Hi. So my local pet store has a pretty pathetic selection of betta safe decor plants and I was wondering. Is there a way to make some cloth-like materiel flowers water safe to put in a fish tank? I would love to diy some decor for my fish to make their tanks unique but I'm not sure how to go about it.
Hey there @somelittleredhead :D Sorry to hear that your LPS doesn’t have a good selection for betta decor :/ But you know what? There’s TONS of DIY decor ideas out there so we’ve got ya covered ;D
For silk flowers / plants, check our your local dollar store! :) Silk plants from places like the dollar store or hobby lobby are usually tank safe ^-^ Just make sure that the wire is removed from the stems before putting the plants in the tank. Also make sure that no strong dyes will leak into the water (I believe you can test this out by placing them in some vinegar + water and seeing if the dyes leak). If the plants have a strong chemical smell after rinsing with just some water, I’d be cautious to use that too.In this video, Joey uses cement to make the base of the plants, but you don’t have to use cement. If you want to make a weighted base, you can also do what this Instructables guide did as well, or something similar!
[ Source ]You can use terra cotta pots in your tank as well! Just make sure they’r actually terra cotta and not painted :) The little holes you see in the bottoms should also be plugged up (you can also knock the whole bottom of the pot out) so that your betta can’t get stuck though :)
[ Source ]The source for the PVC pipe picture is actually a DIY guide for how to dress up PVC pipes and make them look like old pipes! :p You can also superglue / silicone rocks / gravel to the outside, or tie moss around them, or superglue live or silk plants to them :) It also mentions Krylon Fusion spray paint. Krylon Fusion Clear is commonly used to seal decor to make it tank safe :) I haven’t used other colors, but as long as it’s Krylon Fusion it should be safe :) (and of course you can always seal it with Krylon Fusion Clear as an added safety precaution)
[ Photo Credit: Lori Kays Dunlap Fuzzell ]Glassware is also usually aquarium safe! :p I got some cute glass teacups from goodwill :D I had them in my tank for about a month or so with no problems (i redecorated and wanted to take them out). Just be sure to give the glassware a good wash! (never use soap to wash aquariums or aquarium decor, a good rinse in hot water or sterilizing with boiling water should do the trick)
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You can also make rock structures with large smooth stones + superglue / silicone! :D
An important thing I FORGOT e.e
When looking for superglues, you want to look for “cyanoacrylyte”
Big word. Important word.
Awesome ideas for cool aquarium stuff cos I dislike at least 75% of store stuff
