BrownBullhead
Jan 28th 2009, 08:32 AM
I just thought I would show off my latest "work"; it's nothing compared to what some of you on this forum create for your fish, but it will do the job for me! I wanted to add "caves" to my cichlid / catfish setups to (a) induce spawning of Lophiobagrus Brevispinis; and (b) offer cichlid juveniles additional areas to escape the larger adults. Some people don't like the look of terra cotta plant pots in an aquarium, but I don't mind it at all, particularly once they "age" and get that coating of lush green algae. ;)
My cost on creating these "caves" was about $2 each, not factoring in the minute amounts of GE Silicone I 100% Rubber ($3 for a tube) and the $16 hole saw bit for ceramic tile. That's certainly better than $6 each plus shipping for the ones that, although more "polished", do the same job as mine. :) That and the immediate satisfaction of not waiting two weeks for shipping! :P
I found that soaking the terra cotta for a few hours *before* drilling yields a hole with smoother edges. I've made three caves that have "cured" for 24+ hours, and have four more caves "work in progress". The hole saw bit was 1¼" size. I also own the 2" one from the same manufacturer. It's all-in-one, so no need to fuss with arbors, mandrills, or whatever those silly attachments are called. Yes, I'm just that technical! DIY with a limp. :P
Please click the thumbnails to open the JPEG images in a new browser window. Please note the DVD disc for size reference.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/th_20090128_100237_exposure_resize.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/20090128_100237_exposure_resize.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/th_20090128_100254_exposure_resize.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/20090128_100254_exposure_resize.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/th_20090128_100318_exposure_resize.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/20090128_100318_exposure_resize.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/th_20090128_100346_exposure_resize.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/20090128_100346_exposure_resize.jpg)
My cost on creating these "caves" was about $2 each, not factoring in the minute amounts of GE Silicone I 100% Rubber ($3 for a tube) and the $16 hole saw bit for ceramic tile. That's certainly better than $6 each plus shipping for the ones that, although more "polished", do the same job as mine. :) That and the immediate satisfaction of not waiting two weeks for shipping! :P
I found that soaking the terra cotta for a few hours *before* drilling yields a hole with smoother edges. I've made three caves that have "cured" for 24+ hours, and have four more caves "work in progress". The hole saw bit was 1¼" size. I also own the 2" one from the same manufacturer. It's all-in-one, so no need to fuss with arbors, mandrills, or whatever those silly attachments are called. Yes, I'm just that technical! DIY with a limp. :P
Please click the thumbnails to open the JPEG images in a new browser window. Please note the DVD disc for size reference.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/th_20090128_100237_exposure_resize.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/20090128_100237_exposure_resize.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/th_20090128_100254_exposure_resize.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/20090128_100254_exposure_resize.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/th_20090128_100318_exposure_resize.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/20090128_100318_exposure_resize.jpg) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/th_20090128_100346_exposure_resize.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/BrownBullhead/2009/20090128-My_DIY_Caves/20090128_100346_exposure_resize.jpg)