block anything from entering the cave, as well as keeping the female in there during the mating. So both male and female will have to fit in there, but there shouldn't be much space left over.
My birstlenose will get in/out through a hole that is about 6-7 mm (~1/4") tall, even though the fish with raised dorsal is probably closer to 20 mm (3/4").
For an adult Peckoltia (like L134), I would guess a 38mm (1 1/2") would be a good fit.
If you have several caves of different sizes, the dominant male will find the one that is most suitable for his taste, so getting a size up and down from what you think might be a good fit is one way to let the fish decide...
Edit: As to length, you want it to be at least half again on the size of the fish, so a 10cm (4") fish would need a 15+ cm (6") cave.
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Mats