Clay pots

[exasperatus2002]

How many of you use clay flower pots for caves with your cichlids? What did you do to prep them for use to make sure they were clean. I want to halve a new clay pot to put in my african tank for my Synodontis multipunctatus. I have one now that has a small cave it prefers over the rest of the rockwork but I have 3 larger ones in quarantine right now that will be added to the main tank next weekend. Any suggestions on how to halve it with out shattering the whole thing? Anyone have pics of their set ups?

[fischfan13]

Geez, I do have a good memory...

http://forums.eastcoastcichlids.org/showthread.php?t=163

[Bandsmanc92]

I simply sit the pots in bleach over night, then rinse well and leave over night,to air out. Use the smell test. You smell bleach rinse again etc. etc.

[Chillout]

I bought some pots from walmart a few years ago. Rinsed them and them right in my tank. No problems as of yet and they are still in use.

[jerseyhokie]

If you want to save a few bucks, go to the local home improvement store (Home Depot Lowes ect) and ask if they will give you a broken pot for free. More often than not these pots have chipped and are perfect for tanks with a little sandpaper on the edges.

[Buckcich]

If you want to save a few bucks, go to the local home improvement store (Home Depot Lowes ect) and ask if they will give you a broken pot for free. More often than not these pots have chipped and are perfect for tanks with a little sandpaper on the edges.

That's what I was going to sugest. Another great place to get "damaged" intact terracotta pots are nurseries. Owners would be more them glad to pass on damaged goods for a fraction of the original price than trowing it the garbage

[dogofwar]

I do this (other than the part about sandpapering the edges of broken pots to make them "perfect" ;) ).

Usually there's a guy in the landscape department at HD that sets the broken pots in a pile and lets me have them for free. There was a lady there last time who told me that I couldn't have them because the broken pots were going on markdown...how much I asked...10% off. I'll wait for the regular guy!

I just rinse them off with some tap water and drop them into the tank...

Matt

If you want to save a few bucks, go to the local home improvement store (Home Depot Lowes ect) and ask if they will give you a broken pot for free. More often than not these pots have chipped and are perfect for tanks with a little sandpaper on the edges.

[exasperatus2002]

Thanks for the advice!